Got some new troughs and wondering what plants to put in. Suggestions welcome.

[Dave7]

I put this in the retirement section as I forgot this one had a gardening section.
Photo below.
Troughs are aporox 1400mm x 400mm x 360mm deep.
They are next to our new sun trap.
We want something with plenty of colour that flowers right through summer.
Our 1st thought was aubretia but google tells me it only flowers till late June.
Perrenial would be nice.
Failing that something easy.....that lasts.
Thanks

 

[MartinQ]

Dahlias are reasonably reliable, with a bit of protection overwinter.
Patio roses.
Clematis growing up fence(s).
Achillea & monarda
Sedums (need little watering).
Fuchsias.

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Roses

 

[raleighnut]

Fuschias

 

[Teamfixed]

Geraniums? They love sun and don't mind drying out now and again.

 

[Dave7]

Roses

TBH we have enough roses on other beds.
Looking for something that will really fill the troughs which is why our 1st thought was aubretia..... only to find they dont flower long enough.

 

[twentysix by twentyfive]

Geraniums? They love sun and don't mind drying out now and again.

Yep - Geraniums is a good call.

Lavender maybe

Succession of bulbs..........

 

[postman]

This is the wrong place to post.Troughs and snoots in ,should be answered by an MP. So question c/o Houses of Parliament.

 

[stephec]

Traditional summer bedding for me, upright stuff like Impatiens, Pelargoniums, and Gazinias in the middle, with trailing stuff like Lobelia, Fuchsias, and whatever your local nursery has in stock round the edge.

 

[Dave7]

Traditional summer bedding for me, upright stuff like Impatiens, Pelargoniums, and Gazinias in the middle, with trailing stuff like Lobelia, Fuchsias, and whatever your local nursery has in stock round the edge.

Thanks.
I will google some of those.
Are any of them long lasting ?

 

[stephec]

Thanks.
I will google some of those.
Are any of them long lasting ?

They're all tender plants that are usually treated as annuals.

Plant them out after the frosts have stopped around mid to late May, then the first frosts of autumn kill them off and you throw them away, then repeat next year.

If you keep dead heading them they'll flower all summer rather than just a month or two as most perennials do.

 

[PaulSB]

@Dave7 I've thought about this a bit. Some good ideas in here and I would go with spring bulbs - probably keep it simple and reliable with dwarf daffodils and Muscari - followed by summer bedding.

Looking at your image you need something to provide structure and height plus winter interest. My suggestion would be a few grasses with a height of around 3 feet to plant at the back and perhaps some shorter ones for the front. If you don't add some height and winter interest you'll state out of the window all winter at empty troughs.

I would choose simple easy items rather than the very brightly coloured forms which can be slow and difficult to grow. The great thing about grasses is they will give colour and movement through the winter.

Festuca glauca (blue foliage) would be a possibility for the front. To the back consider Carex testacea, Stipa tenuissima (but not Stipa gigantea) and other golden or brown grasses. I'm pretty brain dead tonight and can't think of much else.

A decent garden centre will have a wide selection.

 

[irw]

View attachment 540480

Pssst...I think you built your shed backwards!

 

[Dave7]

Pssst...I think you built your shed backwards!

haha.
Is is actually what was left from the old shed.
We have ornamenty hangy things** to put on which will hopefully make it interesting.
**eg we have an outside clock/barometer to put on.

 

[Dave7]

@Dave7 I've thought about this a bit. Some good ideas in here and I would go with spring bulbs - probably keep it simple and reliable with dwarf daffodils and Muscari - followed by summer bedding.

Looking at your image you need something to provide structure and height plus winter interest. My suggestion would be a few grasses with a height of around 3 feet to plant at the back and perhaps some shorter ones for the front. If you don't add some height and winter interest you'll state out of the window all winter at empty troughs.

I would choose simple easy items rather than the very brightly coloured forms which can be slow and difficult to grow. The great thing about grasses is they will give colour and movement through the winter.

Festuca glauca (blue foliage) would be a possibility for the front. To the back consider Carex testacea, Stipa tenuissima (but not Stipa gigantea) and other golden or brown grasses. I'm pretty brain dead tonight and can't think of much else.

A decent garden centre will have a wide selection.

Thanks Paul....appreciated.
I have written down all the appropriate suggestions and using Mr Google to check them out.
A quick question...... are those grass thingies all permanent or just winter plants.
TBH..... where they are can't really be seen from the house. Its a sort of hidden sun trap. So it only has to look good when we go down the garden.