This container display is proof that simple arrangements can produce dramatic results.
Agapanthus plants produce beautiful sky-blue flowers on long elegant stems throughout the summer months. The plants are easy to grow and thrive in pots. Although it can take a couple of years for them to establish, your patience will be rewarded with an abundance of flowers.
To get the best from them, ensure your agapanthus are growing in a sunny spot and feed with a high-potash liquid feed while in active growth, to boost flower production.
Follow our simple advice to create your own agapanthus container display.
Fill two-thirds full with multi-purpose compost. Improve the drainage by mixing in one part coarse sand or horticultural grit to two parts compost. Agapanthus thrive best when not planted too deeply, so plant them just below soil level. Stand the pot in full sun. In autumn, move the pot to a sheltered spot and protect the crowns with a thick mulch of straw.
This box pyramid container display with ornamental grass and orange osteospermum makes an attractive, year-round feature for a sunny or partially shaded corner. A mulch of gravel gives the container a fresh look, as well as retains moisture in the pot. You Will Need
When summer pots run out of steam, it’s a good idea to replace your displays with plants that will look good in autumn and beyond. We’ve given traditional autumn bedding plants a modern twist by combining them with evergreens and keeping to a limited colour palette. Purple, white and silver make a classy trio, and bring instant glamour to any terrace or balcony. We’ve used five types of plant – ornamental cabbage, brachyglottis, heuchera, cineraria and cyclamen. All should be available at the
Brighten up your usual daffodil container display by adding a few low-growing, flowering plants around the edges in spring. Small pansies and crocus are perfect for growing in containers, and they look stunning against the bright yellow daffodils. Simply plant the bulbs in autumn, and then, once they have started to flower in spring, fill around the edges of the pots with flowering plants to add further interest to the display – you should find a good variety at the garden centre. Here’s how t
Roses and clematis make the perfect planting partners, so why not bring the two together in a large pot display? Here we’ve combined ground cover rose ‘Suffolk’ with maroon-flowered clematis ‘Burma Star’ and a few trailing ivies to complete the look. All plants thrive with the minimum of fuss and will happily romp away, given adequate compost, food and water. Simply deadhead regularly and tie stems into place, and you’ll have an annual display that gets better every year.