Plant ideas please

[cleo333]

I’m looking for a pretty plant which I can see out of my window but not one with huge roots as it’s near the window( four foot away approx) . That’s the only real view I have , so would like it to be pretty and quite wide . It could also be in a big pot or the ground ( if not big roots ) ??

You are not going to get a shrub that big without big roots. I think I would plant out some tulips / daffodils with forget me not in the autumn for spring colour and then when they died back put in some anttirhinums, dahlias and/or wallflowers so you have lovely colour summer / autumn to look out on.

Loads of things do well in big pots including trees.
I have a weeping crab apple in a pot which might work. It has the most amazing blossom in late March which become tiny fruit in August through to Autumn. It loses its cascading leaves in winter but you still have the long draping branches as interest.

Maybe something tropical looking like a hardy Yucca? Keep their leaves all year. They often get put near houses so guessing roots stay compact. They can get tall though.

What is the aspect (sun or shade?). If it is not too sunny and you have a decent budget I would put a japanese maple, they have very small roots and some of them can be very wide. They will be happy in pots in the long term.

If you have space for more than one pot I would also consider a gardenia. Evergreen, big white flowers and the best scent you can possibly imagine. Make sure you get one that is hardy where you are.

Any chance of a photo of the space?