EACH year I say I am going to replant my hanging baskets and plant up some containers with autumn colour, however, this is the first year I have actually done so.
Now I have pots and hanging baskets that will cheer me up on a cold winter’s day and remind me why I love gardening so much. So, what exactly have I done? Well, firstly I replanted my hanging baskets with a leucothoe scarletta in the centre surrounded by trailing ivy, cyclamen and viola.
Other great plants for autumn hanging baskets are winter pansies, gaultheria to give nice berries, along with ajuga and lysimachia for trails. After that (go me!) I planted a few containers that I can see from indoors.
I planted these with a skimmia rubella in the centre – again surrounded with violas which are superb for winter bedding as they produce hundreds of flowers and are resilient to the Scottish weather.
Remember, try and put your pots where they will get as much light as possible over the winter, and don’t forget to water them!
You should also put your autumn pots on a pot stand, or pot feet, it just protects them a wee bit more if the ground freezes…but let’s hope for a mild winter and that none of us have to worry about pot feet.
PLANT OF THE WEEK: GAULTHERIA PRECUMBENS ‘WINTERBERRY’
This is a wonderful plant for those winter beds, baskets and planters with the most fantastic bell-shaped white flowers which give way to luscious red berries in the winter – when crushed the berries smell of wintergreen. It is a low growing, compact plant making it ideal for all those winter planting needs.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here