Your container style
When it comes to growing in pots, there really is something for everyone - Adam explains all...
Flexible framework
Containers aren't just for a short-term fix and, provided that the growing medium and maintenance is correct, trees, shrubs and topiary can be quite happy in pots for years.
I tend to use potted plants of this kind to provide moveable structure and focal points, particularly in the winter, and they're great for bringing evergreen interest. When choosing these plants, I also try to create a diversity of shapes and forms. Don't be afraid to consider small trees - these can be fantastic in containers, and I have used them on the edge of a terrace to help provide privacy and to break up a space.
A taste of the tropics
If you want drama, tropical-looking plants are the way to go. A lot of these plants are not fully hardy, so will need winter protection, but that doesn't mean they're not worth the work. Many provide their wow factor with big, bold foliage. They're hungry and thirsty plants, but the display that they create in a growing season can't be beaten.
Or if this kind of maintenance isn't for you, why not give succulents a try? Once potted, they are happy to do their thing on near-neglect.
I tend to use all these plants in single specimen pots, then create small collections as focal points around the garden.
From the pot to the plate
This is where I have most fun with pots chopping, changing and experimenting with the edibles that I grow. Most can be grown in pots - you just have to position them in the right place, feed them and keep on top of the watering.
Esta historia es de la edición May 2023 de BBC Gardeners World.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición May 2023 de BBC Gardeners World.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar
A new plot for tasty crops
Taking on a new allotment needn't be hard work. By simply following a few easy tips you can have bumper crops in no time, just like Alessandro Vitale
We love July
July is an island floating between the joy of June and the slightly fatigued month of August. It's a grown-up month: the year has shrugged off its adolescent exuberances, the weather is (hopefully) warm enough for ice cream to be one of your five a day, the sea should be swimmable without (too much) danger of hypothermia and thoughts will be of holiday shenanigans and family barbecues. School's out this month, the next tranche of glorious summer colour is washing across our borders and it's my birthday. Lots of reasons to give three rousing cheers for July!
YOUR PRUNING MONTH
Now, at the height of summer, Frances Tophill shows how to boost your plants' health and productivity with a timely cut
Hassle-free harvests
Flowers are out in abundance this month and for Jack Wallington, many of these blooms make delicious, low-effort pickings
Bite-sized bounties
Glorious doorstep harvests can easily turn into gluts, so let Rukmini Iyer's recipes help you savour every last bit
Upcycled outdoor living
Create unique and stylish garden features for minimal cost using reclaimed materials and simple DIY skills. Helen Riches shares four step-by-step projects and more inspiring eco tips
Secrets of a COLOURFUL GARDEN
Buildings and landscapes can play a vital role in supercharging your space, as Nick Bailey demonstrates
Greening up a city balcony
Looking for sustainable, small-space gardening ideas? Take inspiration from Oliver Hymans' transformed balcony garden in north-east London - now a lush, green haven for humans and wildlife
The dry and mighty garden
As we adapt our gardens to a more volatile climate, Alan Titchmarsh reveals how to create a drought-tolerant plot and picks his top plant performers
Nature knows best
Carol Klein explains how to choose plants for specific growing conditions, based on what has naturally adapted to thrive there