Reds in the Bed
11 February 2003

The cold war is over but it is still cold outside and rotten weather for gardening. I thought you might like to think of planting a summer bed of red flowering plants. Mixed with a few orange shades the overall impression will be hot. Depending on the size of the bed there are annuals, perennials, bulbs and shrubs all ready to heat up your garden.

Start off with an area free of perennial weeds such as buttercup, docks, thistles and nettles otherwise you will overheat trying to prevent them choking the plants. Incorporate into the top 6 inches 4 ozs of general purpose fertilizer to the square yard. After planting, a mulch of compost or old, well rotted, farmyard manure will help retain moisture and keep
down the weeds.

Annuals are very effective and can be grown cheaply from seed or purchased as young plants ready for planting out. Seed sown now in containers of seed compost will soon germinate on the kitchen window. Thin out the seedlings, transplanting them into trays or pots ready for planting out after all risk of frost is past.

Antirrhinum, asters, love-lies-bleeding (amaranthus, above right), annual poppies, stock and geraniums will flower at or lower than 18 inches.
Plant them close together in the bed, at about a 6 inch spacing, to form a dense mass. Orange flowering pot marigolds dotted through the bed will highlight the bulk of red flowers. Bulbs including pompom and decorative type dahlias, Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ and gladiolus will add height to the bed.


Perennials including red hot poker, peonies, phlox and penstemon are long lasting. Regular feeding of a liquid high potash fertilizer as used for tomatoes will encourage flower at the expense of foliage. It wouldn’t do for the green leaves to smother the fire. Skimmia rubella with its clusters of long lasting dark red flowers will feed the fire. Close to the
edge plant clumps of Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’. It is at its best in late autumn when the heat is going out of the blaze of colour.
Orange and red cannas with their big leaves will give a tropical feel. Red leafed shrubs include Berberis thunbergii atropurpureum (above left) Cotinus ‘Flame’ and Acer palmatum ‘Garnet’ (above right). These can be used to provide height in the centre of the bed. Keep the hose pipe handy just in case.

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