Top Planting Tip

Jobs for January

It may be wet and cold outside, but
there are still jobs to be done in
preparation for spring in the
garden. A little planning and
thinking time now will pay
dividends and help you make
the most of your Big Planter.

More

Planting (some ideas)!

Big Planters give you big space. The choice of how you fill the space is all yours! But it may be worth considering the depth of big planter (they can be either 425mm deep or 625mm - if you choose the 425mm this may not suit more deep rooted shrubs and trees). The height of the 625mm planters is an advantage for those of us who prefer to avoid too much bending whilst planting or harvesting.

Here are a few guidelines to perhaps consider;

Vegetables

• 625mm deep planters - ideal for root vegetables such as potatoes, carrots and parsnips
• 425mm deep planters - ideal for salad crops like lettuce, radish and tomatoes as well as herbs

Flowers

• 625mm deep planters - ideal for tress, shrubs and bulbs
• 425mm deep planters - ideal for colourful summer bedding and winter colour like pansies

Big Planters - what's the big idea?

November 2009

We are delighted with the Big Planter which was recently installed on our allotment. So we decided to make the most of it by filling it with some winter plants to cheer us up when we visit the plot in the depths of the winter!

By their very nature, most winter vegetables are quite slow growing, so we have unfortunately "missed the productive boat" for this winter. However, we will try to be more organised (!) next year and sow some hardy salad leaves, kales and other crops ready to plant out in our Big Planter in late September/early October.

As you will see from the photos, we chose plants that are mostly "evergreen" for this floral display to provide a continuous show throughout the winter months. After putting a good layer of drainage material in the bottom of the planter, we filled it with good quality multi-purpose compost.

We started planting by placing the large stripy Phormium towards the back of the planter. This provides a welcome central focal point for the planting and a lovely sense of movement. Although this was quite an expensive specimen plant, if we look after it, we will be able to use it throughout the year in various different schemes. We divided (split) an established pot of Bergenia to provide several small plants for foliage interest for the planter. They will hopefully root well and we will gain lots of new plants for future use. We put several ivy plants at the front of the planter - they will hopefully grow well and soften the front edge of the planting. The pansies and primulas (primroses) planted in the foreground are already providing a lovely splash of colour and will continue to flower throughout the winter. We also buried some small daffodils underneath the plants which will appear in the spring. Finally, the whole lot was lightly mulched (see "how to set up your Big Planter") with a layer of leaf mould.

The planting does look a bit sparse at the moment, but it is a good idea to allow room for the plants to spread and establish themselves.

Maintenance
This scheme should be very easy to look after. We will remove any faded pansy and primula flowers to encourage the plants to continue flowering for much longer. We will also remove any dead leaves on the foliage plants. During milder dry spells, we will ensure that the planter is kept well watered but not soggy, and avoid watering if frost is forecast. Finally, we will look out for any slugs and snails that may take up residence in our Planter.

The plants we used were:-
1 x Phormium tenax "Yellowwave"
1 x Bergenia "Winter Fairy Trails" (split to provide several plants)
3 x Ivy
6 x Winter Pansy
6 x Primula "Crescendo" mixed colours
15 x Daffodil (narcissus)

 

Other tips

• Plant your veg now!
• Jobs for January
• Where to put your Big Planter
• Thinking Planters (Now!)