Planting up Pots for Summer Colour - Shrubs

Erysimum Bowles Mauve

​The perennial Wallflower – Erysimum is a fab plant for colour and it flowers for such a long time with no need for tricky deadheading.  E. ‘Bowles Mauve’ is rightly a firm favourite amongst gardeners with its bright mauve flower spikes and glaucous evergreen foliage. One trim after it has finished flowering and that’s it.  Erysimum come in lots of colours so there’s yellow, orange, deep red and pinky-apricot versions to try too.
Lavender is a must for any garden and it survives very well in pots.  Many gardeners struggle to grow it in our region due to our heavy soil, but in a pot with free-draining compost it will thrive (use John Innes no.2 available from garden centres/nurseries).  Good varieties for pots include ‘Munstead’ and ‘Hidcote’ which are both traditional English varieties, or you could try French lavender varieties with their flirtatious butterfly tops.  
Phormiums are back in fashion and rightly so with their striking foliage and grand stature. Used on their own in a pot or surrounded by smaller grasses they will provide colour all year round. Or combine them with bold annuals like begonias for a tropical look. ​​

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Author: Bel Grierson of Bel Grierson Garden Design Limited

Expert Plantswoman,  Garden and Planting Designer with 21+ years experience in horticulture.  Bel loves to share her knowledge and enthusiasm with those with gardens large and small.​

Bel Grierson offers Garden and Planting Design in Loughborough, Leicestershire and beyond. Bel is an experienced Garden and Planting Designer and Plantswoman with 21+ years experience in the industry. A fully qualified horticulturalist and designer, Bel’s expertise enables her to design, create, rejuvenate and manage beautiful gardens for clients, listening to their needs and desires for the space. Bel offers a flexible service tailored to suit each project and the client requirements. Services offered by Bel Grierson Garden Design include: 2D Garden Design Plans, 3D Garden Design Visuals, Scope of works for landscapers, Setting Out Plans for landscapers, Planting Plans, Maintenance Schedules, Plant sourcing, Planting services.

Bel Grierson Garden Design Ltd is based in the East Midlands and offers services to clients in Loughborough, Ashby de la Zouch, Leicester and across ​Leicestershire, South Derbyshire & South Nottinghamshire.