Camellia 'Jury's Yellow' AnemoneI have been thinking about giving my patio containers a revamp this year. Last year we had a lot of containers with bedding plants for summer color but, although I remain optimistic for the weather to come, I would like some more permanent planting in my pots which will give interest each year, not need to be replanted every spring and will be less work overall!
After visiting a Cornish garden last week, I was very taken with the Camellias and especially with the pale primrose yellow variety ‘ Jury’s Yellow’ with it’s neat habit of deep green glossy leaves and double flowers which start to come out in February and carry on over a long season. The plant has perhaps one fault in that the flowers do not drop as they fade and so I will need to remove them before they go brown – easier on a container grown plant than a larger one growing in the ground!
A large pot and some ericaceous compost will be ideal for this beauty that I can place in a shady spot along with another acid loving plant that I have been longing to try – Rhododendron yakushimanum. This dwarf grower is ideally suited to a large pot and will grow in sun or part shade. The leaves give year round interest with their deep green glossy upper surfaces that curl downwards along the midrib. Beneath, the leaves are covered in soft brown fur – known to botanists as ‘indumentum’. I can never resist stroking the leaves when I see a plant! The young leaves also have a silvery bloom on the upper surface known as ‘tomentum’ that disappears as the leaves age to green. In May, the plant is smothered in upright pink buds, which open to white flower trusses loved by bees and other insects. A slow growing dwarf Rhododendendron well suited to a container, where I can keep an eye on the water through the summer and feed regularly to ensure the plan makes plenty of flower buds for the following year! If white is not your colour, there are a whole race of dwarf ‘yaks’ bred from hybrid Rhododendrons crossed with R. yakushimanum; suitably free flowering and with a dwarf habit for containers! I would happily fill my patio with them!
I still have my Dahlias from last summer that did so well in deep pots, in the green house. ‘Mystic Illusion’ was a winner with pale lemon yellow flowers from late summer until into autumn and deliciously dark chocolate leaves. They are still dormant but have been kept dry and the stems are firm in the pots, so I should see some signs of life soon! I have planted some scented white Lilies that are already starting to shoot through the soil, so my collection is starting to come together.
This week, I will round up all of my empty pots, give them a good clean and take another trip to our local garden center to look for ideas to fill them!
