Bedding flowers in parks and road verges fall victim to biodiversity drives as councils switch to hardier perennials

Published: 01:00, 19 July 2026 | Updated: 01:19, 19 July 2026 Bedding plants in public parks and on road verges are the latest to fall victim to council biodiversity drives, new figures reveal. The colourful displays of blooms, which are usually replaced and replanted every year, are increasingly being scrapped because of a growing trend towards hardier perennials which help protect insect species and improve soil health. Data from a Freedom of Information request to all 382 councils suggest ten per cent of local authorities have now turned their backs on annuals in favour of more sustainable options which are designed to provide 'year–round interest' rather than just a summer spectacular. The move comes five years after Thanet District Council in Kent transformed its traditional flower beds to improve biodiversity, creating habitats for pollinators and other insects, enhancing soil life, and increasing 'visual appeal and beauty'. Since then, figures suggest dozens of councils including Wakefield, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, and Cambridge have followed suit and stopped planting annuals in their borders. Jack Stooks, a senior gardener at King Charles's Highgrove House, said: 'There's no excuse for planting annuals nowadays. 'We did that in the 1960s and 1970s but that time is very much over. 'We now know so much more about health and the environment and the need to protect our bees, insects and soils. There are so many perennial plants that can keep on coming year after year and look fantastic. 'A border full of perennials will keep moisture in and help with the worms – when the worms come in and eat the leaves, so much biodiversity starts to happen. A perfectly manicured park in Winchester, Hampshire. The colourful displays of blooms are increasingly being scrapped because of a growing trend towards hardier perennials which help protect insect species and improve soil health Council biodiversity drives means flower beds are being replaced by rewilding measures   'It's just such a waste of money to plant annuals. It's not good for sustainability.' Biodiversity is something of a buzzword in modern gardening. At the RHS Sandringham Flower Show next week, King Charles will personally award a special prize for his favourite biodiversity exhibit while Queen Camilla will judge and award a prize in the 'upcycled container' category. But councils are still spending millions on annual border plants, the latest data reveals. Collectively, around 40 per cent – 155 out of 382 – spent £2.9million on annuals last year. London's largest borough, Bromley, spent £343,502 last year on planting and maintaining annuals, while Rochdale Borough Council spent £130,756. Award–winning garden designer Tom Massey, who has won two RHS Gold Medals at Chelsea, said there was 'growing recognition' that councils needed more cost–effective and resilient planting schemes. 'Institutions like the RHS, The National Trust and Hampton Court Palace are all moving towards seasonal displays that don't rely so heavily on bedding plants, signalling a broader cultural shift,' he said. 'Well–designed perennial planting can provide year–round interest, support pollinators and urban wildlife, improve climate resilience and significantly reduce the need for repeated replanting, transport and intensive maintenance. 'In my view, the best public planting schemes move away from the old distinction of 'summer bedding versus nothing' and instead think more ecologically, combining trees, shrubs, grasses and herbaceous planting in ways that look attractive while functioning like living ecological systems.' Josh Coldspring–White, councillor in Bromley, said: 'There is a case we should be investing more and not less but residents will know we are looking to do more with less. Residents will also know about our ongoing pilot, where we are adapting some of our planting beds to trial more sustainable planting options and collecting feedback from residents.' A Rochdale spokeswoman said the council was 'increasingly adopting more sustainable planting schemes, including wildflowers and sedum, to boost biodiversity, cut waste and reduce costs'. She added: 'This also includes replacing some annual displays with perennial planting and increasing the use of perennials within existing bedding schemes.'