Thankfully, the risk of frost is now over and so pots and planters that are on patios and gardens can be safely planted up with bedding plants and annuals. Unless you have already grown your plants from seed you will need to pay a visit to the local garden centre or supermarket and choose which plants you want to use. Here are some ideas for colourful plants that are popular with gardeners.

Geraniums come in all colours and varieties and are easy to grow in flower beds or planters. If kept well-watered and fed throughout the summer months, and dead headed when the blooms have died, they will continue to flower throughout the summer and autumn.

Another popular bedding plant is the begonia which has a beautiful, dark glossy leaf and delicate flowers. They are usually quite small when first planted but grow well and increase in size over the blooming period.

If you want something a bit more unusual then a trip to the garden centre will give you a greater selection to choose from and some of the uncommon varieties that you may not find in a supermarket. It is a good idea to buy some enriched compost to use in the planters and pots so that the new, young plants will get a good start.