Salvia, fuchsia and heather pot

As cold weather tightens its grip, this pot is guaranteed to bring a spot of warmth to your patio. The fiery tones will make a welcome highlight on the darkest days, and the display will look good for several months. The evergreen photinia creates the backbone of the display, while the bronze carex adds texture and movement to the scheme. To keep the cheery violas flowering non-stop, simply deadhead them regularly. Follow our easy steps to plant up this heuchera, pansy and carex container.

Purple and yellow always work well together, and the combination is particularly striking in this pairing of cowslip and anemone. We’ve used a grey Moroccan trough, but a wooden or terracotta planter would look just a good. Once the display is over, the plants can all be planted out in the garden – both will do well in a cool, shady spot. More spring garden projects: How to mulch borders in spring (video) Feeding plants in spring (video) Spring pots for shady spots Learn how to plant up this

Tomatoes are perfect for growing in pots on a sunny patio. Choose a bush variety, as these stay compact without the need for a tall support – and you don’t have to pinch out the side shoots. We used ‘Losetto’, which is also resistant to tomato blight. Basil isn’t just the perfect pairing for tomatoes in the kitchen, it also relishes the same growing conditions. Adding edible flowers, such as zingy orange calendulas, peps up the colour and attracts pollinating insects for bigger crops of tomato

Fill gaps in your summer planting displays with brightly-coloured lilies for a temporary, but timely, burst of colour. Plant lily bulbs into pots then simply drop them, pot and all, into arrangements on the patio, or even in your borders. You Will Need