... is what my sis & bro-in-law gave me for my Crimbo pressie ...

Now the question is ... what shall I put in them ???

They are huge ... 20" tall x 18" across ... need to make the patio a bit pretty for summer ... so veg or flowers ... a tree ... fruit maybe ... I need inspiration ....

Blueberries? or have you got some already? Olive trees? Lemons? Or... a fig tree Something tree-ish with fruits on preferably

Citrus tree - or an olive tree - or one of each Then you can pretend you live next door to Reedos

yeah but where d'yer keep em in winter if no conservatory or such like

I made a cottage garden in a barrel and it looks lovely and is sustainable. I made it to try and block the dog's view of the birdtable

But Flo's got a gh And you can protect trees with straw or such like during winter

The Dobies catalogue I got wiv this months KG has got some citrus plants which are sposed to be hardy down to -10 So may be OK left out in a pot

I've got a couple of citrus ... grew them from pips think they are a bit small at the moment, only 8"! Even have an avo 12" tall!

Could I do a 'Potager' in a pot do you think? What would I put in them !!

Quite fancy a half standard of something ... victoria plum maybe with underplanting ???

I vote blueberries

they need eriwotsit compost so are best off in their own pot but (being mountain plants) are completely untroubled by even the coldest weather.

Figs might be good too

Sometimes big pots (depending on their design) look really good just on their own in a border for structure during the winter or on a formal type patio if they are both the same.

Personally I'd go for something evergreen and quite big for all year round - big pots need big plants, big bay trees can be expensive but (I think) always look good, or maybe a pair of standard hollies.

Lemons can be quite hardy especially if you give them a sheltered spot near a south facing wall maybe and are evergreen have strongly scented flowers and often have fruit and flowers at the same time.
Peaches and nectarines can be grown in pots - and have lovely blossom early in the year, but can suffer really badly from peach leaf curl.

If you can help it you don't want to be bringing the pots into the greenhouse in winter - they'll be too heavy and what's the use in them if you can't see them

Reedos:

Quote:

If you can help it you don't want to be bringing the pots into the greenhouse in winter - they'll be too heavy and what's the use in them if you can't see them

... know what you mean there, I Have several beautiful pots that I have to put under cover during winter ... great shame

What about summer plantings ... including bulbs at different levels in the pot ... something that kept on going producing interest in stages???

Have you decided yet Flo?

A few suggestions if you haven't:

Nandina domestica - evergreen leaves turning reddish in autumn, flowers & berries, you can get ones about 2' for about £10-£12 & they grow pretty quickly, eventually get to about 6' (dwarf form 'firepower' has better autumn colour but is a bit small for your pots)

Euonymus alatus - lovely autumn colour & interesting shape, good specimen plant, grows to about 6-8' (again, there's a dwarf form 'compactus' but this only grows to about 3')

Acer palmatum dissectum or palmatum dissectum atropurpureum (or any other small acer really - so long as you can put them somewhere sheltered & out of the morning sun) - also have lovely leaf colour & grow to about 6'

A small bamboo - saw a nice variegated one the other day but can't find it now, pretty sure it was a Pleioblastus, will look for it & get back to you if you want more info.

All of them could be underplanted with bulbs and/or annuals so you could create a different effect for each time of year or even each year. All hardy where you are, so no lugging pots about.

Have to admit I have been thnking of Acers ... but will need a few pennies there though !!

... yup still thinking