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Less is definitely more when it comes to this spectacular container project. The spiky dasylirion makes a huge impact on its own - other plants would just be a distraction. Rather like a natural fibre optic light, its bristling leaves are dramatically set off when the fibrous tip...

In the heat of summer, this showy pot will bring a taste of the tropics to your garden. The huge, red-tinged banana leaves flounce above a frothy skirt of blue-grey parrot's beak and honey bush, and fiery begonias. April - JuneJune - September30 minutesLarge, deep pot, at least ...

This simple container feature uses only three three plants to dramatic effect. The feathery leaves of the soft shield fern arch gracefully over the edges of the pot, making a perfect foil to the silvery leaves of the Japanese painted fern. And the button-like pink-and-white bloom...

This combination of begonia, pelargonium and fern plants will brighten up a shady area. Although unlikely bedfellows, they all enjoy a lightly shaded spot and make an impressive display. The begonia and fern plants will provide interesting shape and texture, while the delicate pe...

Before the leafy tree canopy returns in late spring, the woodland floor is alive with colour. If you have a partially shaded spot, plant up a container with pretty flowering perennials such as foamflower, brunnera and bleeding heart, and recreate a little corner of the countrysid...

The hardy winter-flowering varieties of pansy (Viola) are the best bet for winter and spring containers as they're rarely without blooms, even when other plants are shivering in the cold. The flowers look stunning set off against the golden foliage of the thyme and ivy. September...

Purple and yellow always work well together, and the combination is particularly striking in this pairing of cowslip and anemone. We've used a grey Moroccan trough, but a wooden or terracotta planter would look just a good.February - MarchMarch - April30 minutesPrimula veris x5Wo...

Thrift is found growing wild on sea cliffs and mountain sides. It is a tough little plant with short, tufty foliage. In this planting combination its bright pink, long-stemmed flowers provide a focal point from late-spring to summer. The low-growing alpine phloxes are covered in ...

Dahlias come in a fascinating variety of shapes and sizes, and the pom-pom types, with their rows of incurved petals, resemble old-fashioned bathing caps. Dahlia 'Franz Kafka' lends itself - ironically, given its name - to a relaxed cottage-garden style, floating like balloons a...

This pebble cage arrangement is a stylish twist on the alpines' traditional environment, and wouldn't look out of place in any modern garden or even as a contemporary table decoration. The dwarf size of Dianthus 'Fusilier' perfectly suits the proportions of this container, and ri...