Pots, window-boxes, tubs and other containers can make an eye-catching feature for your garden. Most annuals may be used in containers, either on their own or to complement other plants; however, F1 and F2 hybrid annuals, with their consistent flower colours and even growth habit, are specifically bred to provide consistent, long-lasting displays.

Choosing the Right Plants

The range of choice of annuals for containers is often wider than that for the garden itself, as the protection of nearby buildings often allows plants to be grown that are normally too tender for more exposed sites. Always take into consideration how windy, sunny or shady the site is before deciding which plants to grow. The material, shape and style of the container may also play a part in the planting choice; a plain, practical container may be disguised with trailing flowers and leaves, whilst a striking stone trough or attractive urn may be veiled by wisps of foliage.

You can choose from a wide variety of plants, enabling you to achieve a year-round display. In spring and early summer, primroses, winter-flowering pansies and polyanthus cultivars will provide abundant colour as they flourish in sheltered spots. Sunny and protected sites on patios are also perfect for busy lizzies (Impatiens cvs), zinnias and petunias, all of which will keep their colour throughout the summer.

Plants with a trailing habit are perfect for growing in hanging baskets and windowboxes, such as trailing Lobelia erinus. Cultivars include the Verbena x hybrida and Cascade Series, which are available in a wide range of colours, from pure reds and scarlets to deep purples, crimsons, and whites. Trailing and spreading F1 and F2 pelargoniums, renewed annually from seed are also very effective.

Compact cultivars can be especially handy as they can withstand windy sites and do not need any form of support; in this case, choose plants such as dwarf or multiflowered bedding pelargoniums and dwarf and intermediate antirrhinum cultivars.

Heliotrope works well in containers near a window or doorway, where its perfume can be appreciated; stocks (Matthiola) have similar virtues of scent and good looks, particularly the Brompton and East Lothian Series in both spring and autumn and the Ten-week Series in summer. Gazanias are good for containers and hanging baskets situated in unshaded positions where they open their brightly coloured flowers in full sun.