Plants for a show in June

Pat.brooks

can someone help a haphazard gardener please!

i am hosting  a garden party in the 3rd week in June for my father’s 90th,  and I would like advise of some early flowering bedding plants to give me some colour in a few beds.  I would also to know which are the best to put into a few hanging baskets. I live in the south of England (Kent), and the garden is south facing

thank you. Patricia 

Borderline

Nemesias should be in garden centres in the next week or so. Plenty of two toned flowers. They do start flowering early and provided it's in a semi shaded spot, they will do well in borders and hanging baskets.

Diascias also do well and will be available in good garden centres. If they are in small pots, plant them up in slightly larger pots and let them spread out a bit, and they can be used along the edge. They come in plenty of colours and flowers for 6 months of the year.

Felicia Amelloides, the variegated leaf versions are great for cool blue tones. In your areas, they can start flowering in May onwards.

For shady areas, wax Begonias, Begonia Semperflorens, some come in plum leaf tones and against the white flower, a nice contrast. Many in reds, pinks and white.

Busy-Lizzie

The easiest thing to do would be to go to a Garden Centre towards the end of May or after your normal last frost and see what they've got that's coming into flower. There should be quite a lot of bedding plants coming out then. Plant them up and they should have grown quite a bit by the third week in June. I have quite a lot out by mid June, annuals, perennials, clematis, roses etc.