Transform your containers with an autumn look following designer Jo Thompson's hellebore and euonymus arrangements.
In a creative twist, a discarded steel dustbin has been transformed into a beautiful autumnal feature, inspired by the colours of November's Bonfire Night. The Water Lane Walled Garden, accessible through waterlane.net, showcases this eye-catching container garden, which features a carefully curated selection of plants.
The main components of the container's planting include Helleborus x ballardiae HGC Maestro, Saxifraga Dancing Pixies Tini, Anemanthele lessoniana 'Sirocco', Hedera helix 'Little Silver', and Euonymus fortunei 'Emerald Gaiety'.
To create this stunning autumnal display, follow these expert guidelines for container gardening:
1. **Choose the right container:** Select a container with good drainage holes and large enough to comfortably fit the combined rootballs of your plants, leaving some extra space for growth.
2. **Select quality soil:** Use an all-purpose potting mix enriched with perlite or vermiculite to ensure good drainage. Incorporate organic matter like compost or bark to retain adequate moisture while keeping roots healthy.
3. **Plan plant placement by visual structure:** Adopt the "thriller, filler, spiller" approach. Place taller or upright plants like Anemanthele lessoniana 'Sirocco' centrally or towards the back for height and movement. Medium-height plants such as hellebores and Euonymus fortunei 'Emerald Gaiety' provide structure and foliage interest. Trailing plants with delicate cascading leaves like Hedera helix 'Little Silver' and Saxifraga Dancing Pixies Tini should be planted near the edges to soften the container edges and add flow.
4. **Planting and spacing:** Moisten the soil before planting. Arrange plants so each has enough space for root and canopy expansion. Position plants to balance leaf colors and textures for autumn interest.
5. **Care and maintenance:** Water thoroughly after planting and then regularly when the top 1-2 inches of soil feel dry. Use a slow-release fertilizer to support plant health through the autumn season. Remove any spent flowers or dead leaves to keep the container tidy and encourage new growth.
6. **Additional tips:** Since hellebores thrive in part shade and cool conditions, situate the container where it will receive morning sun and afternoon shade. The evergreen nature of Euonymus and Hedera will provide year-round interest, making them excellent anchor plants in this container. Saxifrages and hellebores prefer well-drained soil and cooler conditions, which align well with autumn planting.
This combination ensures a pleasing mix of foliage color, texture, and seasonal blooms, delivering an attractive autumnal display that transitions smoothly into winter. By following these steps, you can craft a striking and healthy autumn feature container garden that highlights each plant's best attributes while thriving through the cooler months.
Plants like Helleborus x ballardiae HGC Maestro, with creamy-pink saucers of flowers that become darker as they age, and leathery foliage with dark green and pewter-grey tones, and Saxifraga Dancing Pixies Tini, a dwarf, mound-forming perennial with masses of star-shaped, pink-edged white flowers with yellow centres, measuring 25cm x 60cm, add a touch of elegance to the container garden.
The variegated Euonymus fortunei 'Emerald Gaiety' and Hedera helix 'Little Silver' were used to balance the "mouth-watering toffees and caramels" colours and bring light to the mix. The saxifrage's flowers last throughout autumn and have good matching shades of pink and cream, making it a perfect partner to the hellebore. The arrangement is happy in a container for a few years, as long as the compost is replaced and the euonymus is kept trimmed.
- A Home-and-garden lifestyle enthusiast could create a striking container garden similar to the one at Water Lane Walled Garden, combining plants like Helleborus x ballardiae HGC Maestro, Saxifraga Dancing Pixies Tini, Anemanthele lessoniana 'Sirocco', Hedera helix 'Little Silver', and Euonymus fortunei 'Emerald Gaiety'.
- Crafting a beautiful autumnal display involves choosing the right container with good drainage, selecting quality soil, and following an effective plant placement strategy – adopting the "thriller, filler, spiller" approach and maintaining proper watering, fertilization, and care.
- By featuring plants with diverse foliage colors, textures, and autumn blooms, homeowners can design an appealing container garden that delivers an attractive autumnal display and transitions smoothly into winter, providing years of enjoyment for their home-and-garden lifestyle.
