Buying your garden flowers and plants now could save a fortune on summer prices! We've shared our pick of the best for a modern garden including those with beautiful colours, striking displays, and even some that are easy-to-care for, too.
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Best garden flowers to save money this summer
1. Lily 'Lotus Elegance'
One of the newest lily varieties, this is fast becoming a favourite with gently ruffled slender petals in a sublime mix of pink, cream and green. Plant each bulb 15-20cm deep in well-drained soil, approx 30cm apart.
Height 1m, spread 20cm. £3.99/1 bulb. Available from waitrose.com.
2. Foxglove 'Dalmatian White'
Most foxgloves don’t flower in their first year but this petite variety does. The creamy blooms with speckled throats from June to July are dreamy!
Height 50cm, spread 40cm. £6.99/9cm pot. Available from brooksidenursery.co.uk.
3. Echinacea 'Supreme Cantaloupe'
Far more reliable and long-lasting than its dramatic appearance might suggest, this darling will bring on-trend terracotta tones August-September.
Height 70cm, spread 25cm, £8.90/1 bareroot. Available from farmergracy.co.uk.
4. Creeping Phlox 'Pharao Blue Eye'
This little evergreen lovely will rescue any dry where plants just won’t grow. Its drought-tolerant and fragrant flowers help suppress weeds.
Height 15cm, spread 50cm. £9.99/5 plugs. Available from suttons.co.uk.
5. Verbascum 'Clementine'
These glorious spires were the stars of many Royal Horticultural Society show gardens last year and it’s easy to see why. This variety has pale orange blooms with pinky-purple centres July-September. Cut faded flowering stems back to ground level to prolong the flowering period.
Height 1.5m, spread 60cm. £7.99/9cm pot. Available from waitrosegarden.com.
6. Peony 'Sorbet’
Gloriously fragrant triple-layered blooms sit atop dense green foliage from May to July and will be the envy of your neighbours.
Height 1m, spread 80cm. £5.99/1 bareroot. Available from jparkers.co.uk.
7. Geranium 'Appleblossom Rosebud’
We’ve never seen such a fab geranium! It dates back to Victorian times but the petal-packed blooms from June to October look perfectly at home in a modern plot.
Height 40cm, spread 25cm. £13.99/5 plugs. Available from suttons.co.uk.
8. Agapanthus 'Twister’
This is one of the prettiest agapanthus varieties we’ve seen and it makes a lovely change from the usual purple blooms. Pack them into a pot or a border in a hot and sunny spot and they’ll shine July-August.
Height 70-100cm, spread 50-70cm. £7.90/1 bareroot. Available from farmergracy.co.uk.
9. Dahlia ‘Misses Dutch’
There are thousands of dahlias but this is our current darling, with rich pink flowers May-November that fill the palm of your hand. Grow it in a pot so it’s easy to keep frost-free over winter.
Height 90cm, spread 85cm. £5.50/1 tuber. Available from sarahraven.com.
10. Ragged Robin 'Petite Jenny’
Attract bees and butterflies with this nectar-rich native wildflower that has masses of double lavender-pink flowers from May to September. It likes moist soil so water regularly.
Height and spread 60cm. £15/9cm pot. Available from hayloft.co.uk.
11. Geum 'Cosmopolitan'
This geum is super-easy to keep alive even if you’re not as green-fingered as you’d like to be! Named after the cocktail, the flowers are cool and creamy with a touch of pink and will last from June to September in a sunny spot.
Height and spread 50cm. £5.99/1 bareroot. Available from jparkers.co.uk.
12. Primula Vialii
A variety with large blooms and a long-flowering season, let it weave its magic through ornamental grasses.
Height 60cm, spread 45cm. £17.99/3 bareroot plants. Available from suttons.co.uk.
13. Geranium 'Brookside’
With upright stems of pretty lilac-pink flowers in high summer, this charming evergreen perennial prefers full sun. Try it in a large pot on the patio. Height & Spread 60cm. £29.95/3 x 9cm pots sarahraven.com.
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