With frosts behind us (I hope) it is time to plant out tender bedding plants and plant up pots on the patio.
If these pots were filled with flowers for spring, these plants need to be removed. Daffodils should be dying down and tulips can be carefully lifted, taking care not to break the stems off the bulbs and then they can be laid out to dry off and then cleaned to store the bulbs. Spring flowers such as violas and forget-me-nots can be pulled up and composted.
If the compost was put in fresh last autumn then it can be reinvigorated by adding some controlled-release fertiliser. Multipurpose composts deteriorate over time but should remain usable for two years. You can then top up with fresh compost. If you add (about a quarter by volume) of John Innes compost, it will make the compost usable for longer. Otherwise, after two or more years, tip out the old compost onto the flower bed or use it to improve your soil in raised beds and for planting. When planting shrubs and any plant that will remain in the pot for a year or more, use John Innes No 3 compost. But back to our summer pots…
The range of plants is huge. If your pot is in shade then then range of flowering plants is rather smaller and the best are begonias, of all kinds, and fuchsias along with impatiens. Colourful foliage is suitable for shade although silver and grey foliage and purple leaves do better in sun. If the pot is in sun then you can choose from nemesias, cannas, petunias and all the traditional favourites.
A good way to plan large pots is with the ‘thriller, filler and spiller’ formula. Pick one thriller to go in the centre or at the back. These are large, focal plants and include standard fuchsias, cannas, bananas and sunflowers. Around this goes the basic planting of lower ‘fillers’ and then ‘spillers’ are trailing plants that will cascade over the edge.
When your compost is in the pot, space the plants on the surface to check the arrangement. Make sure all the plants are well watered before you start. Then put in the large plants first, then the smaller ones and the plants around the edge last. Then give the whole pot a thorough watering.
Watering is going to be your main concern through summer and the pot must not dry out. If you did not add fertiliser to the compost you will have to feed the plants through summer. Any liquid fertiliser will be perfect and tomato fertiliser, which encourages flowering, is the ‘go to’ choice for most people. You will need to feed once a week all summer.
Weekly reminders
Stake herbaceous perennials like peonies and lupins before they bloom
Pinch out the tips of late-flowering perennials like phlox and perennial sunflowers to encourage branching. This is called the ‘Chelsea chop’ because of the timing.
Sow wallflowers and other biennials to bloom next spring
Sow more French beans, carrots and beet for late summer crops