| "WANT your garden to look its best this summer? Well, you won't go too far wrong with bedding plants. Buy them as they come into bloom ready for planting out after the frosts... or save some cash and raise them now from seed or young seedlings." "THERE are no rules when it comes to planting bedding, but it's best to select varieties for their shape and foliage as well as flower colour." "CREATE THE LOOK: February is the best time to sow seeds. Start them off on a warm windowsill or better still a heated propagator and in two to three weeks they will sprout. Two weeks later they will need potting on individually. In late April put them into a cold frame before planting out in late May." "HOW MUCH? For a range of seeds from £1.99 see the Thompson & Morgan catalogue (01473 695225, www.thompson-morgan.com)." "SURFINIA petunias are extraordinary plants - with just three plants you can fill a 14in basket with bushy, flowering stems up to 6ft long. The large flowers are often lightly fragrant and come in a range of colours from white and creamy yellow to pink through to violet blue." "CREATE THE LOOK: Mini Surfinias with shorter shoots can be grown as summer ground cover, while the larger varieties are best in hanging baskets. Buy them as young plants and nip out the tips of the new shoots to encourage bushy growth. Keep moist and feed frequently." "HOW MUCH? Woolmans (0870 950 5918, www.woolmans.co.uk) have six plants - in red, blue, hot pink, lime, purple and rose vein - for £6.95." "BEDDING geraniums or pelargoniums are a good choice for pots as they can withstand dry conditions better than most plants. Grow them from seed or buy pot-ready plants, which are available in late April. Feed them regularly from May to late August and remove the faded blooms to keep them blooming all summer." "CREATE THE LOOK: For maximum impact plant single colours in pots, ideally selecting varieties such as the weather resistant American Zonal geraniums from Suttons, which have semi-double and double flowers on the same plant." "HOW MUCH? 10 pot-ready plants cost £12.95 from Suttons (0870 220 0606, www.suttons-seeds.co.uk)." "UNLIKE
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