Author and blogger Andrea Bellamy recommends these varieties for container growing on balconies and in other small spaces. These seeds are perfect for the urban grower or part-time farmer who lacks garden space, but wants to grow a little food.
Plant these seeds in pots with good drainage holes using store-bought, bagged potting soil.
Maxibel filet organic bush – Excellent flavour, super productive compact plants. Use a 5 gallon pot or larger.
Sugar Ann snap pea – Bushy plants that don’t need a trellis. Use a 5 gallon pot or larger.
Sungold cherry tomato – Tall vine plants that do need a trellis, but what flavour! Use a 5 gallon pot or larger.
Red Sails looseleaf lettuce – Deep red lettuce that is very slow to bolt. Use a 3 gallon pot or larger. Window boxes work well.
Ancho peppers – Mild heat, outstanding flavour. Use a 3 to 5 gallon pot.
Astro organic arugula – Fast growing salad greens that will grow year round. Use any pot.
Mizuna organic – Another fast growing salad green that produces 12 months of the year. Use any pot.
Lacinato kale – Pick as needed, big, ornamental kale plants. Use a 5 gallon pot or larger.
Peppermint chard – Harvest this decorative and delicious crop at any time of the year. Use 5 gallon pots or larger.
Seaside spinach – The best tasting spinach around. Grow from Autumn to early summer in 3 gallon pots or larger.
Sweet basil – The easy herb that positively describes summer. Use any deep pot.
Chives – You will be amazed that you ever lived without fresh chives. Nearly any pot will do.
Santo Long Standing cilantro – Super fast and fresh. A cool-season herb. Nearly any pot will do.
Gaillardia – Grow for colour, not for eating. Excellent in containers 3 gallons or larger.
Snow Cloth Alyssum – Sweet smelling, attractive to pollinators, and just nice to have around. Any pot will do.
This striking combination of snowdrops, black ophiopogon and silvery convolvulus is just the thing for brightening up a terrace or doorstep. A terracotta pot, sprayed with metallic paint, will set off the contemporary planting scheme to perfection. You Will Need
Autumn crocus, Crocus speciosus, has lilac-blue flowers, with dark veins and white throats. They make a glorious display from September to November. What to plant in September Autumn crocus look great planted in pots or in borders, where they look good under deciduous shrubs, where they will spread and colonise over the years. They like a sunny spot. Plant bulbs in drifts, 10cm deep in summer, in gritty, well-drained soil, or plant in pot in a bright, warm spot outdoors. Here’s how to plant
Strawberries are easy to grow and work well in strawberry planters. In this attractive display we plant strawberries in a bespoke tiered strawberry planter, where the plants and fruits can hang from the pot like pretty, bright red jewels. As well as growing them in pots and containers on the ground, you could also try growing strawberries in window boxes and hanging baskets. More fruit-growing advice: How to plant a fig tree (video) How to grow autumn raspberries (video) How to store apples
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.