Pick the perfect pot

Choose a material that suits your style and the place where the containers are to reside. It might seem boring to stick to one particular type, but be wary of using too many different materials. That can produce a scrappy effect, even though they may have cost you dearly!

Terracotta

Clay containers help to keep roots cool and they look especially appropriate in cottage gardens or where you’re growing herbs and Mediterranean plants. They vary in the shade of orange – from bright to pale and dusky. Check they are frost-proof (and note, frostresistant doesn’t mean frost-proof), otherwise they may crack and crumble in icy weather.

Metal

Galvanised tubs and tanks look great filled with vegetables, fruit trees and spring bulbs such as tulips and daffodils. The galvanising will prolong their life but they may still start to deteriorate after five years or so. That said, I love them and they seem to suit almost any garden. Keep them off the ground on ‘pot feet’ to prolong their life, and bear in mind they can get hot in the summer.

Stone troughs

Brilliant for alpine plants and ferns. Raise them up on stone or brick piers to give them most impact and be prepared to pay a considerable amount of money. Still, they’ll last forever and be the envy of your friends. Just remember that they are extremely weighty.

Glazed pots

Blue glazed pots were all the rage 20-odd years ago (they were a staple of Ground Force) but can look a bit passé now. Nevertheless, individual glazed pots can look dramatic when planted up with a single small tree. It’s worth noting that if the neck of the pot is smaller than its waist, it’ll be nigh on impossible to extract a mature tree or shrub from its confines without having to break the container.

Wooden crates and wicker baskets

These look great filled with all manner of plants, but to make them last longer it’s best to use them as ‘cache pots’ (outer covers), hiding simple plastic pots inside. If in direct contact with compost, they’ll rot rapidly. I use circular wicker baskets as covers for large black plastic pots and bring the baskets indoors in winter.

Polystone

A relatively new and long-lasting material, made from a mix of ground-up stone and recycled plastic. Available in many styles and shapes and hugely durable, they’re generally good value and chic where a modern effect is required.