Easy Colour Boost

Martyn shows how straightforward it is to have colour throughout the winter even in the smallest of spaces.

- Martyn

WHEN you’re strapped for space, it makes sense that the majority of plants strut their stuff during the warmer months of the year.

As a result, my small city garden can look a little dull once the weather gets cooler, so I’ve decided to inject a splash of colour by snapping up some winter flowering primroses from my local DIY store. Rather than buy individual plants in pots, I went for the more economical trays of plants in biodegradable containers.

These bedding plants used to only flower for a short window in spring, but modern breeding has led to primroses that bloom from late autumn until May, if you look after them properly. What’s even better is that they come in a wide range of colours, shapes and sizes – some even boasting scented blooms.

These hardy perennials take up a fraction of the space of any winter flowering shrubs and will provide impact from the moment you plant them. What’s more, once their floral displays are over, you can simply replace them with fresh seasonal plants. As they are so cheap and cheerful, and full of colour use them quite liberally. Pop them around the base of deciduous shrubs in pots, fill gaps in hanging baskets and place them in beds within close sight of the house.

Although primroses are as tough as old boots, capable of putting up with temperatures down to -25°C, their ability to flower does decline during very cold periods. There’s really not much you can do if you’ve put them in the ground, but you can move plants in containers under cover or to a more sheltered site until the weather warms up again.