With RHS Chelsea Flower Show fast approaching, we’re spending some time this week getting excited about the latest advances in flower varieties and types.
Twists on a classic, stripes, vivid ice-cream colours and old fashioned romance are all key trends for 2016.
Here’s our top 7 flower varieties for creating a container, border or potage garden that’s bang on trend:
Cosmos Razzmatazz
It’s the Year of the Cosmos and what better way to celebrate than with this beautiful display with semi-double flowers. Provides summer-long colour in white, pink and lilac shades. Sow indoors from now until the end of May.

Sweet Pea Sweet Chariot
A blend of top class red, white and blue sweet peas, which are highly fragranced and free flowering. Sow outdoors from now until the end of April.

Zinnia Raspberry Lemonade
A vivid large flowered variety with masses of blooms and good disease tolerance. Sow outdoors from now until the end of May.

Petunia Sophisticata
With its changing colour patterns and large blooms, this is a single grandiflora with a big impact. Sow indoors from now until the end of April.

Sweet Pea Cathy
Named after the heroine of Wuthering Heights, Cathy is a romantic Sweet Pea which is a rich cream colour with large flowers and long stems. Sow outdoors from now until the end of April.

Echinacea Pow Wow Wild Berry
Attracts bees and butterflies, this first year flowering perennial is a cottage garden favourite. Sow indoors from now until the end of July.

Foxglove Castor Peach
Attracts beneficial insects with its exquisite peach trumpets, this F1 hybrid has lots of natural vigour. Sow indoors from now until the end of May.

Find out more about these varieties on the Unwins website
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