Planter at entrance to village

downshifter

Morning all.  I recently moved to a small village and as a contribution to village life have adopted a planter.  It's about 3 ft high and 4 ft across maybe a tad more.  Stone. At the moment it's a bit weedy but I can see some bits coming through but not sure what yet.  Cold part of the country and it's very exposed to all weather.  No shade. No water source nearby though I can take enough water for initial planting at least by car.

Long term I thought I might plant some trailing rosemary, lavender and maybe a pretty sage which all seem to do ok all year in my own garden, cheap annuals in summer and bulbs in autumn for next spring  However I don't know what to get for right now and the next few months to give an immediate splash.  Daffodils are in full bloom at the moment in the area and tulips just starting so I thought I could get some already flowering tulips and plant them and they'd do for next year too.  But what else?

The other thing is there's no budget for this so I'd be spending my own money and the local garden centre is expensive.  Supermarkets will do for the annuals and the bulbs but can anyone suggest somewhere to get the herbs and  anything that's suggested for the next few months?

I'm not a hugely experienced gardener as mine is very small with veg and a few tubs but happy to learn which is why I'm keen to take on this little project.

Thank you.

Farway

Supermarket for herbs, growing ones in the green grocer / veg section, not garden area. I have mine from Asda, 80p a pot last time I looked

Is there a local FB group you could ask for plant donations from?

pramsay13

Our local businesses sponsor the planters in our village in exchange for a sign on the planter as advertising. 
Might be worth approaching a few see if they are interested.

RAS

If it's stone trough can you check whether it's got decent drainage holes? As that will affect planting. Just suggesting as I've seen some very large ones that were doubling as ponds recently, with dead geraniums sticking up.

Is this going to be viewed at close quarters, or is it outside the village whether it needs to make a visual impact but won't be inspected closely?

twopenny

I've become enamoured with the new varities of perennial wallflowers that flower all year, evergreen, nothing no attention. But I'm in the soft south so take a look around other peoples gardens and see if therre are some and how they are doing.
Not expensive but more than supermarkets.

Alternatively bare rooted wallflowers are a pound or two for 10 in the garden centre. The giant ones are tough, about 18inches, and smell wonderful. They seed everywhere so no need to buy again.

Occasionally dead head and they will be magnificent.

Katiehound

Tulips look great but unless they are the dwarf ones I think they might struggle if in an exposed area. I also think they get smaller over the years whereas daffodils might multiply (unless hungry slugs & snails appear!)

If you buy potted herbs you can propagate more over winter- evergreen cuttings stuck in a pot. lavender does well that way and the odd rosemary cutting. Any of the silvery leafed plants can cope with some dry conditions.

I'm also thinking of  Cineraria Maritima- Silver ragwort which looks good as a backdrop. I always cut the flower heads off before they develop.

Wonder how true geranium would cope. That self seeds very freely- I am always pulling out new plants. It's hardy but might prefer damp conditions.

Perhaps some of the villagers have 'bits' that they can spare.
 

downshifter

Thank you so much everyone for all these suggestions, lots to go at.  Are there any other suggestions for immediate impact that I can sort now and for the next month or so?  The planter is at the entrance to the village so mostly drivers will see it though it is close to a popular public footpath.  It's not far from a bench too so I'm thinking it needs to be a bit showy but also I need to keep it weed free for the walkers.  Thank you so much all.

Farway

downshifter said:

Thank you so much everyone for all these suggestions, lots to go at.  Are there any other suggestions for immediate impact that I can sort now and for the next month or so?  The planter is at the entrance to the village so mostly drivers will see it though it is close to a popular public footpath.  It's not far from a bench too so I'm thinking it needs to be a bit showy but also I need to keep it weed free for the walkers.  Thank you so much all.

If any supermarkets or similar near you, boxes / trays of pansies or primroses this time of year. Pansies, usually cheaper and instant visual impact with their bright faces, and last longer as well

RAS

Thanks for the update.

Does the planter have the village name incorporated into the design, as that might make trailing or climbing plants an issue? 

For this year for now, I'd go with pansies as farway suggests as it should be possible to get supermarket packs. Keep them dead-headed and prune back one leggy shoot at a time to regenerate.

For the future, how far below the lip is the soil?

For next year I'd consider the following

The coloured double or pompon bellis perrenis in bright red or pink. You'd only need one punnet of these little traffic lights, divided between the outer front corners.

Find out is anyone local has got Primula Wanda? Not exactly subtle, bright purple flowers over an extended period, and as tough as old boots. A couple of smallish divisions would grow and give you another bright spot at the same sort of time. Add some short tulips, Fusilier or Red Riding Hood to back those up. Both are common enough.

This summer look at some basics like nasturiums, pot marigolds, asters, 10 week stocks. Lidl are 5 packs for £2, Wilko start at 50p per pack. All of which can be sown in situ.

For late umph, ask round and see if anyone has of the shorter dahlias? You could take cuttings, or divide a big tuber. There are places like Wilko where you might get them at 3 for £5. Start them at home and plant out when it's warmer.

Longer term I'd suggest perennials. Then you might be dead-heading, pruning and splitting the plants, with a little weeding.

Edit: right now Lidl have some aubrieta. Choose carefully as so e are looking a bit battered or dry but one plant at £1.79 could provide you with enough plants for ages.

Flugelhorn

Nasturtiums are always good and look great 

RAS

I've been meaning to leave a few suggestions for perennials for longer term planting.

Katiehound mentioned true geraniums? My mind went to the bigger blue and darker pinks which make good mounds and can be cut back for a second flowering in a long autumn. I'm suggesting names so you can look at images but you may find something similar growing locally you can scrounge?

Johnson's Blue is easy to get from friends and will need splitting eventually, Roxanne is smaller, has a white eye and flowers over a longer period but costs more. 

Giuseppe and Ann Folkard are both dark pinks with darker eyes.

What about a hardy fuschia for late autumn colour? Can be cut to the base by design or weather and resprout.

And in the short term, a couple of fairly bog standard supermarket hebes with good/variegated foliage? You may want to transplant elsewhere in a few years but they'd give you an evergreen structure in the early years for £2-3 a piece.