Bedding down for the winter

SPRING bedding is a rather colourless term for a wide choice of evergreen, winter-spring-flowering plants.

They may have a different character from the permanent inhabitants of the garden; something to do perhaps with their soft, thin, foliage, contrasted with strong heads of colour, but these brave, elegant plants are well worth investing in. They can be used in pots and containers, in window boxes and the open garden and even on apartment balconies.

Spring bedding has become a forgotten area of gardening for many, which is a great shame. With the summer display cleared away, there is room now for a wonderful combination of bulbs and hardy bedding plants that will provide colour throughout late winter and early spring.