I find pansies too much bother. They need regular dead heading to pro long flowering and shaping to prevent them getting straggly with bits breaking off in the wind.
The only flowering plant I use is the small brightly coloured cyclamen. Arranged in a pot with different colour evergreens, ivy, grasses etc.
In milder, drier areas, it might be easier. Need more watering and attention though - certainly deadheading, and checking for slug and snail damage. Otherwise, most pansies look rubbish after a while. Use Cyclamen - but you need lots - for up towards the end of the year [depending on your local conditions] and also Autumn crocus [Colchicum] then get the earliest Daffs , Crocus, snowdrops, Chionodoxa, reticulata Irises etc to get an early start of colour in February or so. You need loads crammed into pots to get a good effect though. Many Hellebores are often early too, and you can mix in foliage plants and other bulbs with those. The Irises don't return long term either though.
The way to get a really good succession and impact is to have several pots - big ones - and have loads in them. Don't mix loads of bulbs together either - do single colour/type in the same pot, and then add other small pots with anything else that you can find - even if it's Sempervivums or little foliage plants etc.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
It's about getting a bit of succession to take you from the end of the year into late winter/spring. The good thing about pots is that you can swap them around as the mood, and the planting, takes you Some of the little violas rather than pansies might be better too, but deadheading and tidying is definitely necessary.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
On my way to the shops one year I stopped by a man who was taking out a load of plants from a pub's raised beds. When I asked why, cos a lot looked in good nick, he said his firm was paid to swop out the plants on a regular basis.
I asked if I could take some. Good job I was in my way TO the shops as I had 3 empty carrier bags! I have some perlegoliums that must be 3 years old now and the only attention they get is deadheading.
Bedding cyclamen in window boxes can do pretty well. I had some bog standard ones in a sheltered place and they went straight through the winter. I will be doing it again.
Coum and hederifolia are great for naturalising - spring and autumn flowering.
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What is the secret to keep winter pots nice looking?
The only flowering plant I use is the small brightly coloured cyclamen. Arranged in a pot with different colour evergreens, ivy, grasses etc.
Otherwise, most pansies look rubbish after a while.
Use Cyclamen - but you need lots - for up towards the end of the year [depending on your local conditions] and also Autumn crocus [Colchicum] then get the earliest Daffs , Crocus, snowdrops, Chionodoxa, reticulata Irises etc to get an early start of colour in February or so. You need loads crammed into pots to get a good effect though.
Many Hellebores are often early too, and you can mix in foliage plants and other bulbs with those.
The Irises don't return long term either though.
The way to get a really good succession and impact is to have several pots - big ones - and have loads in them. Don't mix loads of bulbs together either - do single colour/type in the same pot, and then add other small pots with anything else that you can find - even if it's Sempervivums or little foliage plants etc.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Lots of good suggestions and advice. Hopefully this year I will have nice pots.
The good thing about pots is that you can swap them around as the mood, and the planting, takes you
Some of the little violas rather than pansies might be better too, but deadheading and tidying is definitely necessary.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
The “trick” pubs use is to simply replace everything periodically.
I asked if I could take some. Good job I was in my way TO the shops as I had 3 empty carrier bags! I have some perlegoliums that must be 3 years old now and the only attention they get is deadheading.