Category: Plants in containers

In this article, we will be discussing what plants can be used in container displays. Hot hue flowers create some drama in the container garden, where brightly coloured blooms provide striking combinations with golden leaved plants such as Choisya ‘Sundance’ and Sambucus racemosa. The effect is enhanced when dark purple foliage plants or black foliage plants are mixed into the colour scheme.

You can cool the bright colours if amongst the plants you use some mid-green leaf varieties. Purple foliage matches most colour schemes can be used but with pastel shades of pink or peach to avoid unsightly clashes with …

In this article, we will be talking about the best plants for pastel colours in containers. When we talk about pastel colours we think about romantic colours, a planting scheme where pinks, lilacs, peaches and light yellows are used throughout the container display. It produces a calming effect especially as you sit in the garden, admiring your own handiwork. We have talked about plants for cool colours and now we extend the range to cover pastel colours.

The colours are easy on the eye and therefore sought after. The good news is that there is a wide range of plants …

In a previous post (Getting you Containers Spring Flowers Ready) plants that can be used to give a colourful display in spring was discussed. Time is now moving on and now we must turn our attention to making our summer displays in container look beautiful.

In this article, we will be getting our containers summer flower ready. It is important to realise that whilst relaxing on the patio or backyard you will observe your containers more. This would mean the plants within them must look good, be of peak condition and be colourful all season long, or you will feel …

In this article, we will be discussing in what plants can be used to give cool colours in the container garden.

Since the 1930s when Vita Mary Sackville-West created her famous white garden, designers have sung nothing but praise about the beauty of the monochromic planting scheme (see previous article to know what it entails in making a monochromic scheme).

If you want to achieve a similar effect, you need to plant white producing plants from spring onwards. At that time you can start with hellebores and snowdrops, peaking in summer with peonies, roses and daisies, concluding in autumn with …

In this article, the various plants that can be used in containers in spring to give colour throughout this season will be highlighted.

There are a number of perennials, shrubs and bulbs that can be used to give colour and form to any containers, as the garden springs once again to life in the new growing season.

You need to plan ahead as spring containers are normally planted up in autumn. In order to have a successful spring container, bulbs need to be planted from early to late autumn, making sure that tulips are planted in November to reduce the …

In this article, drought-tolerant perennials for containers in the shade will be discussed. In a previous article, I have discussed perennials that can be grown in the shade but now I want to go further and discuss, which perennial can be grown on container on the shade but can tolerate long periods of dry weather.

They can be seen as a double-whammy as it is difficult to find perennials that grow in the shade but to find one that can survive long periods without water, seems impossible.

Shade is problematic in many gardens, especially if it is north facing, shade …

In this article, we will be discussing what plants can be grown for sunny and dry conditions.

We all know the scenario, we have a long, dry summer (I know these are rare and we must not complain when we get one), and most of our plants are wilting or worse dying. Is this the fate of our plants? or are there some plants that have some resistant to the drought?

Are there some plants that do well if they are not watered as frequently? The answer to these questions is yes, plants do exist that can survive with less …

In this second part of the series, we continue our journey by discussing evergreen perennial plants for the container garden.

This time, we will be discussing from Lamium to Waldsteinia, and many plants between. So you are sure that in this two-part series that there is as evergreen or semi-evergreen perennial for your own personal taste. Some of them have beautiful autumn and winter colours and so should add interest to any container garden. Part 1 can be found here.

You can use evergreen plants dispersed throughout the container garden to stop pots looking vacant, unloved and underutilized.


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In this article, we will be discussing evergreen perennial plants for the container garden. This will be part of a two-part series. Where the first part will concentrate on plants from Acaena to Kniphofia, whilst the second part will concentrate on perennials from K to W.

We know as winter approaches, a lot of perennials die back, leaving nothing to look out to in these long, dark and cold days.

This is not the case as some perennials are evergreen or semi-evergreen, in that they retain their leaves during the winter months. They may retain all their leaves if they …

In this article, we will be discussing container plants for formal and modern schemes. Formal gardens conform to a scheme, which is symmetrical in nature whilst more modern designs follow a scheme that is not as formal but is asymmetrical in nature; two different schemes but both employ similar plants.

Clipped hedging is a common feature in formal schemes, where it is used to screen plants or to provide level landscapes to show your ornamental flowering plants. You can even create a knot garden.

A knot garden is a garden of very formal design in a square formation, where a …