Search - Articles

Take your house plants plants outside this summer and use them to create dramatic patio containers. Here, we've teamed purple heart with silvery helichrysum and the trailing silver-grey foliage with the bright-orange flowers of parrot's beak

overwinter in the pot. Cut back the verbascums and the fennel in late winter or early spring (see Adam's tips).AdamDon't be too quick to deadhead the verbascums at the end of the summer, as birds will feast on the seed-heads and the spikes will look dramatic

with the evergreen foliage of libertia.all year roundApril - August20 minutesCrocosmia 'Irish Dawn' x2Deschampsia cespitosa 'Goldtau' x1Libertia ixioides 'Goldfinger' x1Celosia caracas x3Terracotta pot, 45cm diameterMulti-purpose compostSlow-release fertiliserPlace a

. Let the foliage trail over the sides.Fill any gaps between the plants with more compost, firm down gently and water well.AdamIn really dry weather, wrap hessian around the pot and keep it damp. This will cool down the plants' roots.More containers

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.March - April June - September20 minutesSedge, Carex buchananiiBlue fescue, Festuca glauca x2Scabious x2Thrift

Aquatic planting basket, 20cm diameter x2Aquatic compost or heavy loamEngineering bricks x2Prepare your container by filling in any holes in the bottom with waterproof sealant. Leave to dry, then paint the inside of the pot with waterproof paint. When that is dry

Large pot Peat-free, multi-purpose compost Put crocks in the base of the container and half fill it with compost. Arrange the osteospermums in the centre of the pot and surround them with the foliage plants. We used Helichrysum petiolare 'Limelight' for its

in this pot as they'll happily mingle with one another. Just make sure the ivory thistle plants aren't too near the edge so they don't prick passers-by.AdamWhen using any metallic container, insulate the plants against extremes of temperature by lining

.AdamTake softwood cuttings of the pelargoniums in spring or late summer for more plants.Alonsoa is a perennial most often grown as an annual. So sow seeds outdoors in late-spring.More advice on summer container displaysPotting up a summer display of scabious

scandens x1 (seeds or one pot-ready plant)Verbena x3 pot-ready plantsLysimachia nummularia 'Aurea Goldilocks' x6 pot-ready plants40cm potPlant support loopJohn Innes No.3 compostMulti-purpose compostPlant up pots in position as they'll be heavy to move