bushes/plants/trees for pots?

[ALovelyBunchOfCoconuts]

I would like to create an area of potted plants to stand on my area of gravel and I'm a complete gardening novice. Looking for some recommendations for things that are good in full sun/partial shade, that don't need much maintenance.

I like the look of things like bay trees and buxus balls. So I'd like some bigger style bushes/tress and then some smaller colourful options to make a little terrace area.

Best pots to use? Best soil/compost? All on a budget too.

any advice gratefully received :)

bump

Hydrangea and Weigela will give you colour

Fatsia japonia is good for the leaf shape and a bit of architectural interest.
An acer for colour and shape
A Skimmia for the berries and colour.

Maybe some bulbs like allium and lily for colour and pretty much mainatnce free once you have planted them.

I like John Innes no 2 and no 3 for pots as i find it drains well plus my local garden centre often has it on special offer. Dont forget a plant food to feed them. Either something to add to the water when watering or a slow release plant food you add to the compost. Tomato food is cheap and great for encouraging green growth.

Pots look on ebay bootsales or freecycle. Morrisons have been selling clay pots quite cheaply and they have a set of 4 in various sizes of glazed pots for £15. The smaller ones would look nice with a couple of geranium in and they dont mind to much if the soil gets a bit dry.

You will need some broken pots or even an old jumper to cut up and put at the bottom of the pot for drainage. A bag of Perlite to mix with the compost to improve drainage and aeration for good root growth. It also holds water so stops the pots from drying out so quickly.
Wilkinsons at the moment are selling it for £3.75 for 10 lts which is the best price i have found this year. I mix one part to 3 parts compost.
Stand your pots on pot feet or even old bricks to help it to drain more effectively so your plants dont drown in heavy rain.

cantspel, that is so helpful thank you. really grateful for that idiots guide

im going over to tgeva garden center tomorrow so i will keep my eyes open.

i think i have a south facing garden which im told is very good in terms of gardening so im really excited to see things grow.

i planted some pink lily things (technical terms!) back in march and they haven't even sprouted anything green so i think i killed those off

the*

If the pots or soil didn't have good drainage then there is a good chance that they could have rotted with all the rain we have had this year.

You have probably planted the lillies too late and if you leave them they will grow properly next spring.

The label said plant between Feb and May and coupled with the late snow we had I just figured they'd pprobably frozen. Hopefully next year they'll do something :)

My husband works in a horticulture factory and gets a massive staff discount in their shop which sells all sorts of bits so he's taking me over there today so hopefully I can get some bargains.

I'll be back later to share my goodies :-D

I have been planting bulbs upto last month and with the warm weather we are having even the late planted lillies are shooting up. I always plant early right through to late so that i have a longer period of flowers.

Lucky you for having a husband who gets a staff discount on things for the garden. I would love to know what you end up bringing home. I am not sure i could trust myself not to go mad and buy up half their stock if i was let lose with a discount card

He came home with two big pots with some trailing flowers in, theyre really nice. big size pots already planted up with different bits and bobs in and only paid £8 for both. normal people would have paid £20 ish.

im back...

i got:

• an olive tree
• a bay tree
• a lavender shrub
• massive bag of compost
• plant food
• two huge terracotta pots
• a smaller glazed pot

all for £12

I am green with envy that you got that lot for £12

massively discounted though. ihe has worked there for seven years and we have never had a garden to take advantage of the shop. but now we have i think ill be there all the time!