Suggestions please

Guernsey Donkey2

We have a couple of Tall urns outside our front gate - so exposed to all weathers and passing traffic. I would like to use all year round robust plants that look good and attract bees, butterflies etc. What would you recommend?

Lizzie27

That's quite a difficult one but how about Erigeron karvianskius (probably not spelt right but you probably know the plant I mean!) It's more or less evergreen here and I guess it's warmer in Guernsey overall. It has masses of flowers all summer - in fact mine are still in flower now - just and would trail quite prettily down the urns. 

Lyn

Trailing Rosemary is pretty. 

Dovefromabove

I really like a large urn overflowing with sempervivums and sedums 

Guernsey Donkey2

I have just found this picture taken a couple of years ago, when the urns (2 of them) looked at their best, in fact I think they look lovely and so did our family and neighbours, although they didn't attract any passing bees or other insects on the wing. The evergreen shrub whose name escapes me blends well here, and although I have pruned it many times it is now very woody. Thanks for suggestions so far.

Dovefromabove

Goodness me that looks gorgeous 😊 

Lizzie27

I'm so envious, I very rarely get my pots looking so good as yours!

Guernsey Donkey2

Thank you.  You are right it does look lovely, this picture was taken 2 or 3 years ago, when the shrub did look good, now it is woody, the pelogoniums are struggling too even though the plants are fed and watered at least once a week.  The shrub is far too woody so perhaps I need to prune it right down to a few inches so it can rejuvenate again. Although I would like to start again with sometime to attract wildlife.

Fire

Pellies are no good for wildlife, but yours do look great.

Guernsey Donkey2

Thanks Fire, they were at their best that first year, as were the other plants.  Now the urns are a jumble of stems, I will have to tackle them soon, once all the pellies have finished flowering. No wildlife is attracted to the urns, at least there are two May trees growing just inside the gate which attract wildlife - I guess I can't have everything.

Inglezinho

Wow. What a great idea! The biggest problem growing anything near a road is exhaust smut. It is not good for any plant I know! The best solution is spray the plants with a light detergent solution, this breaks down the oil - Fairy Liquid is OK - and then half an hour later hose it off. Good luck. It's also good for greenfly!