Pots - they look rubbish for most of the year

Hello, new to the site, not particularly green fingered either but enjoy doing a bit in my wee garden. Anyway, containers - I have a few large pots with various bulbs in. They look great whilst the plant/flowers are alive, but as soon as it's out of season the pots look rubbish for the remainder of the year, until things start to grow again the following year. So what can be done about this. a) just cope with it, b) plant a range of bulbs in the pot so different things come up at different times of the year?????, or c) forget containers and consider something more like beds so a variety can be on the go ? I really have no idea so any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

Do you have a "bit around the back"? I have a number of tubs, around the back, and then bring them around the front when they are doing their performance - then they go back again until they are ready again!

With things like Tulips you could pull 'em up when they have flowered, and buy new bulbs next year (they will still be in the pots from November to April or May ...)

I have Topiary containers for the winter, for example. Nice flowering ones for the summer.

 

I'm pretty rubbish at gardening but I did find ( by accident ) that planting spring bulbs with something like Scabious or Lavender works well. The daffs, crocus's flower before the Scabious and Lavender start growing again and then you can tie off the daff leaves once they have begun to die back and the Scabious and Lavender will grow and flower all summer. I also planted a pot of Ivy with Crocus,Iris and Daffs in and that looked really pretty in the Spring.

 

You can plant more than just bulbs in your pots you know unless that's all you want to plant....?

Mine are never empty. You can get cheap Conifers, Ivy, Cyclamens and Cordylines at Morrisons, for example, that will look good in pots throughout the winter months. No real maintenance required. I mention Morrisons as it's local to me and they do a nice variety of little plants for pots with berries on it that only last the winter season but brighten up the pots for a wee while.

While I do like bulbs I don't like empty pots if I can help it.

 

Thank you for your suggestions everybody and I look forward to any others. My 'bit round the back' has been transformed into a very tiny proper garden so I don't have any spare space for when tubs are not in use. I guess I used to plant only bulbs in the tubs as until recently I have only ever had tubs and the bulbs have had to go somewhere. So with tubs do people generally keep planting up with bedding plants etc, reserving bulbs for larger spaces?

 

I buy fresh bulbs in the Autumn and plant up my tubs. I plant the bulbs out in the garden in the Spring when they finish (but the Tulips don't look anything special for a couple of years "recovery" - I have them in a cutting bed, which is getting fairly stuffed now!)

I replant with summer bedding in the Spring, and then bring some Topiary replacements round for the Winter from my bit "round the back", until the Spring Bulbs are about to flower and then they get brought "round to the front" and so the cycle continues.

 

I never change stuff in my pots.

They stay there all year. Pampas Grass, Yucca Filamentosa, Sempervivums, Alpines, etc, etc. Here's a pic of one I've just done with Lewisias.

 

Very clever idea.

 

What a good idea Shiney

 

The basket idea is fabulous and I'm really loving all of your photos. Thank you everybody for taking the trouble to reply.