Teeny tiny planting area in containers

[WellTidy]

I've bought three ornamental outside containers here the actual planting areas are very small. One is 11 cm X 9 cm, the other s 22 cm X 15 cm and the other is 10 cm x 12 cm.

What can I grow in them? I would prefer things that don't trail, as I want to see the planters. I don't mind plants that don't flower. They will be in a group on my sunny patio. I live in the south east.

WellTidy I am so over-invested in your garden. One day you will come home and find me sitting in it. So little containers, herbs, sedums or little grasses with sanguisorba and Astrantia Major?

pansy I really appreciate all the guidance. I would love to share my garden with everyone as then I will have people to bore about it! So many posters have helped me as I have no idea what I am doing, but I am really enjoying it. I am in danger of becoming obsessed though!

I am going to go for three varieties of thyme, I think. Snowdrift, pink Chinz and silver posy. They stay low, which is what I've realised I like as the containers are low. And then after flowering, maybe I will move them as I really fancy putting cyclamen in for autumn. Though mow I am thinking maybe I should get something that flowers. I don't know.

I like sedum, but I can only see a couple of different small ones, and I have three containers so I would like something a little different in each, but still with a theme. I fancy dwarf lavender, and just keeping in top of it so that it doesn't look way too big for the container, but I can't find any.

pansy that made me laugh .

Welltidy how deep are your little containers ?

This site has a lot of sedums www.craigiehallnursery.co.uk/ourshop/cat_583419-Sedum.html

I bought various sedums and alpines from this site who have this lavender which they say grows to 30cm www.plantsforsmallgardens.co.uk/lavandula-angustifolia-%27lavance-purple%27~172 would that be short enough ??

Depth of the planting part of the smallest container is 10 cm, the largest one is 20cm deep.

I think 30 cm might be too tall but I'm not sure.

The containers are photographed with primroses in them, I think that type of size plant would suit them best, but I've bought the containers a bit late for that!

What about sweet peas climbing up a wigwam? That's a lot of blooms for a small footprint.

Mesembryanthemum ?

I should have said that I would prefer not to buy seeds, sorry, as I think mesembryanthemum would grow from seed.

I am moving away from dwarf lavender as they will be close to the patio doors which I keep open a lot, and I know that lavender attracts bees and wasps.

I don't want anything climbing, sorry, as the containers are really lovely and will stand alone.

I know I am sounding really fussy, but its because I am so clueless I don't know where to start and am a bit spray gun in my approach!

Would cranesbill geraniums be suitable do you think? Or am I way way off the mark?!

Also, I am only buying anything that flowers in white, pink or purple, so no orange, yellow or red.

Scattergun not spray gun! Oh dear!

Yes the little ground hugging geraniums are lovely and next year you can divide them up and put some in the garden. Dianthus and thrift also do well in shallow containers.

Crainsbill geraniums come in a variety of sizes. They are in shades of white, pink, blue through to deep purple.
There are many varieties and some spread by creeping, so the best thing is to look for the smaller versions, you might find them in the Alpine or rockery sections of the garden centre.

Any room for tumbler tomatoes and chard/spinach? Dead satisfying popping out in the morning (or night before) to collect some for sandwiches at work.

I would be tempted to grow pea shoots, mesclun (mustard leaves) or chard and come and cut again lettuce. Ready made salad :)

Damn. I've already ordered my cranesbill geraniums on crocus for next day delivery. I've bought the three shortest growing ones in my colour scheme, which are ballerina, light dilys and elke (all shades of pink in the end) and they flower May to August/September, which will be lovely.

I will bear the salad items in mind for another area, thanks very much for the suggestions.

Ooooh they look stunning. I am torn between planting those or creeping thyme in my garden.

I was toying with the thymes too pansy. I liked Snowdrift, pink chinz and silver posy. The pink creeping one especially is very pretty, go for it!

I will buy it next year I think for another spot. I haven't bought anything save for shrubs and climbers and container pots this year, so I will buy bulbs and groundcover type plants next year. I would love to be able to buy everything!

Me too. I have just had to get rid of my whole garden and replace it with no maintenance as I cannot do it any more. So I have been on a buying frenzy. I am thinking of naming it the MN garden as I got so much advice on here.

What is a no maintenance garden to you now pansy? I get the impression that you've spent lots of time on your garden previously. I need very low maintenance as I don't know what I'm doing, though I do have a gardener who comes every week and she is making the world of difference.

And where do you buy your plants, do you mind me asking? I'm not that far from you (SE, but within the M25).

I've bought evergreen shrubs, some flowering. Also some climbers. All at different stages of maturity. I've steered clear of deciduous shrubs as I have a lot of space to fill and need to make sensible decisions as otherwise my spending will get completely out of control. Already looking forward Autumn as I understand from MN that then I can buy heathers!

Lovely choices, WellTidy, I might have to get Ballerina myself.

I got it on Crocus JT as I want to plant them tomorrow and won't get to the garden centre for at least another week. £12 for 3 x 9 cm diameter plants.

I have a thread under an old name "the landscapers are here, it is better than the arrival of Santa. Currently I have my wrist in splints due to Carpel Tunnel and I have also Arthritus. So my plan for low maintenance was plant it once then leave it alone. Or rather get OH to plant it once,

90% of the new plants came from Crocus and my trees came from Barcham nursery. Even though the garden is tiny I wanted privacy and a woodland feel. I bought mature trees in various sizes so that it had a natural feel and lots of repeat planting because the space is so small.

Acers, to me are the best no fuss plant, because they don't need pruning and you can have enough varieties that change colour every month. I already had 4 and bought 4 more.

Advice from MN was to go for prairie and hedgerow planting. So I have loads of grasses and things like Acatea, Valerian, Veronica, Astrantia, Corisium, Angelica, heathers and ferns. I am going to leave them over winter for the seed head to form and it is just a 5 minute shear In February.

I was quite ruthless, eventually, in getting rid of any plants that needed pruning, claiming or bending. Luckily the honeysuckle, clematis and roses all survived being dug up and shoved in the garage for a month and are much happier now they are not fighting all my huge shrubs for space.

That should be climbing not claiming.I am banned from ladders since I misjudged the steps and managed to break my shoulder. My next name change should be Calamity Jane.

I've looked at some of the plants that you named pansy as I've never heard of most of them (Actaea, Valerian, Veronica, Astrantia, Corisium (I couldn't find this one), Angelica). I understand about you're saying about the woodland feel, with those plants and the trees and acers. It sounds really lovely, and not at all what I see in the gardens near me. You've reminded me to look at the acers in the garden centre when I next go, as they would be a good choice for me, I know. I especially like the ones with limey colour foliage. Your garden has opened my eyes to new possibilities, thank you!

Cirsium sorry. Acer Sangu Kaku is a Lovely green Acer and when it's leaves fall it has scarlet red stems that last right through the winter. I have it planted with Cornus midwinter fire and a black grass who name I can't remember.
I saw this at Anglesey Abbey years ago, you came round a corner and it just looked like a massive Coal fire.

Katsura is another lovely Acer, but might not fit with your pink and white scheme.

Oh my goodness ,so many lovely plants .I've only googled the cranesbill geraniums so far . I never knew that there were dwarf ones !

That Elke looks gorgeous ,I'm a sucker for ferny foliage ,and it says it goes bronzy red in autumn .

I've said it before Welltidy but you've got a great eye !

I think I need to have a lie down before I google pansy's plants .Scarlet stems ! Black grass !

I am really touched sunnyhills, you give me a wee bit of confidence to make more decisions about what I'd like in my garden. I loved the Elbe the most too, and it was on 3 for 2. There are just so many beautiful and different plants, I had no idea. Now I need an unlimited budget! I thought it would make to easier to have a white, pink and purple scheme and I find those colours very calming which is good for me at the moment. But then I get incredibly excited by pansys coal fire description!