Container plants for a north facing garden

[hugglesfor4]

We've just completed a path at the front of my house and I want to put some pots on it to brighten it up. I'm useless at knowing what plants to have and normally end up with plants my mum suggests which ends up with my garden looking like hers. This isn't a bad thing but I'd like something different.

My garden is north facing and not sheltered. I've just ordered 4 pots that are 50cm diameter each. I'd like plants that are green all year round and flower.

Can anyone help with any ideas before I end up with all hebe's (mums suggestion)

Thanks

Patio roses would be fine in pots. They don’t like shade but semi shade would be fine.
I Potted up two new patio roses yesterday. Bought from a Haskins garden centre for £10 each and they are good healthy plants covered in buds.

I've hit a snag - decided on roses and have spent ages looking at David Austin roses trying to decide which ones to get. I called them for advice to be told the pots I've ordered aren't deep enough! Apparently they should be 50cm deep otherwise after 2 years I won't get any flowers and they might die.

The only pots I can find online that deep are over £100 each and I can't afford that. Does anyone know of cheaper pots that deep?

Think I might have to look again at some of the other plants you've suggested.

Thanks for the hydrangea information! I will look into this in depth! I bought a random white one last year which is now coming through pink tinged. My runaway bride that I bought about a fortnight or three weeks ago is already turning pink on the edges. I want them to stay white!

As far as I know, it's quite common for white hydrangeas (the macrophylla type, not eg paniculatas) to acquire some colour as they age - not sure whether specific conditions of sun and/or water exacerbate this though. Maybe you just have to resign yourself to having a blushing bride.

Yes, Errol, they are both the Mach types. My climbing hydrangea has stayed white for years and years. Oh well, they are still very lovely and I am tickled by the blushing bride.

Wilko seems to have a great range of very cheap plastic pots as does Homebase. I haven’t looked specifically at the depth though.

If you go for patio roses the pot only has to be around 35 cm deep.
This patio rose has been in this pots for several years. Still flowers well and apart from giving it a good feed with banana skins in spring requires very little maintenance

Op, rather than go for David Austin, you may be interested in patio roses in supermarkets. My local Waitrose has loads right now, many are floribunda, for £10 each. Somewhere like Tesco or Morrisons May be cheaper.

I asked David Austin about patio roses and they said they'd be too small in my size pot but yours look lovely.

My head is spinning looking at all the different plants. I think I've decided on one and then find something different.

Also can't decide whether to have 4 different plants or 4 the same but different variations. Who knew gardening was so hard!

I looked at David Austin fir the choice and to see what they look like etc. I'm planning on going to my local nurseries tomorrow but wanted to have an idea what I want before I go otherwise I'll end up buying the first plant that looks nice!

Given you're not entirely sure about how things will do in your location, maybe it would be wise to start with a mix and see what thrives best, rather than having all your eggs in one basket? Also, if you want some roses (and who wouldn't?) then you might want something else for the winter - scented evergreen shrubs perhaps, such as the daphne. Do you have anywhere else to put 'off season' containers so you can swap things around?

The path runs directly along the front of the house before the lawn. It's never walked on so the pots are the feature to give some loveliness against the brick. They can be moved in the winter but I'd rather not as it'll look bare. I'd planned on having the pots spaced evenly along the path rather than clumped together.

I really like the daphne, roses, camellia and the Skimmia japonica. I just can't seem to make a decision about them.

I would have roses, under planted with lots of bulbs (so called 'bulb lasagne'), add bedding plants like busy lizzies in the spring/summer.
You could also grow a small clematis through the rose.
Apart from watering , occasionally pruning and feeding a couple of times a year, they're pretty foolproof and tough.
My back garden is north facing, very exposed and windy and the roses do well.
I also grow succulents in shallow dishes, these thrive on neglect!

What roses do you have? Patio or shrubs?

Do a bit of a tour round your local nurseries and garden centres when you have decided what you’re looking for. Aldi are worth keeping an eye on, my £1.69 Clematis is doing well and they sometimes have named roses in for a couple of pounds, Wilkos can ve good too plus of you have a local market it’s worth looking there.

Just been plant shopping for a friend and found a Flower Carpet rose for £11, whereas more expensive generally online. Hydrangeas were £7, really decent 2 litre perennials 3 for £10 including very large Verbena bonariensis and Geranium roazanne, lovely Heuchuras for a fiver which could be split into more plants. That was split over different places though, none of them was the cheapest across the board.

They can be moved in the winter but I'd rather not as it'll look bare

I meant , do you have space anywhere else for an alternative set of pots?

No alternative space for a separate set of pots. I have very boisterous boys and 2 nutter dogs who play chase all day long. Nothing is safe in the back garden!

How about one of the smaller varieties of shrub rose?
David Austin gives a good selection that you can look at in your local garden centre
www.davidaustinroses.co.uk/specific-situations/pots-containers-small-shrub---2.5ft-3.0ft

This is an American site but the video is a very good guide for growing roses in pots

www.heirloomroses.com/info/care/how-to/rose-container-gardening/

I think a smaller shrub rose would be fine it that size pot as long as you keep it well fed.
I have a grape vine in a pot that size and although it is only in its second year it is doing well.

I think I'm going to go for roses and maybe a daphne. Hopefully get to the nursery tomorrow to see what they've got before my pots arrive next week. At least I've sone ideas what I want now.

Thank you all for your help - I'm now thinking of making a border bigger to fit some of the other plants in

I'm now thinking of making a border bigger to fit some of the other plants in

they're addictive. I'm craving more hard standing because I want more pots!

We're creating a new raised bed this weekend and I'm now hoping to make it bigger than planned to put some of these lovely plants in. It's supposed to be the same size as this one but I want more plants now

Osmanthus would work well. I have several big pots, and that one has been brilliant.

A late suggestion - oleander. Evergreen, hardy (bring it closer to the house for shelter if it is super cold) and flowers. Fine in a pot.

Is oleander hardy? I've only ever seen it in warmer climes.

I’ve had one in a pot for three years. It is on a step down to the garden so quite sheltered, but it has been fine through snow and frost. I do pull it in a bit closer to the house but it is never in a greenhouse or indoors. There is bid on not now.