Keep it Contained : Part Deux

 

There are so many advantages to container displays and the possibilities to be imaginative and inspired are endless. 

 

What to choose?  

 

Ferns and foliage.
 

Upright plants for stunning colour with trailing varieties to soften the effect.

A statement shrub, or a subtle Hosta for shade

 

 

 

First you need to decide on what sort of pots or containers you find most appealing.  Unless you already have a selection to choose from, cost will be a consideration. 

If you plan to feature largely bedding plants then weight probably isn’t an issue, if on the other hand a large shrub is the intended occupant then instability in high winds could be a concern, so a heavier bottomed clay or terracotta would be a preferable choice to plastic.  Windy conditions over the last 5-10 years do seem to be an increasingly predominating feature of our climate.

 

 

Plastic is now very widely available in a huge range of designs and if the prospect of plastic doesn’t initially appeal it’s worth remembering that the pot itself is very likely to be largely inconspicuous when concealed by the flora, once established. 

Apart from affordability the appeal of plastic pots is their durability. 

Terracotta is liable to frost damage which results in cracking and/or splintering of the clay leading to eventual disintegration. 

While it’s undeniable that a set of characterful terracotta planters will look stunning when new and ranged along the patio, depending on the harshness of our winters they do have a tendency of crumbling into a splintery heap after a few seasons. 





Meanwhile your cheaper outlay on the plastic will still continue to give sterling service.

 

When buying plastic pots always remember that they require drainage holes. 

 

Not sure why these troughs and planters never come ready drilled, but this is something you need to undertake prior to planting up.

It’s a good idea to give some thought to the depth of the pot, as even a small petunia from a plug will develop into quite a substantial plant when mature so as well as ensuring the compost can absorb sufficient water for the plant’s needs, root development is also a consideration. 

 

 

 

 

 

Some say add crocks or pebbles for drainage, some say not.  It’s a good idea though to use a flat stone or broken pot to cover the drainage holes so no compost can escape as it is apt to do.  If you’re tempted to break up the polystyrene cell pack that you bought the plants home in and use that in the base of the pot, just be aware that this does create the perfect environment for ants to colonise. 

 

Most commercially available tub and container compost, and there are many variations to choose from, will be more than adequate for your needs but any that state they contain added bark or manure are a definite No No.  They’re fine to supplement in other areas around the garden to enrich the soil but to be avoided for plants to thrive in a container situation as it will simply not provide sufficient density for water retention or contain the requisite nutrients to develop and sustain the rapid development of normal bedding plants throughout the season. 

Is it always necessary to provide new compost if a tub still has plenty remaining from last season? 

It's a false economy to scrimp on the growing medium so always refresh spent compost.  By doing this you'll also get to clear the pot of anything lurking there out of sight such as ants, woodlice but most particularly vine weevils, the grubs of which will attack the plants directly from the root system spelling instant death.  Established pot dwelling shrubs are especially at risk when without explanation they'll appear inexplicably dry, despite regular watering, and before you know it you have man down an irreversible DOA situation and to save your time in sleuthing it out, we can confirm that vine weevil grubs will almost always be the squirmy culprits. 

 

When planting up summer bedding, if the planter is sufficiently large enough to allow, it’s a good idea to place some spring bulbs in a lower tier, compost over and then complete with your final flourish of marigolds, geraniums or lobelia and busy lizzies for summer.  You can then look forward to another burst of fresh colour once the bulbs release their energy next spring.

 

When you’ve decided on your container, selection of plants and style of planting and got it all arranged and planted up and looking amazing don’t forget to give everything a good watering in to settle the compost around the plants, get everyone introduced and help them get established in their new home.

Keep dead heading to encourage repeat flowering all summer long.
 

Plants grown in containers will benefit from a feed.  We’ve spoken before about the need for mulching and soil kits which to some extent could be considered fashionable or gimmicky but plant feeds do have a place in your shed, they help in ensuring the plants don’t become depleted too soon.  A weekly dousing will pay dividends to the performance of your summer display and prolong its life. 

 

 

Keep it Contained

CONTAINERS

BASKETS

TUBS AND POTS

 

 

The more I think about this, the more the realisation dawns that this is a huge subject, so much so that there are entire books devoted to it in all its many permutations. 

 

 

 

Any garden, no matter how large or small, can benefit from the addition of pots, containers and hanging baskets how ever dramatic or simplistic the subject it's irrefutable that pots of all manner of style and content, can be used to great effect and the results can deliver a little sprinkle of magic or a massive architectural statement.

 

 

For anyone restricted to a small courtyard or balcony a container garden offers the perfect solution and the range of design, plants and layout is limited only by your own imagination.  Virtually anything that can be grown in the ground will perform equally as happily in a pot.  The same rules apply, so ensure you provide the right conditions of light, compost, water and appropriate levels of sunlight or shade as there’s no reason why a container garden should not be equally as pleasing and successful as any border.

 

 

 

The watering is a critical consideration.  It's important to remember that wind can be very drying and for this reason it's often necessary to water more frequently than you might think.  Some plants are also very thirsty and when you include these in a display they may take moisture from other less greedy varieties so that's another reason to keep topping up.  If pots are ranged against a wall, up close to the house then these can often be sheltered from rainfall and therefore surprisingly dry even following a shower.  This is deceptive and so it's often a sensible precaution to feel the compost around the plants as this will give a better indication of conditions rather than judging just by looking or assuming. 

A gap of 1"-2" should be left at the neck of the container to allow in water.  If the compost is compacted around the plants at too great a height then any water that is poured on will simply run straight off before it's had a chance to soak in and down to where it's needed.

Don't forget to keep dead heading for the life of the plant.

 

Although a colourful patio arrangement always gives eye popping impact pots offer many more options than just a static display. 

 

 

 

They can for instance to moved into a border to conceal any bare patched or to display something dramatically exotic that can later be retrieved and overwintered inside, without the nee to dig it up.

An impressive feature is to stage the pots in a stepped arrangement by means of stacking or racking as this adds height, thereby increasing the quantity and density and producing an attractively striking display. 

There are now even commercially available planters to create this effect.

A range of planting showing a recurring theme or colour palette looks crisp or simply stick to decorative foliage. 

The possibilities are endless.

 

 

 

 

 

A container display doesn't have to consist of only annuals and be something that'll last just one season.  Some plants and shrubs can enjoy a permanent home in a pot where they'll thrive for many years.


Another advantage of containers is that they can be moved around to best effect.  Thus, always positioning them centre stage when the plant is at its peak flowering time.
 

 

 

Flower Power : Lupin

Gotta love a Lupin eh?

 

 

 

And obviously everyone does as if you Google an ‘images’ search for Chelsea Flower Show the flower displays which predominate are those of our humble Lupin. 

 

 

Is this surprising? 

 

Surprising that it’s not that stalwart of any English garden with it's thousands of permutations; the rose, or something exquisitely exotic or perhaps the much lauded Sweet Pea that everyone goes crazy for.

 

 

 

 The Lupin does look undeniably impressive standing to attention in a host of rainbow spikes.

 

 

So very individual with its umbrella (often furry) leaves, dramatic colour combinations and very distinctive flower shape.

 

 

 

Just be aware that the slugs and snails love them every bit as much as we do and can decimate your prized specimen in the course of a single night.

 

Another detail which may surprise is that the Lupin is a species in the legume family, which probably makes sense when you think of the seed heads that appear at the end of flowering and although we don’t find them on the supermarket shelves alongside the green beans they do grace the table among other cultures and were eaten by the Romans.  The protein rich beans have a number of nutritional benefits and are gluten free, so keep an eye out as they could be making a comeback.

 

As they are notorious for not coming true from seed, if there is a particular species you wish to replicate it's probably best to attempt to propagate from cuttings.

 

Lupins grow wild in other countries but of the cultivated types in the UK a very popular and well recognised variety extensively available from garden centres are the Russell Hybrids. 

Around 100 years ago George Russell devoted many years of pains-taking time and effort in his attempts to breed the ultimate Lupin for vigour and density until he achieved more robust and colourful varieties than anything previously available.

 

Those original Russell Hybrids were the forerunners of many of the ice cream and fondant bi-colours with us today. 


Although there are a few hundred varieties now to choose from many of these will have been developed from those original Russell Hybrids.

 

 

 

Chelsea Week

 

CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW

AND THE RAIN CAME DOWN

STAIR RODS

 

 

 

 

Every May is witness to the world renowned Chelsea Flower Show, all singing, all dancing, banner waving horticultural highlight of the year, favourite to The Queen and an abundance of VIPs.  The main highlights of the show are The Great Pavilion and the larger show gardens along Main Avenue. 

 

Today is the first day which is not available to the GBP (GREAT BRITISH PUBLIC).  The rain is torrential which makes any outside activity miserable in this climate but is guaranteed to wreak havoc on the carefully balanced floral exhibits as lack of sunshine really does seem to rob the blooms of their lustre.  They need the sun to bring them alive and make them zing. 

The TV magazine's somewhat ironic write-up imparts:  "The team will be looking at the displays and revealing the ingenious and imaginative ways in which water has been used in this year's show gardens.  Let's hope the sun has got his hat on." 

Let's hope the sun has donned his wellies and sou'wester really doesn't trip off the tongue quite so merrily.

 

The Great Pavilion is three acres of astonishing and breath-taking flora that is always a privilege to experience.  It's such a spectacle with a vast array to enjoy, from small private exhibitors to specialist horticultural breeders and retailers, corporations and visitors from abroad.  Everyone has their favourites be it roses, exotics, vegetables or succulents, there's simply something for everyone.

 

The judging takes place during the course of Monday and the medals are awarded first thing on the morning of Tuesday and are to be found awaiting the exhibitors and designers as they arrive, bleary eyed, at the crack of dawn(ish).  This will be the culmination of months of advance planning and many hours of intense preparation in the three weeks leading up to the show opening.  The day begins with the customary medal dash around the ground to witness the winners and their elation or disappointment at their varying successes.

 

Apparently during the setting up this year a very impudent urban fox infiltrated The Great Pavilion in the dead of night and among one of the stands, left a medal of his own - but it wasn't gold. 

 

If you've ever been to Chelsea, or are a regular goer, you'll have your own opinions about the crowds and whether that bothers you at all, or not. 

 

There's so much to see.  But it's rammed, 35,000 visitors on days open to the GBP.  Which makes viewing the show gardens quite arduous.  Whichever day you go, unless you're an RHS member, it probably won't be Monday; Press Day.  You'll therefore likely as not have already got to see some BBC coverage on either the Sunday preview show or the Monday, in the auspicious company of Her Majesty and have managed a sneaky peek of the delights on offer among the show gardens. 

 

In which case you'll have an advance idea of what's available in the show gardens, which were the most well received by the judges and what you'd like to squish in to see for yourself.  The emphasis here being slanted heavily in favour of the squish rather than the show garden. 


The GBP will be packed to the gunnels squarely around each garden and about 8 deep.  You therefore join the back of the throng and then spend 20 precious minutes of your life (per garden) delicately and politely jostling your way to the front to get a clear view.   

 

The gardens somehow never manage to look quite like they do on the telly.  Not sure why this is, perhaps it has something to do with the myriad hoards, as you're always fighting to hold your precious and hard fought position and unlike the TV camera's, your view is never fully uninterrupted but always slightly compromised.



The tranquil atmosphere of the tranquillity garden somehow seems to lose the essence of its metaphoric charm when glimpsed from among the writhing swarm. 

 

The show gardens are richly enswathed in all manner of symbolism, mysticism and coded messages.  This is once again where the BBC presenters come into their own by unravelling and translating all the allegorical tangle of wires, mirrors and up-ended bottles, explaining the hard landscaping and revealing what each designer has attempted to truely represent and the significance of their  'journey'.

 

 

The very ample TV coverage does demonstrate everything you could ever possibly need to see at 3.15, 7.30 and again at 8.00 or 8.30 daily.  In fact such ardent and comprehensive coverage is apt to deliver some repetition. 

 

There are things to buy here, just not the plants, these are exhibited until the venerated finale sell off following the final bell on the last day of the show. 

You can however find stalls selling all the latest in design, technology, clothing and gadgetry.

 

If not being able to purchase all manner of plant frippery that tempts and catches your eye is disappointing for you, there are many other shows of equal quality to rival Chelsea but with an abundance of plants on sale; with Hampton Court Flower Show and BBC Gardeners' World Live at the NEC among the very best in the south(ish). 

 

Whether watching on television or visiting the show in person there is always plenty to see, to learn and to enjoy.