Begonia and bleeding heart pot display

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Begonia and bleeding heart pot display

BBC Gardeners' World Magazine

Published: Wednesday, 3 July 2019 at 3:01 pm

Plant up a shade-loving container display of begonia and bleeding heart.

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This combination of dark-leaved begonias and heuchera, with flowering bleeding heart, makes for an impressive shade-loving display. Pot this up in a shady corner for a dramatic and long-lasting splash of colour.

You Will Need

Lamprocapnos spectabilis ‘King of Hearts’
Heuchera ‘Cappuccino’
Begonia ‘Botanica’
Begonia ‘Bronze Leaf’
Carex flagellifera
Container
Multi-purpose, peat-free compost
Water-retaining granules
Slow-release fertiliser

Total time: 30 minutes

Step 1

Adding compost

Add a layer of crocks to the base of the pot, to aid drainage, and then fill two-thirds with multi-purpose compost. Add slow-release fertiliser and moisture-retentive gel, and mix in with your hands.

Step 2

Adding plants

Add the bleeding heart to the centre of the container, ensuring it's level and planted at the same depth it was in its original pot.

Step 3

Adding the begonia

Add the begonias and carex around the bleeding heart. Firm the plants well and fill in gaps with more compost.

Step 4

Watering the display

Water the pot well to fully soak the water-retaining gel. Allow the pot to drain fully before moving to its final position.

Kevin Smith says...

Choose a container to complement the tone and colour palette of your plants. This beige planter gives the dramatic foliage real standout and brings harmony to the scheme as a whole. Plant several pots in a similar way to give your patio a coordinated feel.

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