Winning rosettes Time to plant: any time of year
You will need:
1 × aeonium
1 × houseleek
1 × echeveria
small window box
Aeonium is a succulent that lends height to the trough. Literally meaning black head, ‘Zwartkop’ has become a very popular variety in recent years for its leaves, which start green and colour up with age. In winter the display is best enjoyed in a cool room inside.
Unlike the other two succulents, houseleeks can stay outdoors all year round, although they don’t like getting too wet, especially in winter. If you can’t find Sempervivum arachnoideum, with its silvery cobwebbing, there are plenty of others to choose from. All are happy in pots, as they’re very drought-tolerant.
A handsome plant, Echeveria elegans forms rosettes of sea-blue leaves that gradually spread to form low clumps. In spring, as an added bonus, they will often send up unusual-looking orange-pink flowers. There are lots of different types to choose from, ranging from dark bronze to greyish-white. This plant will also need to be brought indoors during the winter months.
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Dress the surface of the soil with pebbles to improve drainage and to give the display a natural look.
The three graces Time to plant: any time of year
You will need:
1 × feather grass
1 × sedge
3 × blue fescue
large pot
Soft and silky to the touch, Stipa tenuissima sways and billows gracefully in the gentlest breeze. In winter, the faded leaves and flower stems of this beautiful grass are straw-like in appearance. To make way for fresh growth, cut back the whole plant to soil level in late winter.
Producing a fountain of narrow bronzy-brown leaves, Carex comans is one of the most popular of all sedges and even looks stunning in winter. Its leaves are slightly rough to the touch, so it is not advisable to stroke them – tempting though it may be! Tidy up plants in spring or summer by cutting out the old leaves.
Blue fescue is a spiky, silvery-blue grass that resembles a blue porcupine. There are many different varieties available, but for the most reliable colouring, choose a named one, such as Festuca glauca ‘Elijah Blue’. Being evergreen, it will keep its colouring through winter and any dead leaves can be pulled out as they appear.
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Position this pot in full sun to keep these plants happiest, but they will also tolerate some light shade.
Colour contrasts Time to plant: any time of year
You will need:
1 × miscanthus
1 × glaucous hair grass
3 × lilyturf
large, tall pot
Prized for its striking creamy white and green leaves, Miscanthus sinensis ‘Variegatus’ lends height to the display, rising majestically above its cohabitants. Cut back old stems in early spring to make way for new growth. This plant will get pretty big if left to its own devices, but it can be easily controlled by dividing and replanting it each spring.
The chief attraction of glaucous hair grass (Koeleria glauca) is its pretty blue-green leaves, which are soft to the touch. As a bonus, in late summer this compact, mound-forming grass produces feathery flower-spikes that fade to a straw colour as winter approaches. Pull out any dead leaves in spring.
Tough as old boots, lilyturf (Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’) will grow almost anywhere and its dark, nearly black leaves are a great contrast to its tiny pale pinkish-white blooms in summer, or to any other light-coloured leaves or blooms growing nearby. The silver-variegated kind, Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Variegatus’, is also worth tracking down.
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Use a tall planter for this display and it will echo the height of the miscanthus.
Feeling flush Time to plant: any time of year
You will need:
2 × aspidistra
5 × lilyturf
large, tall pot
The classic houseplant of Victorian times, the aspidistra is gaining in popularity again, thanks to its striking foliage which is at its best in partial shade. In a few sheltered spots it can be left outdoors all year round, but in most areas it’s best to bring the container inside for the winter. Look out for the variegated form, which has white stripes on the leaves.
Its jet-black leaves make lilyturf (Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’) wonderfully unusual. This low-growing grass is a great foliage plant for both containers and borders. Here it is used beneath the aspidistra and contrasts beautifully with the white of the cistern and helps soften its edges. If plants become overcrowded they can simply be lifted and split into smaller pieces.
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For a quirky touch, we’ve used an old cistern as a planter here. Have a nose around some reclamation yards – they are a great source of unusual items that can add an individual touch to your garden.
Blaze of blue Time to plant: any time of year
You will need:
1 × astelia
2 × lilyturf
2 × pansy
large pot
One of the most striking foliage plants around, an astelia takes centre stage here with its beautiful sliver, strap-like leaves. Its tender nature means that it should be given some protection against the worst of the winter cold. Plants will gradually increase in size to form a dense clump of arching leaves.
The silver leaves of the astelia provide an excellent backdrop to show off the inky blackness of the lilyturf (Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’). If allowed to, the latter will slowly spread to cover the whole pot.
Easy to buy at any time of year, pansies will flower well in both the colder and warmer months. Keep removing the flowers as they fade to encourage the plants to produce more. Once the plants have run out of steam, simply replace them with fresh ones.
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If you haven’t got a coloured pot, Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’ also looks stunning when set against blue glass chips or light-coloured gravel scattered over the compost.
Lock, stock and barrel Time to plant: any time of year
You will need:
1 × silver birch
3 × soft shield fern
3 × heuchera
large, wide pot or wooden barrel loam-based compost
A birch (Betula utilis) is an ideal focal point for a pot, with its beautiful bark and its delicate foliage, that also provides dappled shade. When buying a birch, you can opt for a younger plant whose bark will take a few years to become white, or a more mature specimen that will already have whitened bark, but this will be significantly more expensive.
Despite being a native of damp woodlands, the handsome soft shield fern (Polystichum setiferum) copes well with dry conditions, making it perfect for growing in a container. Being an evergreen, it looks good all year round and it combines beautifully with the evergreen leaves of the heuchera.
This container features Heuchera ‘Greenfinch’, dotted amongst the ferns, which has stunning silvery-green leaves. But there’s a huge number of varieties of heuchera available. Colours include bronze, purple, green and gold. All will produce pretty flowers on long stalks in spring.
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Fill the barrel with a loam-based compost, such as John Innes No. 3, to provide weight and stability as well as longer lasting nutrition than a lightweight, peat-based compost.
Metal magic Time to plant: any time of year
You will need:
3 × bamboo
1 × red hook sedge
tall, black planter or other modern-looking pot
The bamboo Fargesia rufa has a wonderful broad leaf that contrasts beautifully with the narrow leaves of the sedge below. Like the sedge, this bamboo enjoys moist conditions, so be sure to water the container regularly. Place the pot in a sheltered spot to avoid cold winds damaging them.
The dark brown-bronze leaves of this red hook sedge (Uncinia rubra) form a tufty carpet below the bamboo. From autumn to spring, they become even more colourful.
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Scatter large black pebbles on top of the compost – they not only look good but also help to keep the plants’ roots cool and moist.
Sea breeze Time to plant: any time of year
You will need:
2 × euphorbia
2 × blue fescue
small window box or other small pot
An underrated evergreen, Euphorbia myrsinites is an ideal plant focal point for a container, thanks to its sprawling habit and bizarre pale green flowers. These blooms appear in spring and are followed by attractive seed-heads in summer. Like the blue fescue, it’s very hardy and looks good all year round.
Grasses are real must-have plants and many are magnificent. Blue fescue, which makes an evergreen mound of spiky foliage, is perfect for a container. The foliage has a steely blue colour that is evocative of plants by the sea. Look out for Festuca glauca ‘Elijah Blue’, which is one of the best varieties.
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Position this container in a hot, south-facing spot, as these plants love sun and will easily cope with drought.
City slicker Time to plant: any time of year
You will need:
1 × scabious
2 × heucherella window box
This dark-flowered scabious (Scabiosa atropurpurea ‘Chile Black’) looks fantastic taking centre stage and rising above a platform of dark foliage. The plant is a short-lived perennial, but it can be propagated by taking cuttings in early spring. If you can’t find this scabious at the garden centre, try the more widely available chocolate cosmos (Cosmos atrosanguineus) as an alternative.
Heucheras and heucherellas are great for containers as they come in some wonderful foliage colours. Here we’ve used x Heucherella ‘Burnished Bronze’, which makes an attractive mound in each corner, but you could use a heuchera if you can’t find a heucherella.
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This display will look good in any container, but a dark-coloured window box teamed with this simple combination of dark-coloured plants is the height of sophistication.
Potted fibre optics Time to plant: spring
You will need:
1 × Dasylirion acrotrichum
large metal pot succulent or cactus compost
This is a spectacular container where less is most definitely more. The spiky Dasylirion acrotrichum creates a stunning visual effect without any need for additional planting. Rather like a natural fibre optic light, its bristling leaves are dramatically set off when light filters down it, especially when its delicate, fibrous ends are backlit by the sun.
Native to Texas and Mexico, Dasylirion thrives in sunshine and well-drained soil, but is surprisingly hardy over winter if it is placed in a sheltered spot. It isn’t happy in very wet conditions, though, so don’t overwater it and give it plenty of ventilation. If you can, raise the pot off the ground on feet in the winter to prevent its roots sitting in waterlogged soil.
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A mulch of gravel or pebbles will keep the soil surface of this pot looking tidy, or you could use glass stones to increase its luminous effect.
Formal dressing Time to plant: any time of year
You will need:
1 × myrtle
2 × campanula
small window box
Box is a smart plant for a container, but it’s worth considering other options that can also be clipped into shape. Myrtle (Myrtus communis subsp. tarentina) is an excellent evergreen, faintly aromatic with lovely white flowers in spring. An evergreen azalea would also work well as an alternative. Cut the myrtle back in spring and give it a tidy up after flowering.
Campanula portenschlagiana surrounds the myrtle to create a sea of blue when it flowers from June to August. The mix of informality and structure in this container works well, as the campanula spills over the sides and creeps up the stiff outline of the myrtle. The campanula will spread vigorously, so cut back the stems to keep its size under control.
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Myrtle is quite hardy when placed near a protective wall and given good drainage, but in really cold areas take the precaution of lining the box with bubble polythene to insulate it.
Turning Japanese Time to plant: any time of year
You will need:
1 × Japanese maple
4 × bugle
tall, square planter
This dissectum variety of Acer palmatum has beautiful filigree leaves, but it’s just one of the fantastic range of leaf colours and shapes that are available. Japanese maples are surprisingly quick-growing, so a smaller-sized plant will be fine. Acers don’t like to be baked by the sun, so position this pot in a sheltered spot.
A great low-growing plant, the colourful leaves of the bugle (Ajuga) will soon cover the compost. In spring and early summer it produces dark blue flowers. We’ve used a multi-coloured variety called ‘Burgundy Glow’. You’ll also find purple and variegated varieties on offer. Simply give plants a trim if they grow too large.
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The secret to success with this pot is to use John Innes No. 3 compost, as it retains its structure and nutrients well, and to water regularly during spring and summer.
Bamboozled Time to plant: any time of year
You will need:
1 × woolly thyme
2 × houseleek
Giant bamboo stems or tall, slender pots
A furry-leaved cousin of the common thyme that we use in cooking, Thymus pseudolanguinosus forms a thin carpet that spreads out to cover the compost and then trails down the sides of the container. Plants need a sunny spot and really enjoy the good drainage that these unusual pots supply. If the plant starts to look a little unkempt, give it a quick haircut.
Houseleeks, or sempervivums, are incredibly easy to grow in a sunny spot with good drainage. You’ll find an amazing range of houseleeks in shades of green, red and purple; some are even covered in silky strands that look like spiders’ webs.
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Giant bamboo stems make unusual containers for some low-growing perennials. You’ll find them on sale at most garden centres and you can then cut them to size.
