Spectacular Containers for Year-Round Colour

SPECTACULAR CONTAINERS FOR YEAR-ROUND COLOUR

Key plants illustrated in the talk

Shrubs for structure

Camellia sasanqua

Fatsia japonica

Libertia Gold Lace

Loropetalum chinense ‘Fire Dance’

Osmanthus heterophyllus ‘Goshiki’

Phormium ‘Jester’

Restio tetraphyllus

Grasses and perennials

Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’ (Japanese golden grass)

Hosta sieboldiana ‘Elegans’

Juncus ‘Curly Wurly’

Ophiopogon nigrescens

Plants for summer flowers

Begonia hybrids

Begonia sutherlandii

Cosmos atrosanguineus (chocolate cosmos)

Dahlias

Eucomis bicolor (pineapple flower)

Fuchsia triphylla

Fuchsia ‘Pink Fizz’

Gerbera ‘Garvinia’ series

Hedychium (ginger lily)

Heliotrope ‘Cherry Pie’

Ipomoea tricolor Heavenly Blue (morning glory)

Lathyrus odoratus (sweet pea)

Lilium regale ‘Album’ (regal lily)

Mimulus aurantiacus (shrubby musk)

Nemesia ‘Confetti’

Osteospermum (African daisy)

Patio climbing rose ‘Susie’

Sutera cordata ‘Snowflake’

Fruit and vegetables

Raspberry ‘Ruby Beauty’

Strawberries

Bush tomato

Carrot (round rooted types)

French bean (bush)

‘Lollo Rosso’ lettuce

Ruby chard

Watercress

Care tips for containers

- Anything can be used as a container so long as it can hold compost and has holes for drainage.

- Clean out used containers as old debris can harbour pests and diseases.

- Always use fresh potting compost – soil based for long-lived plants.

- Regular watering is vital and may even be needed during wet weather as the pot is usually shielded by an ‘umbrella’ of foliage. Sunny, breezy weather will dry plants out really fast and in such conditions watering of hanging baskets/small containers may be required twice a day.

- Aim to keep the compost evenly moist – neither dry nor waterlogged.

- Avoid watering in the heat of the day when water-splashed growth can become sun-scorched and more water is lost by evaporation.

- Consider installing a watering system to save hours of work.

- Feed from spring to early autumn starting from about six weeks after potting when the fertilizer in potting compost has been used up. Choose between weekly applications of liquid fertilizer or a one-off dose of controlled-release fertilizer.

- Remove spent flower heads to encourage more blooms to be produced.

Sue’s most recentbook is Growing Up the Wall, on how to grow all kinds of edible crops on walls, roofs and in small spaces. Published by Green Books, price £9.95. Her books on container gardening are Scented Containers, The Hanging Garden and Gardening Which? Patio and Container Plants.

Sue also offers a garden design & consultancy service and can be contacted on 01822 841895 or by email:

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