Baskets, Pots & Troughs

[Geranium]

Jilly, you're right! It hadn't struck me before, but I have several green pots, and blue as well. I like terracotta as well, but pull faces when I see bright orange or scarlet pots for sale...it would be difficult to place them in the garden, let alone choose plants for them!

[Jilly]

I'm so, so lucky on that front Geranium, my parents saved all the old pots that their grandparents used, most are only normal sized flower pots, but they're over 100 years old & probably only cost pennies new, but they are such a wonderful colour that they make anything planted in them look wonderful.

[Geranium]

Jilly, you really are lucky! How do the pots handle frosty weather? Do you have to protect them? One of the two terracotta pots I got from my Mum fell apart last winter.

[Tig]

Great pair of pots Geranium, they look perfect either side of the bench, and they'll provide a reminder that you won too! I have quite a few pots, terracotta, glazed and unglazed - also quite a lot of large plastic containers as they are less expensive and I'm not as upset if they do crack. I quite like the bright orange and red pots, it's yellow and insipid orange I dislike.

[Geranium]

Sorry, Tig, everyone has their own taste for colours - I wouldn't 'put you down' for your choice. I should have said that in my garden, they'd look wrong.  I wouldn't choose stainless steel or modern styles - they'd look out of place. Mind you, so would those wonderful greek-style urns! I love them, but in the right place.

[Tig]

No need to apologise Geranium, I agree that they don't fit into every garden environment. I wouldn't use them in a 'green' natural landscaped area, but I like them in 'oriental' type settings with black, dark grey wood and gravel, or in a 'minimalistic' setting with stainless steel, glass, pale slabs and rich coloured woods. If I had a bigger garden I could have all these things (oh and if I won the lottery too of course )

[Jilly]

Feb 9, 2013 17:14:07 GMT Geranium said:

Jilly, you really are lucky! How do the pots handle frosty weather? Do you have to protect them? One of the two terracotta pots I got from my Mum fell apart last winter.

Not well sadly, some have lasted for years but others crack, not just in the winter, but just generally. Some have big steel bands round them, where they've cracked previously & been mended.

I'm a big fan of plastic pots too Tig, as you say you don't have to worry about them.

My Mum hasn't quite got the hang of what she has in the old pot department, she doesn't plant up so many containers any more & she has an entire old cole bunker full of them. She's always telling me to take what I want & then when I appear with some of the ancient terracotta ones she says Oh you don't want to take all those old things, this is a nice one, & appears with some 1970s white plastic horror in the shape of a Grecian urn

[Geranium]

Feb 9, 2013 20:27:59 GMT Tig said:

No need to apologise Geranium, I agree that they don't fit into every garden environment. I wouldn't use them in a 'green' natural landscaped area, but I like them in 'oriental' type settings with black, dark grey wood and gravel, or in a 'minimalistic' setting with stainless steel, glass, pale slabs and rich coloured woods. If I had a bigger garden I could have all these things (oh and if I won the lottery too of course )

Tig thanks for understanding!  Last year we visited an open garden where she'd created a minimalist garden - not sure if it really suited the house, but never mind.   She had huge silver balls around, as well as stark hard landscaping, and acres of decking! I was looking for some plants - anything, anywhere.  There were just a few, but not many. Not a relaxing garden at all. It must have cost a fortune!

[Geranium]

Jilly I had to laugh at the plastic grecian urn - my Mum had one as well - needless to say, I didn't rescue it! My husband tried to mend the old terracotta pot, but it only lasted a few more weeks. I was very sad abut that.  The coal bunker sounds like a treasure trove!

[Ladygardener]

Jilly it sounds like a little treasure trove that your Mum has. Lucky you. Most of my pots are plastic, they get moved around quite a bit depending what season it is and what I'm growing in them.

[Jilly]

The pots of Primroses I planted up at the weekend, I did get some for my birthday, but I bought loads too. I know I had the pots & compost already, but you get such a lot of joy for the price of a decent bottle of wine with Primroses









In this group, the black trough at the front is newly planted, but the trough at the back, is the ones that have come back from last year.


Jillyx

[Ladygardener]

Jilly those pots are so beautiful, what a cheery sight they all are and all so healthy. I love the colour combinations you've chosen, well done. This one is smashing.

[Jilly]

Thanks Ladygardener, if I'm honest that particular colour combination was already done for me in the box by Homebase

[Ladygardener]

Well it's still just as lovely Jilly, they all are.

[Jasmine]

from me Jilly! I love the burnt orange and blue together too.
Wine and primroses together I think - that's what I thought you meant when I first read your post! I had visions of you sitting at your little table looking at your lovely pots with a glass of wine in hand!!

[Jilly]

Thanks for the nom Jasmine, think that wine would have to be mulled at the moment  , hope the promised return of the bad weather keeps away for at least the length of half term for you.

[Rosefriend]

Love the pots Jilly - we saw some primroses when we were out yesterday - pathetic looking things - yours are marvellous.




RF

[Tig]

Gorgeous Jilly, I agree that they are a bargain buy to quickly brighten up the garden at this time of year, especially if, like me, you find some to rescue

Is that a double maroon one in the blue pot? Lovely colour, was it a Homebase buy?

[Jilly]

Yes it was from Tig, it's got a slight silvery edge to the petals too .

I saw the ones you rescued on your garden thread, they looked in far better condition than the same ones in my Homebase, I've rescued them before when all they needed was a deadhead & a water to revive them, but these looked too far gone, poor things.

[Tig]

Didn't have that colour in my local Homebase, or they'd sold out

[Geranium]

 I agree about primroses - they're wonderful cheerer-upperers.

I've been discovering where I planted Lady Beatrix Stanley - she keeps popping up in the containers in my porch.



None in the garden so far, but I still can't remember where I planted her apart from in pots. 

[Jilly]

 Love her with the soft pink Cyclamen Geranium

[Ladygardener]

  I agree, those colours are lovely together.

[Rosefriend]

Gorgeous...Geranium !!

[Geranium]

I don't think I ever said thank you for the noms - it's a bit late, but thank you anyway.

My tulips are coming up fast - but they're not opening. Here's one of the pots.



In one of the others, I planted a Euphorbia - not a clue what its name was, but look at the colour of the flowers - and by happenstance, the tulips in the pot will be red! 

[andy]

I would say the Euphorbia was E. amygdoloides purpurea, the flowers should be lime green when open. Lovely plants but they do seed themselves a bit !!!

[Ladygardener]

I had one Geranium but it didnt last very long. It's a lovely plant 'tho.
I like your pot with the pale cream tulips.

[Geranium]

Mar 21, 2013 17:12:01 GMT andy said:

I would say the Euphorbia was E. amygdoloides purpurea, the flowers should be lime green when open. Lovely plants but they do seed themselves a bit !!!

Thanks, andy, but it isn't. I have that Euphorbia planted in the garden, and this one is smaller and a brighter colour. 

Thank you, Ladygardener - I might be able to post another photo if and when the sun ever comes out and the tulips open.

[Geranium]

Here are my two pots next to the niche seat now the Narcissi are out. I've just realised that I'll be able to plant the bulbs in the pear tree area when they've finished!





 


My 'pink' tulips are all appearing now. I'm not sure if I like them, really. They're more red than pink. I can't remember their name atm. I'll have to check in the catalogue.



 

[Auricula]

Very nice G, I love tulips....whatever their colour