Horrible garden question?

hi to all the great gardeners out there! i have a horrible garden ,(well it basically a 40ft longx15ft wide concrete and brick patio edged with soil!) id love to be able to look out and see something nice for a change. can anyone give me tips on easy growing plants or flowers that i can put in tubs?. i would really love a fruit tree or bush that can be grown in a container but i dont even know if these exist! im a complete novice. ive asked in my local garden centre but they dont seem very helpful and unfortunately my dad and grandad who were brilliant gardeners have passed away so ive no one else i can ask.


all answers greatly appreciated .thankyou xxx

Horrible garden question?
hey no need to feel bad or anything





gardening is a joy and everyone learns as they go along


and plants are so good to look after. all they need is sun, water and some TLC. which means a couple of hours a week of your time. and years of joy in return !





my first advise to you is, EXPERIMENT. have your own style.





go to your local B%26amp;Q or Homebase or Garden Centre and pick up pots of plants that look good to you, or you would like to see those in your garden. go for plants that you can see have new green little leaves growing.





buy some empty pots of your choice, so you can move the plants into them when they start growing.





before you buy, read the labels. some plants need direct sun, whereas some wont like direct sun and will need 'light shade'. so plan accordingly. as some parts of your garden will get more sun than others and you will have to position your plants as such.





always keep a bag of compost in your house, so when you move your plants to bigger pots, you can use the compost, also regularly (like once a month) put some compost in the plants so they can prosper.





everyweek, remove any dead leaves / dead flowers and check the soil, if it is dry on the surface, then water the plants. always water plants during evening - so they have the night to cool down. its not a good idea to water plants when the sun is strong.





i recommend you read about some plants - you get hardies that are evergreen and wont die down in the winter, you have 'hard perennials' which are also evergreen and they have so much variety of flowers. you can buy different coloured rose bushes, they grow well in nice broad pots, you can get so many varieties





also another tip - dont buy all at once, visit your b%26amp;q and garden centres often, different seasons bring different variety of plants and you want a collection of different ones.





and dont be disheartened, watch them grow and have fun !





good luck :)





and keep coming back here for more questions once you get your plants :)
Reply:try some wave petunias they come in a wide verity of colours.plant them tin large pots like the ones you can buy at the garden centre.look for containers about 2/3 ft wide and 20 or so inches high,fill the outer edges with petunias and plant some spears in the centre for height and effect (their long green spikes.that grow to about two ft high.in other pots you Can make arrangements using geraniums and marigolds.there are so many that do well in containers.if you have a shady spot try some inpatients thye like shad but can tolerate some sun if kept moist.cntainers are the best way to go no weeding!! have fun get dirty.after thought there are also some drawft veritys in flowering trees that you can grow in containers also go to. www.gardenigexpress.co.uk
Reply:Some fruit trees can be container grown, type in 'fruit trees for containers' and some good sites come up. You don't need much of a width of border to be able to plant fruit trees straight into ground - I would recommend it if possible - containers get blown over in high winds and dry out really quickly, they are better planted with spreading shrubs that shade the soil to retain moisture. Alternatively, position the container in the shade but place where the tree (as its higher) gets the sun.
Reply:Coleus, impatiens, begonia, zinnia, wildflower mix, foxglove, pansies (during spring and fall) there are lots and lots of flowers you could use like these that are super easy to grow. Dwarf fruit trees as mentioned could be containerized.





Sorry for your loss. have fun playing in the dirt.
Reply:I'm Australian, so I have no idea which plants you should buy, but I do think you should start frequenting your *next* nearest gardening centre. (Or go back to the local one and look for someone else to speak to.) They are really your best resource, and should be the ones advising you on the best plants to grow given your circumstance and climate.





A container garden can look very beautiful. Buy plants and pots of different sizes to give your garden variety. One or more larger feature plants are dramatic, and yes, you should be able to grow a small tree. My next door neighbour has trained his apple to tree to grow flat against a wall! Lots of flowering annuals can make for a very pretty, cottage container garden. Plan to plant some bulbs next Autumn, and don't forget you can different plants in one pot. I agree with the person who said a climber or creeper in a large container along the sunniest wall adds depth and interest to the garden. If there are birds around the place, look for plants that attract them, or attract the insects that attract them. A bird bath can help too.





Don't forget about herbs and veggies either. I've successfully grown tomatoes in hanging baskets and broccoli, onion, garlic, spinach, lettuce and many herbs in pots.





Ask you neighbours what they grow. If you see something you like in someone else's garden, ask them what it is and how you could grow it. Gardeners love talking shop and giving advice.





Buy the best potting mix you can afford. Add a worm farm to take care of your kitchen scraps, and you've got fertiliser all year round!





Good luck. Really, there's nothing more rewarding than growing things.
Reply:Palm trees look great in tubs and are really easy to look after.


Also some hedge Topiary, (Balls, cones etc). Can be expensive but really stand out.


A few hanging baskets look good too. Strawberrys and cherry tomatoes do really well in hanging baskets and look great. Plus you also get something usefull back from them.


rhododendrons are a really nice plant with nice flowers on for some colour.
Reply:no idea, but i am sure some one at http://www.gardenerscorner.co.uk/cgi-bin... can help
Reply:Hi, It's really easy to grow and train a climbing flowering plant along a trellis on a wall, It breaks up the monotony of the bricks and this is possible in a pot.


Try a passion flower or a clematis or two.


The only large plant I have seen growing in a tub outside was a yucca, the roots eventually crack the tub!


Try investing in interesting items to grow flowers in like a miniature wheelbarrow, watering cans (decorated) or boots!


You can have a colourful garden on a budget, with little space and using a vast array of items.


I wish you luck with your garden!
Reply:I have no clue but I could ask my grandma she might no
Reply:I would say container gardening is an excellent place to start. Take a good look at the area your working with. Is it full sun, part sun or mostly shade. Decide what colors you like. Do you like things that are natural looking or do you like things that are well pruned or uniform looking. Do go to your local garden center again and find out what temperature zone you are in. Take a look at the large containers they have and see if you like any of the colors and styles. If you take some home don't forget the potting soil, and be sure to place some broken pottery or brick piece or even a few rocks at the bottom of the container to allow water to drain out the drain holes. Also take a look at these sites and find some plants that will work for your zone and your light situation. I almost forgot, yes there are many small fruit tree's, and ornamental tree's that will work for your new patio planters. Happy planting.
Reply:You don't say where you live - what gardening zone or state.





So my advice may or may not fit.





You can't beat Black-eyed Susans for durability. They like sun, are drought tolerant, super easy to grow, are a bigger clump every year (if you let them expand), and they start blooming in July and DO NOT STOP until the frost kills them.





I'd also visit your local garden center or nursery this spring, and see what they have. Often there are small or dwarf bushes/trees...and they would carry the ones that do well in your climate.
Reply:Look here for fruit trees you can grow in pots:


http://www.jparkers.co.uk/Index.cfm?fuse...


Not all the trees here are small enough for pots (some you will see obviously are!), so if in doubt call them up and ask for some recommendations.





You can grow a lot of roses in pots too.





Flowers-wise, visit your local Wilkinsons for their cheap 'easy-grow' seed collection. A lot of annuals like stock, calendula, cornflowers, sunflowers, nasturtiums and marigolds are beautiful and dead easy to grow - be brave!


They have a great selection of bulbs too, which are really good for tubs.





For height, I recommend growing beans! They have lovely flowers and you'll get an edible harvest too! Look for climbing types and give them a tipi of canes or a trellis to climb. You can grow sweet peas this way too, which have a wonderful fragrance. If you want to grow more veggies, try tomatoes, courgettes, low-growing peas (sugarsnap and mangetout are especially good for pots) and lettuces and herbs. These all do well in pots and growing your own food is really rewarding.





Go out, get some seeds, and get started! Just follow the instructions on the seed packets - it's not as tricky as you might think and you'll learn so much as you go along. Good luck!
Reply:If you want blooms this summer try some roses, small tea variety, Floribunder, a bit thorny them, there are so many to choose from. very easy to look after,water regularly and you shold have no touble. Go to a good garden centre, or B%26amp;Q.


Try some long stemed variety for cutting to bring indoors.


Peace, Ena Harkness, pink and deep red.


Good luck be happy.
Reply:I suggest that you look at the royal horticultural society book called low-maintenance gardening. Failing that, there are dwarf varieties of many fruit trees available, try "Terrace Pearl" a dwarf pear, self fertile and ldeal for containers.Dwarf garden Aprigold, apricot . Fragaria pegasus, a strawberry."Garden beauty" dwarf nectarine. I grow alpines and herbs in tubs. Mint, oregano, chives, hyssop. You didn't say what aspect your gardens in, shade? north facing garden? type of soil eg clay. you'll need this information to plant directly into your borders.