When summer pots begin to look past their best, it’s a good idea to replace your displays with plants that will look good in autumn and beyond.
The pink-striped leaves of the phormium beautifully set off the pink flowers of sedums (Hylotelephium), cyclamen and heather in this striking autumn pot display.
Remember to deadhead cyclamen regularly to keep the flowers coming. Once the container is past its best, the phormium, heather and hylotelephium can be planted out in your garden.
Fill the pot two-thirds full with compost. Plant the phormium at the back of the pot, with the cyclamen just in front of it and to the side so it will cascade over the edge. Plant the erica to the other side and nestle the sedum amongst them, towards the front of the pot. Fill the container with compost, to within 5cm of the rim, firming around the plants with your fingers to squeeze out any air pockets.
In this simple container display we combine Lavender ‘Hidcote’ with purple-flowered pansies. The green glazed pot brings out the colour of the foliage, which contrasts beautifully with the purple blooms. Inexpensive and long-lasting, it’s the perfect pot for a sunny corner. You Will Need
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
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