Today 
Tomorrow
If you yearn for the smell of the sea and the sight of grasses waving in the dunes, have a go at this container. From late-spring, the thrift brings splashes of colour with its profuse pink, white or purple flowers, while the lilac scabious echoes its purple accents from mid- to late-summer. Above these plants arch the leaves of the grasses, gently swaying in a summer breeze.
Plant it:
March - April
At its best:
June - September
Takes just:
20 minutes
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Cover the bottom of the container with crocks, then fill it two-thirds full with compost.
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Knock the plants out of their pots and arrange them in the container. Plant the sedge in the centre, with a blue fescue on either side. Dot the scabious and thrift around the outside.
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So long as it doesn't get waterlogged, this planting should overwinter. Just before the new spring growth appears give the sedge a trim. Birds will love the seedheads of the thrift so wait until late February before cutting back the foliage.
"All these plants thrive in very well-drained soil. Plant them in a free-draining compost mixed with a few handfuls of horticultural grit or sand."
"In late-summer, the thrift produces papery, yellow seedheads - make the most of them by placing the pot where the low afternoon sun can shine through them."
