The beauty of container planting is that similarly to a planting scheme, containers create a collection of spaces where you can really let your creativity run wild!
Whether you are looking to awaken a previously empty space with a splash of colour or to add texture to an area that currently feels a little two-dimensional, then containers are a super solution to undertake. Available in all types of shapes and sizes, containers can be slotted into a variety of spaces. Terracotta planters are an especially great container choice, as terracotta pots are rather porous therefore they help your plants to breathe much better than pots made from other materials (plus they also look fabulous!).
Inspired by the palette seen at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show and including some of our very favourite container showstoppers, these are our top 7 container plants for summer 2023!
1. Dahlia
With varieties available in a huge range of colours, Dahlia’s are a striking garden addition that make a bold feature due to their flamboyant structure and vivid flower heads. Flowering all through summer until the autumn, Dahlia’s are a wonderful container plant as their beauty can be enhanced wonderfully by a number of other textured plants, such as ornamental grasses. Producing a joyous palette of colour, these blooms can even be gently snipped and dotted throughout your home, boosting your interiors with a floral pop of summer colour.
2. Salvia
Salvia is a charming plant that we can’t wait to see flowering gorgeously as it does every year over the next six months. Known as ‘ornamental sage’, Salvia is an essential summertime plant that tempts waves of pollinators and butterflies to drift into the garden. Boasting clusters of fragrant foliage, Salvia grows extremely well when potted, whilst it unknowingly frames an elegant garden scene. A tall and striking plant, a personal variety favourite of our Head Gardener’s is Salvia ‘Amistad’, which flowers all the way into October!
3. Geraniums
Radiating an exotic aesthetic, Geraniums are known for being super bedding blooms for summer focused containers. A plant that is easily grown and is sustainable to look after, Geraniums are best complimented by a terracotta planter. From the diminutive variety of ‘Bill Wallis’ to the large open flowers of ‘Rozanne’, Geraniums are a large species that have so many varieties for you to choose from.
4. Asters
Another long-lasting bloom that is just coming into season, Asters are a summertime bloom to be applauded, boasting a tremendous flowering time. Originating from the daisy family, Asters flourish sweet blooms that both worship and thrive in full sun. A colourful plant that is full of personality, as well as looking fantastic, these blooms are also exceptionally beneficial to pollinators.
5. Agapanthus
Displaying regal flower heads that sit proudly on top of a collection of tall stems, Agapanthus is a focal point flower that automatically guides your eye to a container. With colour schemes ranging from blue and purples to white, this plant loves being placed in the sun, living up to it’s grand name and nature.
6. Lavender
A rich and reliable shrub, Lavender is the perfect summertime container choice. A long-standing favourite of ours, lavender brings a fragrant and loveable nature to a variety of our planting schemes. Smelling delightful and partial to a sunny spot, it is a compact shrub that is both very easy to grow and can awaken a number of areas when potted in a collection of authentic planters. A versatile addition, not to be overlooked!
7. Pelargoniums
And last but not least we admire the pretty blooms of Pelargoniums. Translating a Mediterranean aura throughout the garden, Pelargoniums produce bright and dainty blooms, that are supported by a backdrop of strongly scented foliage. A lover of the sun, these blooms thrive in sunny spaces and can be enjoyed all summer long. A bloom that we also saw popping up frequently at The Chelsea Flower Show this year!
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