Container gardening

[Derek Turner]

We live in a rented house and recently we have had our back 'garden'
converted into a courtyard, half slabbed half shingles. Should help the
200-year-old house dry out.

The courtyard is east-facing in Jersey and gets the sun from early
morning until late afternoon (when it goes behind the four-storey house).
With walls all round it's a proper little sun-trap. We've not had a frost
in the last five years (i.e. as long as we've lived here).

Think Mediterranean courtyard with lower average temperatures :)

So, glad to see the back of the weedy 'borders' and rampant ivy, we are
now into container gardening. We are looking to grow standard bay, an
olive and already have a healthy agapanthus. Suggestions for other
specimen plants e.g. palms suitable for container-growing would be very
welcome. Nothing that makes too much mess, though - that's the dogs' job.

tia

Derek

[Sacha]

Some of the colourful Phormiums are good in containers and so are the
big leaf Hostas. You could also go the topiary route and get some
interestingly shaped box (St Peter's Nurseries had some a couple of
years ago) Grasses of various heights and colours would be interesting
and Camellias can be container grown, too.
--

Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
www.helpforheroes.org.uk

[Jeff Layman]

Courtyard size?

I would consider succulents such as agaves and aloes if you have the
space. Maybe some of the hardier cacti if you can keep them on the dry
side in winter. Could you get away with a bougainvillea against one of
the walls? If you want something exotic, try Banksias. They have
wonderful flowers and interesting fruiting bodies. You could also try
other Australian proteaceae such as Grevillea, which can have some
flowers for much of the year.

What about a fig? Perfect for a largish container. You might also get
a loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) to fruit in a walled garden. It is a very
attractive evergreen with its large leaves anyway, and being in a walled
garden sheltered from wind (which tends to damage the leaves somewhat)
it should look its best.

For smaller plants, there are many South African bulbs which would enjoy
a dry baking in summer, and reward you with flowers in the autumn and
early winter.

--

Jeff

[Martin Brown]

You might also get away with citrus fruit under these conditions. bottle
brush plants are fun too. I expect jacaranda is a bridge too far - I
would love to grow them and have tried but winter not warm enough.
Daturas are good value in a courtyard for evening scent.

I have grown and flowered Notocactus Tabularis seedlings outside in the
UK in a rock garden although a hard winter will kill them. BCSS should
have a list of species that stand a chance outside but they do tend to
mark even if they survive and flower. Agave americana or stricta and
variagated forms of it do look impressive but are *very* spikey.
victoria regina is more fogiving and supposed to eb OK outside.

>
> What about a fig? Perfect for a largish container. You might also get
> a loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) to fruit in a walled garden. It is a very
> attractive evergreen with its large leaves anyway, and being in a walled
> garden sheltered from wind (which tends to damage the leaves somewhat)
> it should look its best.
>
> For smaller plants, there are many South African bulbs which would enjoy
> a dry baking in summer, and reward you with flowers in the autumn and
> early winter.

Do the plants have to survive untended for a month or two or do you live
at the house continuously apart form holidays?

--
Regards,
Martin Brown

[Derek Turner]

On 23/05/2013 10:01, Martin Brown wrote:
> Do the plants have to survive untended for a month or two or do you live
> at the house continuously apart form holidays?

The latter. We usually get house-sitters to cover holidays so occupied
more-or-less 52/52.

[Derek Turner]

On Thu, 23 May 2013 10:01:25 +0100, Martin Brown wrote:

> I expect jacaranda is a bridge too far

After a bit of research, I suspect that it may not be: two nurseries in
Cornwall supply them. What I don't know is whether it's really a
container specimen. One site googled said (of container-grown) up to two
metres at which size it MAY get SOME flowers (emphasis mine). So I'm
wondering whether it's worth the effort?

[Martin Brown]

Probably not. I have grown it from seed a couple of times but it has
always died in a miserable winter before reaching flowering size. North
Yorks is probably not the best location even in a heated greenhouse.

I have had the same problem with proteas from seed. Bottle brushes are
easier but again they peg it up here if you don't protect from frost.

Ginko biloba is fun to grow as an unusual specimen plant hardy (and
relatively easy from seed). It is close to being a deciduous conifer.
Very ancient and unusual leaf shape and nice autumn colour.

If you have a female and it sets fruit in a decade or two you might
regret it but they are very handsome and unusual hardy trees. Mine is in
a big patio pot and about 4' tall and a neighbours I gave him is planted
in the ground and twice that size after a couple of decades.

Fatsia japonica is quite handsome in a big glossy leaves brutal sort of
way but not sure if it won't break out of a pot.

Plenty of acers to choose from if it isn't too windy.

One thought is pick some styles of leaf shape, colour and flower and
then gradually collect plants that match your goal.

--
Regards,
Martin Brown