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The colour combination of pink and yellow creates a refreshing display, blending pretty marguerites and pink begonias with the peachy pompoms of verbena. Play up the cottage-garden look with a rustic basket, and decorate the sides with a trail of plectranthus. Position the basket in a sunny spot and keep it looking good by regularly deadheading flowers and removing any faded begonia leaves. Pinch out the plectranthus from time to time to keep it bushy.
Plant it:
May - June
At its best:
June - August
Takes just:
30 minutes
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Snip a few holes in the basket's plastic liner for drainage, then support the basket in a bucket. Now fill the basket two-thirds with compost.
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Mix the fertiliser and water-retaining gel into the compost. Then plant the begonias just off-centre, with the marguerite behind.
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Alternate the verbena and plectranthus around the edge - the plectranthus will quickly grow to hide the sides of the basket.
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Fill the spaces between the plants with compost, ensuring a gap of 2cm is left at the top of the basket. Firm down to get rid of air pockets, and water well.
"Use a soil-based compost with added water-retaining gel to help prevent your plants drying out. "
"If frost is forecast in May, bring plants under cover."
