Growing plants in containers is a great way to add colour to your garden. They are amazing for small areas such as a balcony, small garden or driveway.

If you don’t want to plant flowers you can grow herbs which are a fantastic fresh ingredient for cooking.

Planting your containers in the correct way will help your plants thrive. This means you won’t need to keep replacing your plants as often.

Read our step by step guide below:

• Select the plants you wish to use – they can be a mix of seasonal bedding and perennials.  Pick a colour scheme. The flowers could all follow the same colour tones for example pinks, blues and purples create a calming feel or go as bright and cheerful as you like for a big impact. For more help on picking your plants take a look at our How to? Create a summer basket guide, the same guidelines apply to containers too.

• Choose a container of a suitable size and style. We recommend using a slightly bigger container as they hold more soil that stays moist longer, meaning you can water less often.

• Ensure there is adequate drainage in the base. Top tip: If you think compost might be washed out of the container, place drainage material over the hole(s). Use stones or broken terracotta (only use a small amount).

• Fill to about three quarters with a good quality potting compost and mix in a slow-release fertiliser. You could try using peat-free compost – read our ‘How to’ guide to get the best results.

• Place your plants into the container and then fill the gaps with more compost. Water once and let it settle before topping up once more. Top tip: Make sure the top of the rootball is level with the surface of your compost.

• Keep the compost moist and dead-head the old flowers when necessary. Top tip: Feed your plants regularly after planting or use a slow-release fertiliser. 

When to plant your containers:

• Perennials – plant in early spring as they will establish quickly.
• Summer flowering – plant in May (after the threat of frost).
• Plants for winter interest and spring bulbs – plant in late summer or early autumn.

Why not use our PLANT FINDER to help you decide?!