This is very long, thanks to anyone who takes the time to read it and give me some advice.
I've got a North facing walled patio, half of it is full sun and the rest part shaded.
So many questions lol!
Apart from an ivy, everything else I've bought and planted.
In the full sun side I've got a honeysuckle in a large pot that only flowers every other year, with only a handful of flowers. I cut it back as much as possible three years ago, sort of kill or cure, it's now got plenty of leaf, and a few buds. I found an old photo of it the first year I'd planted and it was absolutely covered in flowers, how can I encourage it to flower more?
Also a clematis which has grown tall and spindly, and produces 3/4 beautiful flowers every year, how can I encourage it to be fuller? Should I put it in a shadier area?
A star Jasmine, flowers every year but all the leaves are red.
Two hot lips fuchsias, which flower well but are a bit woody.
I've tried very unsuccessfully to have hanging baskets, I love fuchsias but they all turn very woody and then die.
How do you water them? IE I pot up with small stones in the bottom, bagged compost, then the plugs. And when I water them it drains out of the bottom.
My DP said to line the pot with plastic bag, but then they drowned in the rain.
My pansies and violas survive my awful management, even got them popping up through the cracks in the patio, despite the disinfectant I slosh about (it's where the dogs toilet).
I'd love some ideas of low maintenance plants for both sides, I've a preference for blues, whites and purples. Love lobelia, but it never regrows in the 2nd year.
I'd like to plant some bulbs, but don't know what other plants would survive in the same pot.
I love mallows, is there a variety that would grow in a pot?
Do I need a greenhouse to over winter my pots?
My garden has some beautiful plants which survive with no interference, a huge honeysuckle, roses, camellias, mallow.