June 2023 newsletter - planting up some pots for summer colour
Many of us spend more time in our gardens in summer, so it’s the perfect season to create a show-stopping display of flowers and foliage for the whole family to enjoy. Planting up summer containers and hanging baskets is a brilliant way to perk up a patio or front door, and it’s also ideal if you’ve got a small outdoor space or not much time to keep on top of the garden.
I have to say after a year of being at Meynells pet shop and garden centre helping to display all the wonderful plants that come in – I finally took the plunge and planted up some containers to brighten up my own garden ! I was amazed how many I could fill with such a variety of colour with no experience at all - just by buying a mixture of packs and individual pots of bedding plants – adding in a few larger geraniums and small conifer trees – hopefully the pictures show you the results! There are some great multi pack deals at Meynells and we are always happy to provide you with a tray or two to carry things home with – or things can be delivered to your home address. Don’t forget also we have plenty of compost to fill containers or hanging baskets
The focus of a summer planter is usually flowering plants. Here is a top ten of flowers to plant in summer are ideal for pots and hanging baskets and are available now at Meynells along with many other varieties too many to list!
1.Geraniums (also known as pelargoniums) are much-loved summer flowers for outdoor pots, and for good reason. They provide a big dose of colour, they have attractive leaves, and they’re long-flowering.
2.Petunias are hugely popular plants for summer pots, because they’re easy to grow and flower for months. They’re available in a wide range of colours, plus some really lovely double and patterned varieties.
3. Fuchsias are another firm favourite for summer container plants, they have stunning blooms that nod gently and create movement in a pot. You can choose from standard or trailing varieties.
4.Impatiens (or busy lizzies) are compact plants, so they work well in smaller pots and summer hanging baskets. Choose from bright pinks, purples and reds, or go for more subtle pastel tones and white varieties.
5.Begonias are usually grown for their flowers, but they also have nice bronzed foliage, so they really earn their space in a container. Remove old flowers regularly to keep them blooming.
6.Cosmos will grow quite big if you let it, but if you cut it back early on it will become more bushy and compact. It’s a very prolific flowerer, and as an added bonus it’s a simple way to make your garden wildlife friendly
7.Marigold is another good choice if you’d like a bright splash of colour and scent . It is also good for attracting beneficial insects to the garden that will help manage negative bugs
8.If you like daisy-style flowers, osteospermum (or African daisies) are a great option. They produce lots of flowers, and if you keep deadheading you can look forward to months of colour.
9.Verbena is a good bedding plant for summer pots, it produces clusters of tiny flowers on frondy foliage. A white variety is useful for cool colour schemes, while bolder colours allow you to turn up the volume on a pot display.
10. Lobelia is one of the best flowering plants for pots. The dainty blue, purple or white flowers are handy for bulking up a pot, and look gorgeous. Trailing varieties work particularly well in hanging pots.
Meynells has all these varieties in stock in many different colours – in trailing and compact types plus also many other varieties of bedding plants
Foliage plants are an essential part of any container display. They can be used to fill gaps and add height, texture, colour and contrast. Good examples are heucheras, cineraria, lysimachus and ivy
Tips for looking after your containers and baskets:
To keep your containers and hanging baskets looking good throughout summer, follow these simple tips.
- Use good quality compost in your pots and hanging baskets
- Water your containers regularly. Check them every couple of days (or daily if the weather is really warm) and water if the surface of the soil feels dry.
- Feed your plants with general purpose plant food (the packaging will tell you how much and how often).
- Use secatuers to remove dead flowers and seed heads regularly (this is called deadheading). Doing this encourages the plants to produce more flowers.
Did you know that at our Richmond store you are welcome to come down the yard by the side of the shop ? You will find even more plants down there plus there are 2 trolleys of discounted plants which just need a bit of TLC and will happily look their best once planted somewhere! There is also a container of free empty pots which you are welcome to help yourself to
Coming Up
There will be a fresh delivery of the beautiful clematis and wisteria that have been selling like hot cakes!
The large perennials are also just starting – lupins , foxgloves , salvia to mention just a few – a great way to bring instant colour and fill large areas of the garden with well established and locally grown plants
We also still have a few vegetable plants – plus we still have seed potatoes – with a bit of a late start for most – there is still time to plant up the vegetable garden