Get planting - Red, White and Blue.

This year our Stratford in Bloom flower theme is Red, White and Blue, in honour of Her Majesty the Queen's Platinum Jubilee. Here are some colour planting suggestions - scroll down to the bottom for more plant suggestions.

RED

Dahlia

Dahlia’s can be grown from seed or tubers to flower the same year, available in a range of heights and colours including red. Some varieties have complicated ’double’ flowers but many have more simple ‘single’ petal flowers that bee and other insects can forage. Look out for dwarf cultivars such as ‘Mignon’ which works well with other low-growing bedding plants.

Poppy

Both field poppies (Papaver rhoeas) and opium poppies (Papaver somniferum) can be sown direct into the soil as it warms in spring, and will provide a blaze of red in flower borders. Can be planted with other cornfield annuals such as blue cornflowers and ox-eye daisies to create an informal ‘red, white and blue’ display.

Snapdragon

Snapdragons (Antirrhinum) are cheerful blooms that can be either grown from seed or bought as young plants and may even self-seed to give you more plants next year. They are rich in pollen and nectar although it is only the larger insects such as bumblebees that can barge their way into the dragon’s mouth flowers.

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WHITE

Cornflower

Often included in annual ‘cornfield’ seed mixes, cornflowers (Centaurea cyanus) are historically a weed of arable crops but have earned their place as a garden plant beloved of humans and bees alike. Better known as a blue flower but seeds are available in a range of colours, including white.

Ammi

Ammi majus (Bishop’s Flower) and its taller cousin Ammi visnaga are essentially domesticated cow parsleys and provide a soft, frothy haze of white in flowerbeds. Ideally sown between March and May will bloom later the same year.

Sweet peas

Sweet peas (Lathyrus odoratus) A cottage garden favourite that will add a bit of height to front gardens without being too sprawling. White cultivars include the Warwickshire appropriate ‘White Leamington’. Pick sweet-smelling posies for the house and keep deadheading to ensure a succession of blooms all summer long.

BLUE

Borage

A Mediterranean favourite, Borage (Borago officinalis) has real true-blue flowers. Seeds can be sown in pots or direct into warming soils and will flower in the same year, providing nectar-rich blooms for bees that can also be used by the discerning gardener to decorate and add a hint of cucumber to summer beverages (Pimm’s!)

Vipers Bugloss

A beautiful but sadly rare sight in wild UK landscapes is Vipers Bugloss (Echium vulgare) with spike of electric blue flowers. Does well from seed and garden varieties such as ‘Blue Bedder’ have a more compact habit making them suitable for smaller flower beds.

Morning Glory

If you have limited space on the ground, Morning Glory (Ipomoea tricolor) will utilise the vertical dimension, climbing and covering garden canes or structure. Unlike its wild white cousin bindweed, it will not persist underground once killed off by the first frosts.

Other suggestions for your flower displays - here is a link to the RHS for advice on growing the following Red, White and Blue flowers. https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants. You could also get advice from your local garden centre

Red

Poppies (Papaver spp.)

Dahlia (Dahlia e.g. 'Mignon')

Sweet pea (Lathyrus odoratus)

Hollyhocks (Alcea rosea)

Antirrhinum

Calibrachoa

Dianthus

Diascia

Fuchsia

Lobelia erinus

Nicotiana

Zinnia

Verbena

White

Poppies (Papaver spp.)

Cornflower (Centaurea spp.)

Dahlia (Dahlia e.g. 'Mignon')

Sweet alyssum (Lobularia maritima)

Hollyhocks (Alcea rosea)

Calibrachoa

Sweet pea (Lathyrus odoratus)

Ox-eye daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare)

Love-in-a-mist (Nigella damascena)

Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea (alba.))

Heath (Erica spp.) rather than Heather which will not flower until autumn.

Musk mallow (Malva moschata)

Ammi (visnaga or majus)

Scaevola

Dianthus

Diascia

Fuchsia

Lobelia erinus

Nicotiana

Blue - Blue can include shades of mauve and purple, as there are few true-blue flowers.

Borage (Borago officinalis)

Cornflower (Centaurea spp.)

Sweet pea (Lathyrus odoratus)

Love-in-a-mist (Nigella damascena)

Larkspur (Delphinium spp.)

Morning glory (Ipomoea spp. e.g 'Heavenly blue')

Lobelia

Calibrachoa

Verbena

Cerinthe Major

Viper’s Bugloss ethium