Thursday, 15 January 2015

PATIO GARDENS



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 Patio gardens are made up of many planted containers to give an overall effect of a planted garden. Because everything is grown in pots they are a great way of introducing many flowering varieties of plants into one area.  

Patio gardens can be a great way of hiding problem areas such as unsightly concrete slabs, softening hard lines or dull corners.  Tall pots or climbers and other tall growing plants can be especially valuable in bringing height to large flat areas, creating instant screens or dividing up space. 

Because all plants are grown in containers they can be changed frequently to ensure a bright and colourful display.This gives greater flexibility in planning your design and and allows every bit of space to be exploited.  Pots and plants can be mixed and matched to keep your patio garden looking good throughout the year.

Carefully chosen plants can make all the difference between a dull patio and one that is full of colour and interest. House plants can even be given a holiday and used to brighten up dull corners when the summer arrives.

Patio gardens are often located next to the house and so can be viewed all year round. Planting up pots regularly will ensure that you have something of interest to look at every day. If you use your patio a lot in the evenings choose big and bold containers and plants with strong, architectural shapes.  White and blue flowers show up well in low light levels and many have the benefit of night time scent

The type of pots and containers you use can make a huge difference to the area.  Matching your pots through shape, colour or material will give a much better flow to the area and set the scene for your planting. You can extend your garden by installing planters on your walls too.

Choose plants that harmonise with each other for a restful effect, or those that contracts for a more striking and exciting display. Hot colours such as orange, red and yellow will draw the eye and foreshorten the view, whilst pastel colours wil have a more tranquil effect.  It is often best to select no more than three colours in order balance the display and to avoid your containers looking too busy.

Patio plants are observed at close quarters so you need to ensure that your plants are looking their best. Choose plants that thrive in that location.  A dark north facing patio doesn't have to be dull if you choose plants that thrive in a shady spot.  Ferns, variegated leaves and foliage plants will look stunning.

You will have to water your pots regularly to ensure that they keep performing.  Plants in a sunny south facing patio will dry out quickly so ensure you plant in a large pot, add water retaining gels to the compost and water daily in the summer if required.  Terracotta pots are porous and will lose water so you could line the inside of your pots with plastic sheeting to help conserve water.  Add a soluble feed to your water 

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