Coordinate your POT DISPLAY
New containers can give your garden a smart new look. Geoff Hodge explains what to look for when shopping
Nearly everyone has containers in their garden. They’re really useful for brightening up the patio, flanking the front and back door, acting as focal points at the end of vistas, and even filling in gaps in beds and borders. Container growing also allows you to grow plants where they wouldn’t succeed in the ground – such as below trees, when soil conditions are less than perfect, or the wrong pH for the particular plant.
The choice of containers can be bewildering – unless you have a clear idea of the style you need for your garden. For some, it’s just a matter of matching the size of the container to the growth of the plant – and most importantly, its rootball. For others, it’s about creatinga cohesive colour scheme in the garden. Either way, when you’re getting fabulous displays from your plants, it makes sense to match them to gorgeous, ornamental containers. Even plastic pots have come a long way in recent years with great designs, shapes and colours.
Apart from aesthetics, there are several other factors to consider. ✿ Weight: Large, heavy stone and concrete containers are tricky to move around. This is a major consideration if you like to ring the changes or use tender plants that need to be moved into a frost-free greenhouse or conservatory over winter. If you garden on a flat roof or balcony you’ll need to check the structure can take the weight of your containers plus their contents. Lightweight planters with built-in castors are a godsend.
In windy or exposed gardens, heavy containers are a better choice – especially for top-heavy and tall plants, as they’ll stop the plants blowing over. Tall, top-heavy containers are also a topple risk.
✿ Porosity: Containers made from unglazed terracotta and wood are porous, letting moisture and air move through them. This allows air to circulate around the roots, improving growth and keeping the compost cool as moisture evaporates. They also draw out excess water and prevents root rotting. But, the compost does dry out more quickly on dry, windy days so you’ll need to water the compost more frequently.
✿ Insulation: Dark-coloured pots, and those with good thermal and heat-retention properties, are better at attracting heat in cold weather. This protects vulnerable roots against frost and can extend the growing season by keeping the compost warmer for longer.
In hot, sunny weather, the reverse is true: if containers are poorly insulated the compost can become hot and the roots dry out too fast.
✿ Durability: How long the container lasts depends on the quality of materials used: plastic pots are pretty robust, but can be vulnerable to UV damage, shattering and fading.
✿ Maintenance: For easy maintenance, choose a material that doesn’t need restoring from time to time. Wooden containers may need to be treated every couple of years with a preservative or stain to refresh their good looks and prevent deterioration. Unglazed terracotta may need an annual scrub to remove green algae, mineral salts and white chalky deposits.