Contained

I have always grown quite a few things in pots.  In previous gardens this has been due to the garden not being big enough for hold all I wanted to grow and some because I knew I would not stay in that house for many years and I wanted to find the plants a for-ever home.  I also grew some in pots as it was a good way of adding colourful planting to areas where I could not plant.
I have always had a few things in pots since moving to this house, but over the past two or three years this has developed further and this year I think it safe to say I have lots, yes, lots of pots.
I like to have a pot or three on the front door step.  This changes with the season.  Over the winter I have a Sarcococca confusa that sits on the front step smelling sweetly.  Then usually it becomes auricula time of year on the front step, with three pots that flower rather well.  This year I have the following:
a couple of pots of fuschia 'Rapunzel', I have just given them a good dose of liquid seaweed as they are struggling to flower a bit this year.
on the other side is a mix of begonias and pelagoniums and a purple thing I can't remember the name of.  I think it looks rather cheerful and I have managed to keep them well watered this year.
Its not exactly Great Dixter, but it makes me happy.
There has been an outbreak of pots on the gray tin box thing that sits under the kitchen window.
I think it might be gently baking the plants, but they seem to be coming along ok.
In front of the side outhouse (ha, outhouse, I don't know what it is really, its not the outside cludgy or the coal hole, its sort of a built on storage bit). There is a small collection of herbs, a rather nice fuchsia and the demi-dalek pot.
oh and a christmas cactus which is spending the summer outside.
On the way into the back garden there is this collection of pots:
This is some begonias, a couple of tree dahlias, the Rehmannia mother plant, a couple of Iris confusa and the very fine banana plant I bought the other day making a fantastic focal point.
I like this collection very much.
Along the back of the house, past the coal bunker there are further pots.
There is a lemon tree I have had for many years now.
It reliably produces lemons and the scent from the flower is wonderful.
There is also the bluebell climber, this is a beautiful plant, now in its second year and flowering really well.
The Olive Tree is still growing well and decidedly happier since I moved it further into the sun.  It has blossomed this year and the olivettis are coming on well.
The main courtyard is now getting quite crowded, there is the Rhododendron luteum which is just a joy when it flowers, plus the camellia and small red azalea.  The Sarcococca over-summers in the courtyard as well.  Plus a variety of christmas caccii and a wonderful Begonia Rex that is also enjoying the warm days outside.  This area used to be a grim bit of concrete, it is now quite a lush area and far more pleasant.
By the side of the wine-bench is the Dombeya which is growing incredibly well.  There is the Melianthus, a pelagonium and a couple more begonias.  You may have noticed I have a lot of begonias.
The other side of the bench is the Clianthus puniceus, which is a bit straggly and has got a bit snailed, but still growing well.
There is also a small selection of pelagoniums and a pomegranite; the pomegranite has not flowered this year but it very young so I am feeding it to encourage it for next year.
The Begonia luxurians is one of my favorite favourite plants.  It has trebled in size this year and I am extremely pleased with it.  It is the second one I have grown, the first one was killed by my cat Austin who mistook it for cat litter.  I was not pleased.
Finally there is the table.  The table started off with one pot, this appears to have been added to.
There are all sorts on this table.
There are some Lewisia, tagetes, Pelagonium sidoides cuttings, lemon tree cuttings.
There are begonia cuttings and a small Brugmansia;
Pelagoniums Ardens and more tagetes.
Yes I think I have plenty of pots and yes they do need quite a lot of watering, but to me they are worth it.