For Spring Bedding Plants, once the risk of frost has passed your bedding plants can be planted outside. and water tenderly. Keep their soil moist until it's time to plant them outside (once all threat of frost has passed).

Water when first planted but once established it should take care of itself. Top dress with a 50/50 mixture of horticultural sand and leaf mould with a small handful of lime added, in spring. Once it has finished flowering shear it over to keep it nice and tight and prevent it going straggly, just don’t go right into the old woody growth. It should then grow new leaves which will keep the nice tight cushion form. Propagation To establish the growth of young plants, it is important that you water regularly especially during dry sunny spells and again in late evening. Purple and lilac varieties are to be found in early spring in all garden centres but there are a few a little bit different: I’ve noticed that aubrieta can form a hollow, bare crown if not pruned at all or not pruned correctly. Pruning should never be done in the autumn, winter or early spring as the plant may not flower the following year. Clear Away DebrisGarden ready plants are sent to you with strong green growth and roots so they’re ready to pop in the ground as soon as you receive them in the post. Dobies’ garden ready plants arrive pot-free making them a great option for supplying a bigger planting whilst reducing plastic waste. Garden ready plugs have been carefully raised from seed and are the perfect stage in their development for planting into their final positions and they’re pre-flowering so they can establish before filling the garden with blooms. Can you plant plug plants straight into the garden? Annual Plug plants measure approximately 4-6cm in height from the root of the plant to the top of the stem. Gently remove the plugs from the tray by pushing up from the bottom using a pencil or something similar. Sow by just covering the seed, from late winter to early summer, in a good free draining seed compost. Plug plants are small plants that require a little bit of care before you plant them in the garden. Annual plant plugs need to be grown on in a greenhouse for a couple of months until they have reached a good size and for spring bedding plants, until the risk of frost has passed. When they are ready, they should be hardened off gradually before introducing them to outdoor conditions.

use the end of a pencil to gently push it out from the bottom. Select a few small pots to grow individual plugs in to help them retain moisture before you pot them on after a few weeks (if While I’ve found aubrieta to be an easy plant to grow and it certainly produces an abundance of small blooms in the spring, it does need a little care and attention after flowering: Aubrieta Pruning Buying them as annual plug plants ensures that you will receive all the plants that you require, and you don't risk the disappointment of failed germination.

Some bedding plants, such as Busy Lizzies (Impatiens), Begonias and Petunias in the Spring and Pansies, Wallflowers and Sweet Williams in the Autumn are also difficult to raise from seed.

They need a really well drained spot in full sun, ideally on top of a wall or in a container where they can cascade over the edge, as they can reach a drop or 60 – 90cm (2 – 3’). They prefer an alkaline soil but do seem tolerant of a neutral growing medium. Incorporate some horticultural grit into the compost and a little lime if it is neutral. Don’t enrich the soil with any fertiliser just a little leaf mould. Harden off your plants before planting them into their final positions. Pop them outside in the daytime, and bring them in at night. Do this for about 8-10 days before planting to help them become accustomed to the outdoor climate. Take cuttings from mid to late summer by pulling off a shoot. They seem to take better if pulled off with a heel rather than being cut. Select a shoot with a nice rosette of leaves at the top and about 5 - 10cm (2 - 4”) of brown stem. Place it in a really gritty cutting compost, add extra grit if necessary, and place it in a cold frame to root. Problems I’ve divided aubrieta several times without issue to create new plants or free up space. The best way is via root division, and when I’ve done this, my aubrieta has always recovered well. Stem PropagationAnd there you have it! An easy plant to grow in your displays, whether that's the flower bed, in a container, or a hanging basket. If you're ready to give them a go, why not explore our full range of plug plants online?