Quick-growing salad container

This pretty pot combines daffodils, bellis daisies and polyanthus – all readily available at the garden centre in spring. Daffodils such as ‘Jetfire’ trumpet the arrival of spring just as well in pots and containers as they do in borders and grassy banks. A palette of golds, cherry-reds and pinks creates a heart-warming display. Simply deadhead to keep the display tidy. Apart from the bellis daisies, all the plants will come back every year and can be planted in the garden once flowering has f

This zingy scheme is all about foliage colour and texture, proving you don’t need flowers to provide an interesting display. The euphorbia and lime heather provide the main colour hit in a container that’s guaranteed to brighten any autumn day. Blue festuca and the red-leaved Nandina offer a contrast, while keeping the overall look simple. These plants enjoy a bright spot, so place the container where it will get winter sunshine. Don’t be too quick to dismantle this container as the euphorbia

In this handsome container we combine the leafy foliage of carex and English ivy, with bright red cyclamen flowers and the cream-green flowerbuds of the skimmia. Its perfect for adding a splash of colour in autumn, and will last right through to spring. You Will Need

Versatile needn’t mean humdrum, as this window box collection proves. Begonia sutherlandii is classier than its hanging-basket cousins, with its tangerine flowers and matching veining to the leaves, while the contrasting leaves of the purple shamrock close like resting butterflies at dusk and open up in sunshine, throwing out lilac flowers on delicate wiry stems. Place the container on a window ledge in part shade or use to grace a cool flight of steps. Remove the yellow lysimachia flowers when