Bedding plants are the first sign for us that spring is officially here. Each spring our greenhouses are jammed full of these lovely flowering flats and pots just waiting to decorate your flower beds. We offer bedding plant flats of smaller plugs (32 plugs each) for those looking to plant a large area of flowers, as well as six-inch pots of larger, more mature annuals for those looking to fill in here or there.
How to Plant a Bedding Plant Garden
Soil Preparation
Spread one inch of Meadows Farms Premium Topsoil, Just Natural Garden Soil, and Black Kow cow manure onto the flower beds. Then work into the soil at least four to six inches deep. Rake the soil level and space out the bedding plants as desired.
Planting Techniques
Plants grown in peat pots should be planted pot and all. Carefully remove plants grown in trays from their containers. Cut or break apart as evenly as possible. Spread Meadows Farms Premium Shredded Mulch over the area at a two-inch depth. Spread mulch before planting because it is challenging to mulch around bedding plants afterward. Plant bedding plants at the same depth they stood in the tray. Space six to eight inches apart. Use Just Natural Garden Soil and Espoma Bio-tone Starter when planting to give plants a healthier root system and to reduce transplanting shock.
Watering
When first planted, if the weather is hot, sunny, or windy, plants should be watered at least once a day. Do this for a week or until the leaves do not wilt between waterings. After that, or when the weather is cooler, once a week should be enough. In hot weather, every three to four days may be necessary.
Additional Care
Pinching out tops of young plants when they are about six inches tall encourages better branching and production of more flowers. Fertilizer is needed nearly every other week. Meadows Farms recommends Jacks All-Purpose Plant Food. To handle unwanted pests in the garden, use an all-purpose insecticide such as Sevin.
Bedding Plant Varieties
Below are just some of the many varieties of bedding plants available for purchase at Meadows Farms Nurseries.
Description: Small compact plant that blooms all summer in blue, pink, or white clusters.
Grows: 4-6 inches tall / 6-10 inches wide
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Availability: Spring
Description: Graceful arching sprays of delicate feathery foliage.
Grows: 18-24 inches tall / 8-10 inches wide
Light: Full sun
Availability: Spring
Description: Good color in late summer. Flowers in white, pink, lavender, and red.
Grows: 6-12 inches tall / 6-12 inches wide
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Availability: Spring
Description: Low, compact annual flowers in white, pink, or red. Leaves are green or bronze.
Grows: 6-12 inches tall / 8-10 inches wide
Light: Light shade to full sun
Availability: Spring and summer
Description: Good summer color. Blooms are bright yellow, orange-red, apricot-orange, pink, or purple.
Grows: 33-36 inches tall / 6-12 inches wide
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Availability: Spring and summer
Description: Grown for its brightly colored foliage in shades of pink, red, bronze, yellow, maroon, and more.
Grows: 3-36 inches tall / 6-18 inches wide
Light: Shade to partial sun
Availability: Spring and summer
Description: Good summer into fall color. Flowers are a variety of colors, except blue.
Grows: 12-24 inches tall / 6-18 inches wide
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Availability: Spring
Description: Showy annual has beautiful two-inch flowers in pink, purples, reds, and whites.
Grows: 6-12 inches tall / 6-10 inches wide
Light: Full sun
Availability: Spring
Description: Grown for its silvery white foliage. Treat as an annual.
Grows: 8-16 inches tall / 8-10 inches wide
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Availability: Spring
Description: Good color all summer. Flowers in colors of red, pink, salmon, orange, or white.
Grows: 12-24 inches tall / 8-15 inches wide
Light: Full sun
Availability: Spring
Description: Puff-like annual flowers on long, strong stems. Blooms all summer.
Grows: 6-24 inches tall / 6-12 inches wide
Light: Full sun
Availability: Late spring and summer
Description: Colorful woody annual with showy flat heads of red, pink, orange, or yellow flowers.
Grows: 24-36 inches tall / 12-18 inches wide
Light: Full sun
Availability: Late spring and summer
Description: Low plant with brilliant blue, white, or purple flowers.
Grows: 4-8 inches tall / 4-6 inches wide
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Availability: Spring
Description: Single or double flowers in shades of yellow, gold, orange, or bi-colored with red or brown stripes.
Grows: 6-36 inches tall / 6-18 inches wide
Light: Full sun
Availability: Spring and summer
Description: Fragrant, star-shaped tubular flowers in lavender, pink, red rose, white, or yellow.
Grows: 12-36 inches tall / 6-18 inches wide
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Availability: Spring
Description: Biennials that produce a profusion of flowers of various hues during cooler months.
Grows: 4-6 inches tall / 6-8 inches wide
Light: Full sun to light shade
Availability: Early spring or fall
Description: Annual with dense clusters of star-shaped flowers. Available in assorted colors.
Grows: 10-18 inches tall / 12 inches wide
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Availability: Spring and summer
Description: Spectacular, low-growing annual in various colors. Flowers form along entire length of stems.
Grows: 6 inches tall / 3-4 feet wide
Light: Full sun
Availability: Spring and summer
Description: Colorful summer groundcover in hues of red, yellow, white, pink, or purple.
Grows: 4-8 inches tall / 10-15 inches wide
Light: Full sun
Availability: Spring and summer
Description: Bright colored annual is an especially strong performer in early spring. Available in most colors.
Grows: 4-6 inches tall / 6-12 inches wide
Light: Full sun to light shade
Availability: Early spring only
Description: Flowers from May to frost. Flowers are bright red, pink, mauve, purple, or white.
Grows: 6-30 inches tall / 6-12 inches wide
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Availability: Spring
Description: Blooms May to frost. Flowers in shades of red, pink, yellow, orange, and bronze.
Grows: 4-6 inches tall / 6-12 inches wide
Light: Full sun
Availability: Spring
Description: Low, compact, spreading annual. Flowers through summer in white, pink, or purple.
Grows: 4-8 inches tall / 6 inches wide
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Availability: Spring
Description: Annual with tubular flowers with purple petals and white throats. Profuse bloomer!
Grows: 10-12 inches tall / 6-10 inches wide
Light: Full sun to shade
Availability: Spring
Description: Good summer color. Flowers a red, blue, white, pink, lavender, or yellow.
Grows: 6-8 inches tall / 12-18 inches wide
Light: Full sun
Availability: Spring and summer
Description: Good summer color that blooms in shades of pink, mauve, or white. Tolerant of heat and humidity.
Grows: 4-18 inches tall / 4-6 inches wide
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Availability: Late spring and summer
Description: Evergreen trailer with pale green leaves and a creamy white margin. Blue flowers in spring.
Grows: Rapid growth to a length of 2 feet
Light: Light shade
Availability: Spring
Description: Blooms from June to frost. Single or double flowers in a wide range of colors.
Grows: 6-8 inches tall / 6-12 inches wide
Light: Full sun
Availability: Spring