As bulbs fade and herbaceous borders grow in leaps and bounds, it is now clear that summer is approaching.

Sowing and planting out bedding can begin, depending on when the last frost is in your area, and you can take softwood cuttings. It’s also time to let the lawn grow long and get a buzz from seeing all the insects that arrive to feed on the flowers.

Containers: summer selection

You can create glorious pot displays throughout the summer months by planting up containers with summer bedding or even hardy perennials. A colourful container can be used for lighting up a patio, deck, balcony or even a dull spot in a border.

Introduction

For successful summer displays, choose plants that flower over a long period of time, respond well to deadheading and are tolerant of container cultivation. A wide range of suitable plants should be available in most garden centres from late March onwards. However, don’t plant them out until the risk of frost has passed in your area.

Practical considerations

When planting up summer containers, remember:

• The mainstay of summer containers are tender perennials, often referred to as ‘patio plants’. Those such as fuchsia can overwintered in the greenhouse as plants or rooted cuttings or bought fresh each year.
• Annual bedding plants are also good candidates and include nasturtium and pot marigold.
• It is possible to use hardy perennial plants, such as lavender, which can eventually be planted out in the garden.
• Choose a focal plant such as a structural shrub or annual climber grown on a small tripod for the centre of the scheme.
• Surround the focal plant with a mix of upright bedding plants and some that trail over the side of the container. Plant at least three of each.
• Link the scheme together by repeating some of the same plants in each container and consider restricting the colour scheme.
• Combine plants that have similar requirements; most summer bedding plants do best in full sun but some, such as begonias and tobacco plants, will tolerate light shade.
• Where daily watering is impossible, consider drought-resistant plants.

(Original RHS article: https://www.rhs.org.uk/container-gardening/summer-selection)