Patio plant ideas

Good Morning

I joined up yesterday , And must say I'm getting a very warm welcome and here's my first question

So I have a garden that I'm working on at the moment when it's finished I will have an area of fake grass (Sorry I know some don't like it ) And a patio area

So in the mornings it's shady in the garden until 12.30 ish when the sun comes around

So I'm looking at planting in pots and containers but am a little unsure what to plant I would like to have a cherry tree but I'm not sure if it would grow in a pot ?, The only thing I'm sure about is I to plant some hanging baskets but I know it way to early for them at the moment

Could anyone suggest anything ?

Thank you and sorry for going on , Ian

 

Maybe small shrubs are a good idea for pots. Many are evergreen, but deciduous ones are nice too - bare branches can look quite architectural.
I've got one called Spiraea which, although deciduous, has bronze foliage and pink flowers in the summer. I've planted one in a tub and I've put crocuses and some other bulbs with it , so as well as summer, the tub is quite colourful in late winter and spring too.

 

For rapid gratification you can't beat bulbs. You're too late for the spring ones (unless you buy them already in flower) but it's just the right time to start looking at the summer ones - e.g. lilies, freesias etc.

I have two Daphne Perfume Princess on my patio which flower in the depths of winter and have a beautiful perfume. They prefer a bit of shade so should be happy on your patio. Mine doesn't get any sun in winter but gets quite baked in summer, so I move the daphnes into a shadier corner then to protect them.

If you want to have a go at growing from seed and you have a nice sunny windowsill now would be a good time to start some plants for your hanging baskets.

 

For foliage I would recommend Pittosporum and/or Physocarpus. In a large tub with an obelisk you could have a Trachelospermum Jasminoides (star jasmine)