START GROWING A FEW DAHLIAS, BEGONIAS AND LILIES IN POTS

Dahlias, begonias and lilies make wonderful additions to the summer garden, and with a little bit of work now, we can reap the benefits in the months to come. Although these plants will grow happily in a border after the risk of frost has passed, corms and tubers also work well in large containers. I find that growing them in pots allows you to water and feed the plants with greater effect, which results in them performing in a much showier fashion than they would do if they were in the ground.

Another advantage of starting these plants at this time of year is the cost aspect: buying plants in the summer when they are in full growth and full of flower buds will cost you considerably more.

All these plants require a good-sized pot. They can be potted individually or as a group, but need to be kept frost-free until they are ready to go out into the garden at the end of May.

You can have fun with the type of container that you use, whether that be traditional terracotta, a reclaimed and upcycled pot, or even an old wheelbarrow; as long as there is drainage, your possibilities are endless.

1

Fill a good-sized container with peatfree compost to just below the top.

2

Lilies should be planted at three times the depth of the bulb, begonias should be planted just below the surface, and dahlias should be planted 2 in or so below the surface of the compost.

3

Top-dress with a little gravel to help with moisture retention and aesthetics, and to make the surface of the pot less appealing to slugs. Lightly water to set.

4

Once you see growth, feed once a week with seaweed feed until the end of April, then once a week with tomato fertiliser until the end of October. Keep deadheading through the summer.