Flo uses berries to brighten pots
Flo Headlam shows you how to use berries and foliage for an instant colourful container
Getting colour into the garden this month is a challenge, but a large pot of well-chosen plants is a great solution. My selection offers berries, richly coloured and variegated foliage, plus interesting leaf shapes. Place the pot in a sheltered spot and the display will last all winter, as the beautyberry holds onto its amazing purple berries long after its leaves have fallen, while the heuchera, lilyturf and heavenly bamboo are all evergreen. The latter, despite not dropping its leaves, offers rich autumn colour Everything except the fountain grass, which is more tender than the other plants, can be planted into your borders in spring, where you can enjoy them for years to come. In cold areas, replace the fountain grass with Carex oshimensis ‘Evergold’.
1 Choose a frost-resistant pot at least 50cm wide. Place in a sheltered spot and fill with a mixture of peat-free compost and loam or sterilised topsoil. 2 Gently tease out the roots of each plant to encourage them to spread out into their new home and settle in quickly. Remove any dead or damaged leaves.
3
Use the beautyberry and heavenly bamboo to provide height at the back. Work out the best positions for the remaining plants to maximise their impact.
4
Fill the gaps between the plants with the compost mix. Then give the pot a long, slow soak with a hose or two big watering cans. Stop when water seeps out of the base.
Flo says Striking foliage shapes and colours make this a winning combination. The boldness of the heuchera grounds the whole pot and contrasts so well with the grass. The differing leaf forms bring a lightness, which is balanced by the range of purples, and topped by the headspinningly gorgeous beautyberry.