Wooden Garden Planters

I going to make some wooden garden planters to put along a path way. I've only just started tinkering in the garden, I am very much a novice. I would like to have plants/flowers in the planters that flower all year round, anybody have any suggestion on what flowers I can use and what colour mixes work well together?

I appreciate any help I am at a loss.

 

Welcome to Gardeners Corner

I'm only Veg & Wildflower department, but someone will be along to help in a bit.

Apart from that, Nasturtiums are always good, as you can eat them too.

 

Thanks for the welcome... I shall be have a 'grown your own' patch in the garden so no doubt I will be needing your help soon

 

No suggestions for you (as yet) but, it may help others if you can give some idea of the dimensions you plan to make your planters

Welcome to GC

 

We've got around that by have "inner" boxes, of which we have several, and the ones "round the back" are planted with other things to come on in different seasons - bulbs for Spring for example, plus I have some "impact" plants, like Myrtle, that have a short flowering season but look spectacular to bring round in late Summer, and some Topiary Cones and Balls for the Winter. Then we have some nice "outers" that surround the boxes and make them look nice. Dunno if that might work for you too?






Some more pictures on my blog:
http://kgarden.wordpress.com/projects/versailles-planters/

 

Hi Kristen, thank you so much that looks amazing, I did not think of planting plants that flower at different seasons, but that is what I am going to do....

 

Welcome to the forum, Dave the Noice!

There are lots of colour combinations that look good together. If you like a fairly tidy, formal look it's best to stick to a colour scheme of two to three colours at most (like Kristen has done above, love the tulips). Of course if you like a cottagey riot then you can stuff anything in! I like two tones of the same colour, as in the tulips, or you could try:

Yellows and blues
Yellows and pinks
Pinks and purples
Purples and yellows
Blues and purples
Reds and oranges
Whites and pinks

These are combinations that would appeal to me but there are lots more. It's best to avoid mixed trays of bedding plants as you can't control what colours you get but a decent nursery will sell you singles in pots or trays.

There are many, many plants that would supply your requirements but to get you started it might be best to go to a garden centre and look at what they are selling now in the colours you want. I'm betting they will have stacks of
petunias
geraniums
lobelia
begonias
impatiens
fuschias
marigolds
verbenas
gazania
antirrhinums

They will also probably have a range of "basket plants" which would also be fine for what you need.

Which would all do the job you need them for, but die off next winter. Just pick the colour combinations that please you most.

There are many other suggestions for foliage effects and more permanent plantings, so if you decide you would like that let us know and you will get plenty of suggestions here.

 

I've made this mistake only yesterday bought lots of bedding type plants. When I got home and put the names in Google I realised they flower once and die. Ideally if possible want to avoid this. I then realised I needed 'perennial' flowers a lesson learnt for next year. I have gone to a gardening centre, the choice is huge, makes it difficult to make a decision.

 

Didn't realise the only photos I had taken this year were early, before they were all out ... and they are almost over now for a photo-call :(
We did Yellow and Red, plus some Purple ones (just coming out)


And Yellow and Purple + "Black" (not yet out in the photo)


The mice got quite a lot of them this year :( going to put a fine wire mesh over them during the winter next year.

 

Hallo Dave,
welcome to the most friendly Forum in the UK. Lots of lovely people to meet and chat with. So, new to gardening eh? - soooo much to learn and even more importantly,
so much to enjoy,
hope you like it here - look forward to seeing what you decide to do,
take your time and don't forget - IT'S FUN,
Jenny namaste

 

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all making me feel welcome, and more importantly the patience you are showing towards me. I am extremely grateful.

 

Dave,
A good idea has recently been posted that involves planting Spring bulbs at the base of the container and overplanting with some thing else that flowers at a different time of the year. This may be worth considering?
Jenny

 

The perennials idea sounds good, the trouble is, most perennials only flower for a few weeks then start to look very boring and even untidy.

People love those bedding plants so much because if you plant them now, if all goes well, they will flower profusely and continuously from about now to the first frost, (which may not happen until November) so you will get good value in every sense. You are not likely to get that result from most perennials.

The exception might be if you plant shrubs with nice foliage that will look neat and tidy all year round with minimal attention apart from watering. A euonymus, for example. But it would be hard to get 6 months of colour from any hardy shrub or perennial that I can think of, and that's what you will hopefully get from your bedding plants.

 

Hi Jenny, are you having problems with double posting too? It's being doing that to me all day!

 

Hi Jenny, are you having problems with double posting too? It's being doing that to me all day!