Summer pot displays

As the temperatures are rising and the risk of frost is over, it is time to plant out half hardy plants like pelargoniums, fuchsias and succulents. This week we have planted a couple of pot displays in the garden and this blog post will tell you all about the process.

Over winter, the pots are planted with a mix of narcissus and evergreen perennials. As they have finished flowering, the bulbs can be removed from the pots and planted out in the garden giving us space to plant out the summer display. The old pots were emptied and cleaned and we’ve also added a few more big pots to the display as there are always more plants to add and we just can’t get enough!

In the bottom of the pots we placed shards of old terracotta pots to keep the potting mix in and help with drainage. Next we added a peat free compost mix consisting of 1/4 potting compost, 1/4 sand, 1/4 green council waste and 1/4 fine bark.

The plants we used are a combination of half hardy and hardy perennials that are stored in the greenhouse over winter or picked from our nursery.
The display on Beth’s patio is in half shade and a suitable place for plants like fuchsias, begonias, amicia and adiantum. The display in the Gravel Garden on the other hand is in full sun and requires plants that can cope with drought and sunshine. We used a range of pelargoniums, salvias, argyranthemums and lavender. (See plant list below).

The plants were arranged with higher plants like Sparmannia africana in the middle of the pots and smaller plants like Heliochrysum petiolare spilling over the edges. The pelargoniums were given bigger pots with space to grow over the summer.

All the plants were thoroughly watered in and now we take a step back to admire the plants and wait for them to grow and flower.

Gravel Garden pot display:

Argyranthemum frutescens

Argyranthemum gracile 'Chelsea Girl'

Argyranthemum 'Petite Pink'

Fascicularia bicolour

Helichrysum petiolare

Helichrysum petiolare 'Microphyllum'

Lavandula dentata

Pelargonium 'Graveolens'

Pelargonium 'Lord Bute'

Pelargonium 'Marmalade'

Pelargonium 'Minstrel Boy'

Pelargonium sidoides

Pelargonium 'Voodoo'

Plectranthus amiguus 'Nico'

Plectranthus 'Franklins Limelight'

Salvia bullulata

Salvia 'Indigo Spires'

Salvia 'Waverley'

Sparmannia africana

Beth's patio pot display:

Adiantum aleuticum 'Imbricatum'

Adiantum venustum

Amicia zygomeris

Argyranthemum frutescens

Argyranthemum gracile 'Chelsea Girl'

Argyranthemum 'Petite Pink'

Begonia foliosa var. miniata

Blechnum spicant

Carex petrei

Eucomis comosa 'Sparkling Burgundy'

Francoa

Fuchsia magellanica 'Logan Woods'

Fuchsia 'Fuji-san'

Fuchsia 'Glowing Embers'

Fuchsia 'Silver Lining'

Fuschia 'Sparky'

Fuchsia hatschbachii

Helichrysum petiolare 'Limelight'

Helichrysum petiolare 'Microphyllum'

Ivy

Lavandula dentata

Miscanthus nepalensis

Pelargonium 'Lady Plymouth'

Pelargonium tomentosa

Pelargonium 'Vancouver Centennial'

Plectranthus variegata

Plectranthus zuluensis

Sparmannia africana

Strobilanthes anisophyllus

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Written by Gardener Malin