Plant ideas

[shufflebum]

We have a new patio that DH and I have slaved over this summer, we've also used so reclaimed brings tower this seat which has planters at each but I have no idea what to put in them.
The patio is south facing and gets a lot of sun, I'm not a natural gardener so require low maintenance but would like year round interest of some sort of possible. I'm not a fan of palm type plants.
Any ideas please?

I'd put herbs that smell nice - thyme or rosemary or lavender?

For zero maintanance, an ivy with a pretty small leaf will look OK all year and not need any care, but some would think it dull in the summer.

Herbs are an idea, thank you. Not keen on ivy, would love something a bit striking but have no idea what!

Have you got drainage holes somewhere at the bottom, so planters don't get waterlogged?

Stipa gigantea would be ideal; the main part of the plant is not large, but in summer it sends up VERY tall but delicate flower spikes:

www.rhsplants.co.uk/plants/_/grasses/stipa-gigantea-/itemno.RH30001899/

You will find many more pictures if you Google.

I have rhododendron - a couple of miniature trees and a bush or two . I bought mine from Homebase.

They flower spectacularly in in May/June (protect the buds from frost over winter or they will fall off).

I also have fatsia Japonica as I like the shape.

Both of these are evergreen.

I love acers too (Aldi and Morrisons have them in at the moment) but they lose their leaves over winter.

You could have one or two pots of spring-flowering bulbs (plant in Oct/Nov) topped with pansies/ viola/ cyclamen if you want colour. Look up bulb lasagnes.

Sorry I didnt realise the planters were actually in the wall . Definitely sort out some drainage as per Ferguson.

Forgot to say rhododendron like acid soil I.e. ericaceous compost and occasional feed. Cheapest I've found is Wilkinson, £2 each.

Fatsia may be a bit palmate for your tastes but they're fairly hardy and keep their leaves in winter.

How do you feel about box (buxus)? It's another evergreen option plus spheres or spirals would soften the lines of the wall and slabs. I'm a bit sketchy on their preferred conditions (I know box blight is a thing).

I have quite a few skimmia in my flowerbeds. Maybe someone can comment whether they're suitable for south-facing? They've evergreen with tiny white flowers in summer and pink berries in winter.

If you wanted to have any smaller pots on the wall a small ivy shouldn't go mad. I have a couple of golden ones for winter. Again the trailing effect would soften the brick

Congratulations on your patio!

Disclaimer: I'm still learning so stand to.be corrected on any of the above

Our Morrisons do some great value planted containers for winter, they've just started to come in. I don't think you could buy the individual plants and compost for less.
They contain a mix of cyclamen/ primula/ pansy/ viola/ miniature ivy/ golden conifer.

You could have evergreen shrubs in the end planters (minimum effort) and rotate a pair of seasonal, colourful planters on the wall twice a year in summer/ winter. I love colourful planters, mind

Pieris are great for this sort of thing. They don't really mind where you put them and are evergreen. Their flowers are not particularly exciting but new leaf growth is bright red and they can look quite striking, I think.

I'd be concerned about Rhododendrons in what are essentially pots on a south facing patio. They'd need a lot of water and are really woodland plants so not sure how happy they would be.

I bow to your superior wisdom
I have mine on humongous pots on my south facing patio (SE England) and they're thriving.

I keep them fairly well watered and give them an occasional feed when I remember

I have a couple of Madame Masson and the RHS website says they're suitable for south-facing sites but that could be open to interpretation?

Forgot about pieris, I have them in my front garden

I second the suggestion of topiary. Doesn't have to be some fancy shape - in fact, I think it'll look nicer if it's quite plain - but box or yew clipped into a ball or square would look good.

There's also some extraordinary grasses that retain heads over the winter, though these will die back in spring. Calamagrostis × acutiflora 'Karl Foerster' is almost entirely straight and goes a lovely gold over the winter. If I had your lovely garden, I would plant it right along the back of that bench as it is positively stunning when used very austerely and uniformly (see picture).

Not superior knowledge at all, have just never managed to make them thrive in my south facing garden, even in the soil (very chalky though so water disappears bloomin quick). They live, but aren't happy!

Sounds like there are some types that will be fine, good to have several plants to choose from OP!

I think you might both be right. According to this site, some of the dwarf rhodos will small leaves are sun-tolerant or even sun-loving, though most of the bigger varieties with larger leaves like shade!

www.paghat.com/rhodies_sun.html (Warning, reading the whole thing will make you go blind. Muddy red text on light blue = eye strain!)

Cotton lavender (Santolina)? I have a variety called "Lemon Fizz", it has lovely acid-green foliage, is evergreen and drought tolerant. Or a sedum? I have a beautiful one with red foliage, called " José Aubergine".

Mint. Then stroke it every time you are out there. And pop it into mojitos.

Wow so many suggestions, I am wading through google images and will no doubt be back with more questions.
Planters have drainage and bottom is filled with broken pots etc.

What about a hebe in the end planters? They like sun, most have a compact shape, are evergreen and will flower. There's one called H. rakaiensis with small grey-green leaves that will naturally form a 'ball' shape (looks like a box ball) and it has white flowers in the summer.

does the Pieris need acid soil ?

My soil is v chalky and therefore I wouldn't have thought it needs acid soil especially?

These are for pots though aren't they? So I didn't think it would really matter as it won't be in the ground

OP - good that you have drainage, but you also need to consider what type of compost/soil to use, depending on what plants you finally decide on. Ordinary garden soil might not be the most suitable, and you might do better with one of the John Innes-type, possibly mixed with compost, leaf mould or manure type of product.

That looks like a relatively small amount of planting space - maybe a brick's length on each of the 4 sides. As you've said you want year round and low maintenance, I'd go for prostrate flowering thyme like these

www.manorfarmherbs.co.uk/ideas/wallspaths

That way, you get foliage with some flowers, a lovely smell when you brush past and something useful for the pot.

Otherwise this can be pretty in the right (contained) spot

www.jparkers.co.uk/6-cerastium-snow-in-summer-1001874C

Or this

www.crocus.co.uk/plants/_/aubretia-purple-cascade-cascade-series/classid.2000014753/

All these should drape and trail to soften the edges of the planter/patio and they won't need much looking after other than a cut back in autumn.

To make it even lower maintenance, line the inner sides of the planter (but not the bottom) with an old compost bag and use swell gel type crystals in the planting mix. Bricks can be porous and the lining/swell gel will let you get away with less watering as they will retain moisture. You could put stones/shells/gravel/whatever on the top surface of the soil around the plant when it's been planter to keep water in but I find it an arse ache to remove if you want to tinker with the planting/feed later.