low maintenance big impact plants for outdoor planter

ali-t

I am looking for some low/no maintenance plants for pots in my front garden.

I don't want anything that would attract bees or wasps or butterflies but would like something that has quite a strong visual impact.

My front garden has plum slate chippings down and has silver square pots in 3 sizes and large chunky driftwood to break it up. I did have grassy/palm type plants but binned these last weekend as the combination of the dog peeing on the plants and the hard winter killed them off.

I have no sense of what would look best and am seeking ideas. I would even be tempted by fake plants for the pots if they looked quite real. Any ideas?

Kay_Peel

Your front garden sounds gorgeous and dramatic already! :T I love the idea of plum slate, silver pots and bleached driftwood.

With that landscape, I think I'd opt for simple, formal, standard evergreens or roses that look like lollipops on sticks

(Don't look at the prices - I'm just giving you an idea of what's in my mind)

Box
Bay
Photinia red robin
Osmanthus
Standard roses

Or I'd go for a 2 huge pots of lollipop-shaped Copper Beech and one smaller pot of Lavenders. The autumn red/brown of the Beech leaves stay on the tree all through the winter and would look good with the plum slate. In spring, you'd get the green leaves and shoots. Lavender is evergreen, smells divine, looks fabulous and is resistant to drought.

:beer:

westiea

I would even be tempted by fake plants for the pots if they looked quite real.:eek::eek::eek:

How about Phormium 'Sundowner' to contrast with both pot and slate?

Standard olive trees with the silver foliage - in my Morrissons atm

Also large amount of standard/half standard grafted trees available in most garden centres and in supermarkets - Salix 'Hakuro Nishiki' (Flamingo Tree), standard Cotoneaster Juliette (evergreen silver varigation), Euonymus Emerald Gaiety (silver varigation)

ali-t

I love the idea of the lollipop look but OMG those prices! The sundowner is lovely and it was something spiky like that, that was in the pots but without the red colours through it. I will pop along to morrisons and see what the olive trees are like they could also be an option.
I love the smell of lavender but have a bee and wasp phobia so the thought of encouraging the beasts into my garden fills me with fear.

Thanks for the great ideas, I am not very green fingered and need lots of direction.

knithryn

What about a dwarf conifer in each? evergreen (or golden or whatever), no bees, would give you height as well as structure. Choose carefully and you could use topiary on it to get the lollipop look, and they are fairly cheap too.
You could underplant with a variegated ivy to soften the edges, and perhaps a few spring bulbs for colour - I think white flowers would possibly look chic in that garden scheme (which sounds lovely!).

ixwood

Wasps aren't attracted to flowers. They're attracted to caterpillars and other bugs when they are rearing young and then sweet things like fruit later on in the year.

And Bees are lovely little things that you'd have to serious endanger before they'll sting you. They're far too busy foraging usually to show any interest in people whatsoever.

The phobia must stop you doing a lot of things and enjoying nice outdoor spaces. Do you feel ready to tackle that? The "Is It worth it?" thread by MegansMum on here shows it's possible to beat.

ali-t

ixwood wrote: »

The phobia must stop you doing a lot of things and enjoying nice outdoor spaces. Do you feel ready to tackle that? The "Is It worth it?" thread by MegansMum on here shows it's possible to beat.

It is a bit of a pain but only really affects me for a few months a year in the wasp season and the rest of the year I organise my life around it (no flowers in the garden etc).

I have tried lots of times to tackle it and saw a psychologist for 18 months, have had TFT and hypnotherapy for it but am still not cured. I am much better than I used to be and can now get them out the house whereas before I have tried to get out of moving cars,have thrown clothes and bedding away that wasps have been on and had walking routes planned where people didn't have flowers in the garden. Now I go for avoidance where possible and even wear short sleeves in the summer which was previously unheard of.

Anyway, back to the plants, wee conifers would be nice too and will provide nice contrast with the plum and silver. I am going plant shopping tomorrow and my neighbour has said she will plant them.

ali-t

Thanks for all of the advice,I have been shopping today and bought a lollypop lemon scented conifer, a dark purple spiky plant (similar to link) http://www.queanbeyannursery.com.au/MyImages/Phormium%201.jpg and a cordyline red star (see link) http://www.colourwise.com/PlantInfo/Images/Cordyline-RedStar-POT.jpg

It looks fab and my neighbour planted them for me. Thanks again!

heynonnynonny

Stunning plants. Miss my cordyline red, lost that and my green one over winter, still hoping for regrowth!