What to plant now in the garden for instant colour?

twopenny

I noticed in the gardens today that the old fashioned marigolds have survived the cold and frost as katie recommended.

I've noted elsewhere that the perrinal wallflowers are flowering and happy with the cold. The new varieties colours would go well with the pansies.

I think your problem at the moment will be finding these suggestions at this time of year but some should be in the garden centre after Christmas.

Paspatur

I have cyclamen and hellebore somewhere, not providing much colour at the moment

twopenny

Just watching gardeners world reminds me that heathers have a range of flowering time.
Garden centre will have them in after Christmas.
Check what you're buying and when to prune. This is important for future flowering.
Also there's still time to plant spring bulbs to give a great spring.

[Deleted User]

Katiehound said:

Annuals- calendula- usually  a fixture once you grow a few & they seed themselves. Some are still flowering.

hebes are good but I think my variegated one will be a dodo soon- leaves look weird (transparent)  You get evergreen foliage and flowers. 

Varieties of Hebe are flowering now, it's lovely to see pinks and purples on the bushes at this grey time of year.

[Deleted User]

GDB2222 said:

[Deleted User] said:

@GDB2222 are you only thinking along the lines of annuals/bedding or permanent established plants ?

Just annuals/bedding please. 

I think the pansies are probably the best bet, they're tough little things, several people i see have them flowering at the moment.
Boxes and troughs of these are a lovely injection of colour in the grey, and gloomy, days of winter, plant them thickly and densely for best effects.