Hi gardening brothers & sisters,

I need advice on a winter flower garden. Over the previous 21 years as a gardener I never bothered with a specific display in winter. Cold months were spent on prunning, shredding, composting, manure'ing flowerbeds. However, this year is different. We are having visitors from France during July and August and I would like my gadern to have some colour during that time.

The main questions are: 1. what to plant in a mild climate (we never get frosts, but quite a lot of rain and a lot of wind)?

2. When is the best time to plant so that the peak is in the third week of July? Any suggestions will be appreciated.

Thanking you kindly meggs