Planting tips for novice?

EB120880

Hi all,

We are looking to get started on our garden and have someone coming in to relay the lawn etc. In the meantime I have some patio pots that I wanted to get started on. We will be getting some large beds in the actual garden too but thought I better start small!

I've been looking at the Johnstown Gardening Centre website and planning on taking a trip on Sunday. I am thinking of getting a blueberry bush (thought it might be economical too and save me buying them for brekkie!) and also some lavender anyway.

Would anyone have tips of flowers and plants that do well in pots and what would be best to plant at this time of year etc? I've absolutely no experience at all, so nothing overly advanced initially!

Thanks!

Sgt Pepper 64

EB120880 wrote: »

Hi all,

We are looking to get started on our garden and have someone coming in to relay the lawn etc. In the meantime I have some patio pots that I wanted to get started on. We will be getting some large beds in the actual garden too but thought I better start small!

I've been looking at the Johnstown Gardening Centre website and planning on taking a trip on Sunday. I am thinking of getting a blueberry bush (thought it might be economical too and save me buying them for brekkie!) and also some lavender anyway.

Would anyone have tips of flowers and plants that do well in pots and what would be best to plant at this time of year etc? I've absolutely no experience at all, so nothing overly advanced initially!

Thanks!

What size of pot are you thinking of? If you go for biggish pots you can get several plants in them, including bulbs.
You can grow plants or bulbs in pots.
I've had success with various bulbs in pots and then just shuffled them around when they die back eg, daffs, tulips give way to lilies, hostas (Look great but slugs\snails love em)

http://www.hostasdirect.com/hosta-info/hostas-in-containers/

Alliums (ornamental onions) etc. Most garden centres or homebase\woodies will have summer bulbs right now and you can get nice gravel or something to top them off

Alliums in pots
Even gardeners with tiny gardens can grow alliums in containers. Always use a reasonably deep container, especially for larger varieties. Plant at three times the depth of the bulb in well-drained compost (this also applies when planting in the open ground).
The container plants will need repotting into fresh compost every year, but you don't need to do any more than this. They shouldn't require extra feeding, either, as long as their foliage is left to die back naturally. This enables them to build up energy for the following year. Like some other bulbs, they're naturally long-lived and survive for years if left undisturbed.
With large drumstick alliums, the dying foliage can be disguised behind a few pots of bushy annuals or a clipped box for a more formal look.

They are all pretty much easy, just watering and watching for slugs, topping up the compost once a year
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3i2ZmcmHGZo

Oh, and try and get frost resistant pots that wont crack. make sure they have holes in the bottom to let the water out and put a few large stones in the bottom to make sure the water drains out

good luck

EB120880

Sgt Pepper 64 thanks so much for taking the time to post all of that.
I have 3 pots at the moment ranging from medium to large so the large I could plant a few varities and might keep the medium for the lavender and see how I get on! All going well I will get more pots and a very large one to plant lots of stuff in and make it a mini garden!

I'll look into the Hostas and Alliums on Sunday and add some colour then with flowers that are in season or good to be planted this time of year. I am sure the garden centre will advise me.

Thanks again!