Take a stroll through the nearest park or around your local neighbourhood and you’re almost guaranteed to spot the kinds of traditional bedding plants gardeners have relied on for decades: petunias, busy Lizzies, geraniums, begonias and antirrhinums, all offering reliable colour and impact throughout the summer.
But there is a movement brewing to replace these old-fashioned choices with more modern options, for one simple reason: they offer much more for pollinators.
Bedding to benefit bees
Emma O’Neill, head gardener at the sustainable growing charity Garden Organic, says many traditional bedding plants are prized for their “colour, uniformity and long-lasting flowers at the cost of being sterile or with double flowers, which makes it much harder for pollinators to access the nectar, meaning they use up valuable energy.
"Sometimes, extra petals actually replace the parts of the flower that hold the nectar or pollen,” she says, meaning they provide nothing at all for bugs and insects.
The way these plants are grown can also have harmful effects on the environment compared to other varieties, particularly ones you can grow from seed at home. “Mass-produced bedding plants are usually grown in large glasshouses using high amounts of energy and water,” explains Emma, “and then they’re potted into plastic or polystyrene containers that are extremely difficult to recycle”.
Get them home and these high-maintenance plants then need even more watering and care. But it only takes a glance into the average front garden, hanging basket or street planter to see just how much we rely on these environmentally unfriendly plants.
The good news is, there are plenty of fantastic alternatives we can use to support pollinators and benefit the environment without compromising on colour.
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Naturalistic planting is in
A few carefully chosen swaps may actually play into changing preferences when it comes to garden design. At a time when many of us are turning towards a more naturalistic style of planting with looser, less uniform borders creating intricate layers of colour and texture, the shift away from traditional bedding plants and their tight blocks of brightly coloured blooms suits the trend for a more relaxed look.
According to the RHS’s director general Clare Matterson, sustainability is a topic increasingly uniting the UK’s 30 million gardeners, who are now choosing plants “not only for the emotional response they elicit, but their broader environmental benefits”.
At the start of the year, the RHS predicted we would continue to shift away from traditional bedding plants, instead favouring “more long lived, less thirsty and robust varieties”, such as salvias, heather and dahlias, which have been popular among community gardening groups recently.
The diverse array of naturalistic schemes on display at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show reflects this trend and provides plenty of inspiration for our own gardens, from Monty Don’s relaxed Dog Garden to Matthew Butler and Joshua Parker’s Garden of the Future, which showcased single, pollinator-friendly flowers.
The best bedding plant alternatives
A few carefully chosen but simple swaps can make all the difference to the wildlife visiting our gardens – and that doesn’t necessarily mean discounting annuals.
“Wonderful displays of colourful annuals can still be achieved with species and cultivars that have single flowers or those with parts accessible to pollinators. The range available is very wide,” says Matthew Pottage, head of horticulture at London’s Royal Parks, which are known for their innovative bedding schemes.
Emma from Garden Organic suggests cosmos for its open flower shape and abundant nectar and pollen. “In late summer, it provides seeds for birds, too,” she says.
“Slender vervain (Verbena rigida) is a moth and butterfly magnet, and Mexican fleabane (Erigeron karvinskianus) has a lovely spreading habit that's good for cracks and crevices. It will readily self-seed and its open flowers are loved by bees and butterflies”.
Emma also recommends bright marigolds to attract insects such as hoverflies, parasitic wasps and ladybirds, while helping to distract pests with their strong scent.
Grow these pollinator-friendly plants from seed and you'll cut out the energy-intensive production process too. Direct sowing into the ground, or in cardboard containers such as old loo roll inners or egg boxes, and potting seedlings on into reusable terracotta pots all helps to reduce environmental waste.
More bedding plant alternatives
You can find more alternative bedding plants in our guide to the best choices, with expert suggestions from Coralie Thomas, assistant head gardener at Great Dixter; Sarah Raven, gardener, cook and writer; and Steve Edney, garden consultant and nurseryman.
To see Emma O'Neill's inspiring Garden Organic planting schemes in real life, explore Ryton Organic Gardens at leisure as part of its National Garden Scheme open day on 6th September.