BEST FOR POLLINATORS
I have a small town garden and from the outset I have loved displaying containers on my patio to celebrate seasonal planting and experiment with new ideas. These 'mini borders' can be tailored to suit any position or soil type... you get to make the rules!
Choosing the right container for your garden style is important. Terracotta pots like this one sit well in cottage gardens and those with a Mediterranean feel. Look out for old gems at reclamation yards or car boot fairs. With your container chosen, it's time to get creative with planting.
Both Vitex agnus-castus and Verbena rigida are bee and butterfly magnets, and are long-flowering, from summer into autumn. From a design perspective, I've added a red fountain grass (Pennisetum advena 'Rubrum'), whose delicate dark leaves contrast perfectly with the purple and white flowers. All these plants are perennial, so at the end of the season I simply pop them in the border and start again.
How to plant up your pot
YOU WILL NEED:
Chaste tree (Vitex agnus-castus) Verbena rigida Red fountain grass (Pennisetum advena 'Rubrum') Peat-free multi-purpose compost Terracotta pot, approx 45cm diameter
This story is from the June 2022 edition of Gardeners World.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the June 2022 edition of Gardeners World.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Travel Ideas For Garden Lovers
Looking for green-fingered holiday inspiration? The GW team share recent destinations for garden getaways
Your wildlife month
December is a time for reflection in the garden. What worked for wildlife in 2023 and what didn't? How could you do more? Looking at the bones of the garden now, is there space for more plants? Are your fences bare? Are there enough berries and hips? You have until March to plant bare-root trees and shrubs. What would look good? What would better serve wildlife?
The Full Monty
I can, and occasionally do, manufacture jobs in a kind of gung-ho, boy-scout spirit
Expert's choice
Smaller variegated ivies still pack a big punch all year round, says Graham Rice
YOUR PRUNING MONTH
Frances Tophill explains what to cut back now, including grapevines and hardy shrubs
Hardwood cuttings
It's the zero-fuss way to make free new shrubs - just follow our guide from Nick Bailey
Hassle-free harvests
While veg-plot activities slow down in winter, there is still plenty to do, from planting fruit trees, and harvesting sprouts and salads to taking stock of your growing year so you can plan next year's crops, says Jack Wallington
The happy house plant guide
In the first of a seven-part series, Jane Perrone shares expert advice on how to give your house plants the best start to a long and healthy life in your home
The science of soil
Healthy soil is teeming with life - Becky Searle delves below the surface to explore how this fascinating system works and how it can benefit our plants
'It's like another lung - like having oxygen on tap. It makes you breathe in a different way'
Helen Maxwell's garden in rural Carmarthenshire surrounds the house that her husband (who's an architect) designed.