The weather has been so cold and windy, summer bedding just doesn't like it. You have to be guided byt he weather rather than the calendar. Were the busy lizzies the old sort or the New Guinea hybrids? If the former try the hybrids next time - they don't get mildew and seem to be tougher all round.

I don't know what your weather's been like but it wasn't fit to put bedding plants out here until very recently. Another reason might be if you bought plants that had been raised in a poly tunnel and not hardened off the recent cold nights might have been too much of a shock for them.

Geraniums are altogether tougher and in some parts of the country will survive outside in a sheltered place as long as they don't get a combination of wet and very cold.

My Blueberries dont have many flowers either.

Blimey, give em time. It's only the end of may !!!!

I would think it still a bit early for most bedding plants unless you live somewhere really warm! I had a begonia/bizzy lizzie which survived the winter indoors and stood it outside during the day, now it looks really sad, scorched and discoloured, so even the days aren't warm enough yet! Even the garden centres suggest their bedding needs protecting from frost so they are not ruling out ground frost over night!

Thank you all. It is good th know and hopefully they will bloom soon. I am going to buy more this weekend .

Note how the garden centres all still supply them regardless of the weather, as they bank on a second sales flush from hopeful enthusiasts!! I always wait till end of May if I can, (cynical witch that I am lol!)

I remember there was a cold spring about 20 years ago
and a countryman on the allotments used to say
"Theres always bin a harvest ! " and he was right.

In the old days the best guide was to plant out bedding when the local parks planted theirs.
They can't afford to raise a second lot. Good advice that still holds true today.
The big DIY and garden centre outlets play on people's eagerness to get the garden going. Hold fire - you know it makes sense!