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Shrubs for patio pots
Posted by: Adam Pasco, 17 December 2007, 11.01AM
I'm always looking for plants that make an impact - things that will grab the attention and put on a good show. Seasonal bedding and bulbs are always popular, but many shrubs also grow well in patio pots.
Over the years I've tried all sorts, from dwarf rhododendrons to pieris, skimmia to euonymus, cordylines to phormiums, hydrangeas to acers. All have their place, and when they've outgrown their containers they have often taken up residence in my garden.
This year I've gone for something a little different. Having seen drifts of oleander flowering relentlessly on visits to the Mediterranean in the past, I was tempted by a really large specimen I discovered in a garden centre last spring. Costing about £12, this made the perfect subject for a large terracotta pot that was normally planted with bedding. Filled with loam-based John Innes compost my Nerium oleander took up residence in June, and was soon in flower. Now, I wouldn't describe its display as spectacular, but my shrub produced luxuriant stems of green foliage with flower buds developing at the tip of each.
The pink form of oleander is possibly the most commonly seen abroad, but I've chosen the white form. The flowers don't last long, but there are always more coming, and it continued to bloom well into October.
Now for the dilemma. Oleander is not a hardy shrub. Perfect for warmer Mediterranean climes, I'm not sure how it will do in my Midlands garden. If I had a conservatory, moving it indoors for winter would have been my best course of action. As I don't have one the greenhouse offered my best alternative. I don't heat my greenhouse, so will just be providing a few degrees of protection plus shelter from freezing.
I hope it will survive, despite the cold weather arriving early this winter. Outside temperatures dropped to around -4°C a couple of nights ago...chilly for me, but what about my oleander? If it gets through I'll be really chuffed, but if not another trip to the garden centre next spring will reveal other delights to experiment with I'm sure. I wonder what other tender plants gardeners around the country are trying to protect through winter?
Comments
Lorrie Flannery
20 December 2007, 04.07PM
Adam Pasco
29 December 2007, 10.32AM
paul;from stockport, N.west
04 January 2008, 12.00AM
Adam Pasco
07 January 2008, 08.30PM
Dani
12 January 2008, 04.20PM
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