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In theory, you can grow any plant in a pot. You can even grow an oak tree, if you are willing to go to the effort to bonsai it. But if you are looking to keep things simple, it is better to choose plants that don't mind the container life.
Other plants are simply too vigorous for growing in containers. The roots use up all the moisture too quickly, use up all the nutrients in the compost too quickly, and they fill up all available room too quickly. We recently dug out the planting from our Deer-Proof Garden. The Nepeta (catmints) and Monardas (bee balm/bergamot) all came out of 2 litre pots in March. Although they had grown considerably on top, the Nepetas' rootballs had barely changed in this period, showing why they are well suited to container growing. On the other hand, the Monardas had formed massive rootballs in just these few months, showing why they always look fed-up when in pots: they want room, lots of room!
The right-sized pot will make a huge difference. The ideal is to put it into something about two to three times the size you buy it in (by volume not diameter), and move up again if necessary after six months or a year (this could be a case of planting into a cheap plastic pot that is sunken into the nice glazed pot you want it to end up in if you don't want to keep paying out for proper pots). Cram the plant into something too small and the roots will stunt the growth, the nutrients will run out quickly and you'll be constantly watering. Go too big and the plant could struggle to access the nutrients and water it needs. You could also end up with a lot of soggy compost that will then rot the roots. The compost is all important. Use good quality; if it's a big container make sure it has some roughage to the structure to stop it going claggy. We don't sell it, but we use long-release fertiliser in virtually everything we grow at Katie's Garden (with the exception of seedlings and spring bulbs) and this makes a world of difference. Wondered why our plants look so much healthier than at some other places? A lot of it is down to the compost and fertiliser. So what exactly is good in a pot?? Click here for our Plants for Pots list for some of our top recommendations. You can also pick these lists up by the till at the nursery. And if you would like to have a go at mixed pots with summer annuals, you can watch our video tutorial here.
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 July is a busy month for the secateur! Lots of early-flowering perennials will have run out of steam, but this doesn't mean they're dying and it doesn't necessarily mean they are done for the year either. Although it can be worth leaving seedheads for the birds in winter, they usually have plenty else to eat at this time of year so you are better off having a tidy-up (unless you are particularly hoping for some free plants - but note some have a much better germination rate than others). Knowing what to do with your plants is infinitely easier if you know what they are, because then you can look it up. It feels very keen, but keep your plants labelled! Failing that, go back in time to see what happened to them in winter. Did they die back to virtually nothing, did they leave a woody framework, or did they just about hang in there with some slightly sad looking leaves? When it comes to perennial pruning, nature is very helpful as your guide, as you will want to mimic this. Why cut back in summer? It's not just about prettying up your borders. Flowers are all about reproduction. Every perennial's New Year resolution is to make flowers, attract pollinating insects to them to do their magic, form seed, make plant babies and then they can die down for the rest of the year. If you cut off the old flowers before they have a chance to set seed, many plants will have another crack at the whole cycle, meaning you get to enjoy a second flush of flowers (and so do the pollinators too).  As a broad rule of thumb, if it's evergreen it's a case of taking out the old flower stems and just removing grotty growth. This includes Euphorbias (wear gloves to avoid getting the sap on your skin), Dianthus (aka garden pinks), Helianthemums (aka rock rose), Geum, Heucheras, Hellebores, Bergenias, Sisyrinchium and Penstemon. Although evergreen, Brunneras and Pulmonarias look better for having everything cut off to a couple of inches.  If it's woody (it's probably technically a shrub) like a Salvia Hot Lips or Perovskia, cut back by half, and trim out any clutter and wonky bits while you're there. Most others will do best cut back to just a couple of inches. Why not just cut off the faded flowers? Because the leaves are usually getting pretty tired and cutting will give you lots of fresh verdant regrowth to enjoy. Plants to get the 'Wimbledon Tournament Trim' (ahem) include, deep breath: Alchemilla, Agastache, Aquilegia (columbine/Granny’s bonnet), Centranthus (valerian), Delphinium, Gallardia, Geranium, Gypsophilia, Lupin, Lychnis, Oenothera (evening primrose), Salvia nemorosa types, Verbascum, Dicentra (bleeding heart), Digitalis (foxglove), Hosta, Lamium, Polemonium (Jacob’s ladder), Alcea (hollyhock), Astrantia, Campanula (bellflower), Centaurea (cornflower), Coreopsis, Knautia, Leucanthemum (Chrysanthemum family), Linaria, Lobelia, Lysimachia, Lythrum, Monarda (bergamot), Nepeta (catmint), Papaver (poppy), Persicaria, Phlox, Potentilla, Physostegia, Sanguisorba, Scabiosa, Stachys, Symphyandra, Tanacetum (tansy), Teucrium, Thalictrum, Tradescantia, Trifolium (clover), Veronica.  With Erysimums (shrubby wallflowers) it depends on whether they are evergreen or not. Most get cut hard but you definitely shouldn't do that to Bowles Mauve. With all perennial pruning, when to cut comes down to personal judgement. If you have the time, remove spent flowers individually, but with plants with numerous small flowers such as Geraniums or Nepetas it is easier to decide the balance between nice and tatty has been tipped and it's time to get the secateurs out. Keep in mind the sooner you do it, the sooner you get the regrowth!   |
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Tips by Catherine McMillan, author of Gardening for the Uncommitted. Archives
April 2025
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