Gardens How to make your coronation planter
This scalloped serveware is the perfect building block for your neutral tablescape.
2. Jasmine Green Wine Glasses, Set of Four, £24.50, Oliver Bonas
Imagine your favourite ‘green’ grape served in these trendy glass goblets.
3. George Home Green Textured Vase, £12 (left), other items from a selection, Direct. asda
This modish artisan vase makes its mark in matt, chalky green.
4. Maize Geometric Storage Basket (25cm x 20cm), £14.50, Matalan
Small storage baskets are the new go-to for holding succulents and cacti, along with rustic loaves and linens.
5. Elswyth Stools (from left, Bishop Stool, Pawn Stool and Knight Stool), currently £119 each (was £149 each), Barker and Stonehouse
Crafted from solid teak, these Scandi-style stools are modelled on chess pieces.
6. Sophie Allport Olive Stoneware Small Side Plate, £11.50; Olive Stoneware Nibbles Bowl, £11.50; Olive Linen Placemat, Set of 2, £32; Olive Linen Napkins, Set of 4, £33; other items from a selection, Sophie Allport
Nature’s favourite hue feels very much at home when oliveprinted stoneware is styled with fresh - or faux - olive branches in clear vases for an up-to-date palette.
7. Tennessee Armchair, Veneto Cognac, currently £799 (was £1,109), Barker and Stonehouse
This accent leather armchair in rich espresso is visually appealing and a real statement piece.
8. Silhouette Ceramic Vase, Set of 3, £18, Next
Body vases are all the rage.
11. Set of 3 Woven Bowls Wall Art, £38, Next
An instant style-fix for bare walls that need dressing up. Nordic, natural and very nice.
Want to go patriotic with some coronation containers which will provide a splash of red, white and blue amid the bunting and party poppers? Here, Sarah Squire, chair of Squire’s Garden Centres, offers a step-by-step guide to creating a coronation container...
Royal colours
She says: ‘With a royal colour theme in mind, I have used a combination of a red geranium as my centre plant surrounded by three white New Guinea impatiens interspersed with bacopa “Blue”.
‘In partial bloom now, these plants will soon deliver a really rich display. Do remember to protect from frost.’
Step 1
Squire advises: ‘Gather together all the key components in one place for ease while you are creating your planter: a suitable container, a good peat-free multi-purpose compost, stones or broken pots (‘crocks’) to aid drainage, a watering can and your selection of plants.
‘If you don’t have broken pots, a supply of stones will be fine also. It is also good to add a fertiliser to the container at planting stage, and waterretaining crystals mixed with compost when planting.’
Give your chosen plants a good water before they are planted in situ in the container, she advises.
Step 2
‘Crock’ the pot by lining a clean container with pieces of broken pots or stones – or a mix of the two.
Step 3
Add peat-free multi-purpose compost on top of the broken pots and stones to fill the container to about three-quarters full to the top of the rim. You can add a slow-release fertiliser at this point if you like.
Step 4
Carefully remove the plants, gently easing them out of their pots and place them in the desired spot in your container. Firm in, gently adding further compost to fill in any gaps if necessary so roots are covered.
Step 5
Once everything is planted, water well.
Step 6
For a long-lasting display, tend your container by watering regularly – never let the compost become dry – and feed your plants with a liquid feed during the flowering season.
Regular deadheading is a really important part of caring for bedding plants as it encourages repeat flowering, extending your enjoyment of your displays right through the summer and into the early autumn.
While annuals are often a go-to container choice for busy gardeners, colourful insectfriendly perennials in shades of red, white and blue can also easily be grown in pots.