Pots and planters are a perfect way to quickly add a splash of colour to any garden. With no digging or weeding required, they’re the perfect choice for any beginner gardener or someone looking for a low maintenance display. Let’s take a look at our favourite flowers for summer pots!
Why are pots a good addition to your garden?
Pots and containers require little maintenance in order for them to look good, but you do need to make the right decisions initially.
Bigger pots are not only better for a more dramatic display, but they also dry out less quickly than smaller pots. Drought is a pot’s biggest enemy, so a container with a minimum diameter of 40cm is ideal.
It’s also important to buy compost specially formulated for containers, which include specially formulated ingredients to hold onto water. It’s important to choose peat-free compost, as it’s better for the environment.
Now we know the basics, let’s take a look at our five favourite flowers to plant in summer pots!
Begonia
Begonias come in a vast variety of colours and colour combinations (apart from blue!) They also come in different shapes including bushy types for the middle of the pots, and trailing types to hang over the edge of the pot or basket.
Some have big, fluffy flowers where the size makes an impact, whereas others have smaller, simpler flowers that grow in abundance.
All types of begonias are pretty hardy and do well in both sun and shade. Only when overhung by tree branches do they start to wither.
French Marigolds
The colour range of french marigolds is pretty limited, only offering sunny orange, yellow and gold shades. But they definitely pack a colourful punch! African marigolds have fewer but bigger pom-pom style flowers for a centrepiece to any pot arrangement.
French marigolds don’t normally grow more than 30cm, so they can easily be planted around the edge of pots with trailing plants set in between. To really help marigolds flower for months, snip the fading flowers off with a sharp pair of kitchen scissors.
Geranium
Give geraniums some sun and they’ll bloom all summer – even if they get dry. Thick stalks carry big heads of vibrant red, pink, white and sometimes bi-coloured flowers about rounded leaves, which are often boldly marked with maroon streaks.
Geraniums are so colourful that they really stand out at any garden centre, meaning they’re a staple of British summer gardens. You can either mix the same plant of different colours in one pot or use them mixed with other colours to create a mixed focal point. They grow to 35-50cm tall.
Petunia
Petunias provide the biggest range of colours compared to other summer flowers. From reds and pinks, through to sunny yellows, oranges, purples and even black.
Their flared flowers come on plants that are trailing, to hang over the edge of pots or baskets; or their bushy flowers are perfect for filling in between upright plants in the centre.
Petunias hate it when their roots are dry, so make sure to water them regularly. When the flowers flop over and die, it’s time to snip them off with the kitchen scissors.
Fuchsia
Fuchsia are easy to recognise with their teardrop-like appearance. Coming in combinations of purple, red, pink, lavender and white, these are a great colourful addition to any pot display. All types of fuchsia will bloom through the summer until the frost sets in, and most drop their dying flowers for you – so you don’t have to snip them off!
Are you ready to plant your summer pots?
There is so much choice when it comes to planting flowers in your pots for summer, and it’s definitely not limited to the five we’ve mentioned above! If you’d like some help deciding which flowers will thrive in your garden, our team is more than happy to help. We also offer a comprehensive range of garden maintenance services, from grass cutting and hedge trimming to fencing and paving. Please do get in touch by calling 07393 821797 or email us at [email protected].
