Container Plants and Gardening

In this article, we will discuss how to grow Tolmiea menziesii outdoor in containers during the summer months. They are hardy plants and can be grown outdoors as a semi-evergreen perennial with mounds of maple-shaped leaves.

It is a member of the family Saxifragaceae and has the common name of youth on age, pick-a-black plant, piggyback plant and thousand mothers. It occurs naturally in various states of America and is a naturalised plant in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Northern England.

In its natural growing environment, it is a spreading plant growing in the shade under the canopy of trees.…

In this article, we will discuss how to grow Trachycarpus fortunei in a container. If you want a palm tree that will make a statement in your container display, plants that have a wow factor then this is a tree for you.

Trachycarpus fortunei or Chusan fan palm, windmill palm or Chinese windmill palm to give its common names, will certainly give a feel of the sub-tropics in your container garden.

It is a palm tree that is native to central China, Burma and Northern India, where it can grow in mountainous regions (as high as 2400m). In its native …

In this article, we will discuss how to grow Uncinia (Hook Sedge) in containers. This is a sedge, a New Zealand Hook Sedge to be precise, is not like other sedges you find in the home garden.  It is not large, nor brassy and certainly not invasive compared to the other sedges.

Uncinia is such an ugly word for such a pretty plant that you would want in the container garden. What more can you ask for a plant, as it is evergreen (although the preferred variety to grow has copper-red leaves) and it is one of the most attractive …

In this article, we will discuss how to grow the beautiful architectural leaf plant of Yucca in containers. They tend to have rosettes of stiff, sword-shaped green leaves that can also be variegated. The leaves can be very sharp coming to a point in Yucca gloriosa. This is why you may need to be careful if you have young children, as they can cause serious injuries. The common name of Spanish dagger is well warranted.

Yucca has many common names depending on where you are from and what species is growing. This includes Yucca, Spanish Bayonet, Spineless Yucca, Adam’s needle …

In this article, we will discuss how to grow Vincas in containers. Vinca is a trailing plant and looks its best when it is grown from a hanging basket, as an alternative to English ivy. There are two types of Vincas- Vinca minor and Vince major. You can say its Latin name is a big clue, as minor tends to be shorter and has smaller leaves, whilst major is longer and the leaves are larger.

The leaves tend to be glossy, pointed oval in shape and occur in pairs opposite each other. The leaves can be plain green, variegated white …

In this article, we will discuss how to grow this wonderful and elegant plant known as phormiums in containers. They look exotic with their colourful, evergreen sword-like leaves that can come in a variety of colours.  The leaves can be green, red, bronze, purple-red or even variegated. People often talk about the leaves but in summer they produce spikes of colourful flowers that tower over the plant, adding to the charm of the Phormium.

As you can imagine that these elegant plants make wonderful container plants, growing from 1m to 2.4m in height. Although they may look exotic they can …

In this article, we will discover how to grow the evergreen Bergenias in containers. Bergenia or Elephant’s ears is such an elegant plant that gets better looking in winter. This is such a rare feat for plants, especially in the container garden. They have clumps of large oval leaves that take on richer hues when the temperature drops.

Bergenia purpurascens and B. ‘Abendglut’ are classical varieties that do this. All varieties can be grown but the more compact varieties are recommended for containers such as ‘Wintermarchen’.

The common name comes about because of the bold leaves, even though they do …

In this article, we will discuss how to grow perennial asters in containers. Often in autumn our gardens are starting to look less colourful and in greater disarray with fewer plants in bloom.

To fill this gap Asters are useful. Asters just recently have become a mind field as so many have been scientifically renamed. The New England asters have been given a new name of Symphyotrichum novi-anglae and the Michaelmas daisy is now a Symphyotrichum novi-belgii. As they have these new names they still remain with the tag of Aster and you will probably find it sold as Aster.…

In this article, we will discuss how to grow Diascias in containers. Diascias are a perennial that comes from South Africa, where 70 different species are known to exist. It has a common name of twinspur and is a relative of snapdragon. Once they were only trailers but because of recent breeding, new upright varieties are being created that have more colours and the flowers are more elegant.

The biggest problem is that they are only hardy to – 5 degrees Celsius and it is a short-lived perennial. It is best to grow this tender perennial as an annual and …

In this article, we will be discovering how to grow Dicentra or Lamprocaphos (Bleeding hearts) in containers. Until recently it was known as Dicentra but it has now been reclassified as Lamprocaphas.

It is a shrub with green fern-like flowers and in spring sprays of little heart-shaped flowers that can be pink, pink-white or white appears.  It is a plant for the woodlands as this is its native environment, as it grows under the canopy of trees in forests.

Although it is often grown in flower beds, it makes a good subject in containers, where the hardy plant can be …