Please help a beginner - potted flowers

[buzzzybeeee]

Hey!

My garden has no flowers! Would love to buy some nice pots this year and plant some flowers for the summer.

Please help me; where shall I start?! What equipment do I need and when should I plant?

Thanks.

The bigger the pot the better as they take less watering and you can plant a selection of plants, rather than just one. I like pots grouped in odd numbers e.g. one big one and two slightly smaller ones. Choose pots with straight sides ( not tapering in a the bottom or top). They are less likely to get blown over. If narrow at the top they are difficult to get plants out again.
To fill the pots I would use a 50:50 mix of bagged top soil and multi- purpose compost. I use Sylvagrow. Worth adding in some controlled release fertiliser at the same time. Osmocote is a widely available brand.
Plants. Where are the pots going? Is it sunny or shady? Windy or sheltered? Do you want bedding plants which you change in the Summer and Autumn or something more long term? What colours do you like?

If youre new to gardening I would always go with perennials. You then have something that comes back every year rather than something which has to be bought/sown each year