If it is O.K, what would you reccomend and can you reccomend any good mail order suppliers for the U.K.

Also can any tell me have many viola's or pansies you would need to plant to fill a square foot, as I can never judge how many plants I need to buy !

Would you consider a planting of coloured lettuces as ground cover for the autumn? Stealthily removed to the salad bowl as the season progresses.

Violas, Calendula, and wallflowers are possibles but probably better between the bulbs rather than over. They provide good shelter and support - and disguises for floppy leaves later on. Forget-me-nots can be useful this way, too.

The T-a-T's bullied their way through established Calendulas a few weeks back, and the forget-me-nots, so pansies wouldn't slow them, IMO.

Perhaps pure-colour 'Violas' would establish better, or the small flowered varieties.