Half-day project

PINK AND PURPLE PLANTER

Easy gardening

Summer to autumn

Full sun

Moderate watering

Feed every two weeks in the growing season with a general-purpose fertiliser

The deep rich tones of the pink and purple flowers look stunning against the shiny metal planter and the soft grey of the decking. The unusual pale blue glass spheres sitting alongside bring a contemporary feel to the display, too. The star of the show is undoubtedly the ‘Atropurpurea Group’ purple beech – a deciduous tree with smooth, grey bark and gorgeous purple leaves that retain their colour well into autumn before sometimes turning reddish. I underplanted the beech with a combination of upright perennials and annuals (my filler plants): Archangel® ‘Raspberry’ angelonia, Sonata Series ‘Carmine’ cosmos and ‘Robin’ purple loosestrife. The rose-pink flower spikes of the purple loosestrife are particularly impressive and very attractive to bees – in fact, beekeepers in North America grow this plant because of its abundant, nectar-rich flowers. The delicate, filigree foliage of the cosmos provides a gentle contrast to the bold upright forms. Plants such as cosmos and angelonia are also ideal for a sunny corner, being drought-tolerant and happy in full sun.