BEST FOR POLLINATORS
I have a small town garden and from the outset I have loved displaying containers on my patio to celebrate seasonal planting and experiment with new ideas. These 'mini borders' can be tailored to suit any position or soil type... you get to make the rules!
Choosing the right container for your garden style is important. Terracotta pots like this one sit well in cottage gardens and those with a Mediterranean feel. Look out for old gems at reclamation yards or car boot fairs. With your container chosen, it's time to get creative with planting.
Both Vitex agnus-castus and Verbena rigida are bee and butterfly magnets, and are long-flowering, from summer into autumn. From a design perspective, I've added a red fountain grass (Pennisetum advena 'Rubrum'), whose delicate dark leaves contrast perfectly with the purple and white flowers. All these plants are perennial, so at the end of the season I simply pop them in the border and start again.
How to plant up your pot
YOU WILL NEED:
Chaste tree (Vitex agnus-castus) Verbena rigida Red fountain grass (Pennisetum advena 'Rubrum') Peat-free multi-purpose compost Terracotta pot, approx 45cm diameter
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
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
