Colourful plants to put in large plant pots/urns

I have a number of large pots/urns 30 to 50 cms across. The last couple of years have tried various different combinations of plants but they always look a bit feeeble to the size of the urns.

Plant a tall one in the middle for height then work outwards and use trailing plants for the side-really cram the plants in-use a good quality compost add some slow release fertiliser granules-keep on top of the watering

Towards the back end of the season add a liquid feed once a week as well.

Thanks for that but I was thinking more of what types of plants

Then you need to be more specific-annuals ,permament plantings,summer colour spring colour-what you like what you dont like-location-could go on................

30cm is not large, as pots go. Just about big enough for a canna, or small lily bulbs. Lilies look good in pots.

50cm would be suitable for architectural plants like cordylines or palms (not particularly colourful), or tree lilies.

On GW last Summer, Monty made up some pots in his garden, consisting of red cannas, surrounded by several other hot-looking plants. That sort of idea has a lot of scope, if you want something big and colourful. Cannas surrounded by dahlias would be colourful, if you want that sort of thing.

I always start with one tall grass in the middle of the pot,usually a  deep purple variety, then put in sweet potato  vines chartreuse and blackie ,and change out the fill plants with the seasons.I even add small gourds and pumpkins in the fall.Things that thrill, things that fill and things that spill .

A mixture of orange and yellow marigolds can look good,

Here are a couple of pots I did last year.

 Pink Marguerite, violas, white petunias

 Species fuchsia, Thalia, bacopa.ivy, brachycome,  bedding begonia.

I usually use some violas or pansies, if I have any left over as well.

I have wallflowers and bulbs in the winter.

Tiger Eye Gold rudbeckia, Scaevola and Bidens. This was July and later the scaevola hung much further down the pot. Sorry about the mess in the background. I love the pink arrangement above.

Loveto garden- wow just love these pics. How beautiful

Busy- Lizzie- I'm going to have to have another look through my seeds, I'm going to try to copy this

Thanks Bev and Lizzie. I try to do something different each year, but usually have some fuchsia as they are such good doers and they like either sun or shade. It's nearly time to start all over again can't wait.

Thankyou to Busy-Lizzie and Loveto garden the pictures are stunning. I have just been given a lovely stone pot and it is now ready for planting I wondered about a half standard tree with underplanting, has anyone tried this. The planting has to withstand very cold weather as I live in the north. Ideas would be welcome. My wish is for the pot to look attractive all year. Thank you inadvance for your help

A few years back I went on a one evening course at Petersham Nursery in Richmond to learn how to plant a winter pot. The two I planted when I got home are still going strong; the pots are 50cm; they each have a little conifer for height, about 45cm tall, there are layers of bulbs, some planted deep and some shallow, I think the principle was; large = deep and small= shallow. That first winter I had lovely white cyclamen but they all rotted, it was v. cold. The tulips in the pots are just coming through now, there is also variegated ivy trailing over the sides. After the tulips die back, I plant pale salmon pelagoniums and white bacopa; the small flowered one, I find the large flowered one does not do so well.

Loved the photos