Help with plants in pots

susananwms

I am not bothering to plant anything in garden this year as I do not know what is already there.  Things starting to grow all over so waiting to see what grows where and make a note of it.

I have a large patio so am concentrating on planting up pots but not sure where to plant what. I have long wooden planters, couple earthenware oblong pots, loads of different size pots ranging from about 10cm high to 50cm

So far I have masses of seeds planted for herbs, poppies and dahlias,  I have got 2 lots 'tubers' coming with 72 flowers in each (the second was ordered by mistake) one lot is perennial the other summer flowers.  I thought to plant the herbs in one of the long planters (except for mint) and for the rest I want brightly coloured flowers

Would welcome suggestions what would be easiest to grow in the smaller pots and what in bigger pots etc.  I will probably be buying geraniums and lobelia too as I have grown them before.  I know I have jumped the gun a bit in planting so many seeds and ordering all those tubers but I have loads of people I can pass on spare flowers to.  I just want to make sure that I have a colourful display of plants that are happy in pots

Butterfly66

It’s very easy to get carried away isn’t it, especially with all the beautifully photographed catalogues and websites - we’ve all done it...and still do 🙂

I would suggest that you make a list of what you have already got and then we can give suggestions as to what would look best grown together and in which pots etc. As a simple rule of thumb, annuals will be fine is smaller, shallower pots. Anything perennial (which may be some of your herbs and possibly the tubers) would be happy in your bigger/deeper pots.

”tubers” would suggest dahlias or maybe begonias and if you have 72 coming that’s a lot - even 36 would be. I’m not sure that you will have any need to buy anything else or room to plant anymore unless you are going to give a LOT of your tubers and seed grown plants away.

susananwms

Thanks for your reply Butterfly

I understand completely what you mean. I do tend to be a bit impatient and go a bit mad with stuff.  I will go through all that is coming then maybe ask more advice. 

It is 144 tubers that are coming all together, think I have gone  a bit overboard there, am learning from experience I suppose, guess a lot of people will be getting plants for their gardens this year 

K67

most tubers need to be grown on before they are planted out when the risk of frost has passed, usually late May so I hope you have a greenhouse or some method of protecting them!

susananwms

Hi K67 I wont be receiving them till May.  I do not have a greenhouse but have bought a plasticky type thing in which to put a lot of them outside and also sectioned off a big area in the kitchen where I have got temporary shelving for the rest

I have been looking at the list of flowers that I have ordered and have never heard of half of them.  I can remember seeing pictures when I ordered them and thought I recognised a lot of them but have no clue what half of them are now I have looked at the names, guess it will be a lot of trial and error

I will try and take couple of pics of pots to give more of an idea what Ive got (I may have to buy some more) and am going to google some of these flower names so I can see what they are...weird names Rudbeckia, Dianetics, Doronicum are just a few 

Buttercupdays

Rudbeckia are big yellow daisies with red or orange petal tips, that flower in summer. They can be annual or perennial

Doronicum are smaller, plain yellow daisies that flower in May/June'. They are perennial.

Dianetics is not a plant at all, it is a kind of mental healing favoured by Scientologists

susananwms

Thanks Buttercup, have looked at a few online, do not know where I got Dianetcs from??? Must have copied something down wrong 

K67

Could it be Dianthus?

susananwms

Think you are correct K67

valerieroberts

With so many pots you may have to consider what compost you are going to plant them in. Last year I accidentally bought some compost with water retaining granules added in there. It was more expensive. I must admit they were much easier to keep. They didn’t need watering as often as the ones that had ordinary compost in there. Also, I always use a compost with added John Innes in there as they don’t dry out to the point of not being able to re-wet.
i do a lot of container growing, and it’s sometimes harder to keep the plants healthy. 
Good luck,, Valerie 

Loxley

Personally I would dig a 'nursery bed' in the lawn for that lot, would save a lot of hassle!