Spring Containers

The quickest way to introduce early colour and inspiration to your garden this spring is to plant a spring container. It’s an achievable project for an afternoon, it won’t break the bank and it will last for years.

If you didn’t buy and plant spring flowering bulbs in the autumn, don’t despair, you needn’t miss out. A quick visit to the local garden centre will reveal a wide range of potted bulbs for sale. Choose some that inspire you and buy three or four foliage plants that complement the colour scheme, go for harmonious colours, or striking contrast for great effect.  However don’t forget to buy your Unwins bulb next autumn. Make a note in your diary to buy spring flowering bulbs this coming autumn, plant some into your containers for an ongoing and fantastic display in spring. Unwins has a huge range of fabulous bulbs for spring and summer flowering.

	Step 1  Use a container with adequate drainage holes. Place a generous layer of grit into the base of the container to ensure good drainage. Fill the container with West+ Advanced Compost for all plants.
	Step 2  Choose some evergreen foliage plants such as the blue grass Festuca glauca, Euonymous ‘Emerald Gaiety’ and Heuchera ‘Plum Pudding’. Select some spring flowering bulbs that complement the evergreen plants. We’ve chosen Narcissus Tete a Tete for a crisp contrasting colour scheme. Position taller plants towards the back of the container and plant the others in between, filling in with West+ Advanced compost for all plants. Firm the compost down to leave space between the top of the compost and the rim of the container: this makes watering easier. Position the container somewhere you can see it, for example near the kitchen window.
	Step 3  Continue to feed your containerised plants throughout the growing season with a quality plant fertiliser such as Feed-all Slow Release Granular. Choose the slow release formulation for quick, efficient and hassle free results. As the season progresses and the bulb flowers die back, cut off the whole flowering stem. Let the leaves grow and develop and keep feeding the container plant with a soluble plant food such as Feed-all Soluble. This will allow the leaves to bulk up the bulbs for next spring’s display. Alternatively you can dig up the bulbs and plant them into the borders and simply replace them with summer flowering plants.

If you want the container for the summer then simply look out for a host of fabulous Dahlia varieties from Unwins that can be planted into the container when the risk of frost has passed.   For containers we recommend you look out varieties that say either Patio dahlias or Dwarf Dahlias, all will be suitable for containers. 

Our tips are…for fabulous colour why not try Red Riding Hood a classic red dahlia which will keep colour for the whole summer.  If fragrance is your passion, then plant up Gallery Art Deco, which has a stunning deep orange colour.