Tree lily pot display

In this stylish pot, a purple osteospermum and hebe combine with a green fern for a classy, long-lasting display. The striking, colourful foliage of the hebe complements the flowers. Choose plants that vary in height to make a display with interest at all levels – ferns are ideal for the ‘backbone’ of a pot. The fern that we’ve used, Dryopteris affinis, is semi-evergreen, and the hebe is evergreen, which means you could switch the osteospermum for a winter bedding plant when summer ends.

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

If space is limited, you can grow apple trees in pots. Because the roots determine the size of the tree, choose a tree that has been grafted onto a container rootstock. Apples on dwarfing M26 rootstocks grow to a maximum height of just 2m tall if grown in a large pot (around 50cm in diameter). Before planting, choose a sunny, sheltered spot for the container to sit in, as it will probably be too heavy to move once planted. Keep the tree well watered and feed regularly with a liquid seaweed thr