Meadow plant pot display

BBC Gardeners' World Magazine

Published: Thursday, 18 July 2019 at 10:56 am

Find out how to create a colourful container display using meadow plants like yarrow and valerian.

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If you haven't got the space for a mini meadow but crave the wild look, this pot will provide the perfect solution. Using native wildflowers and their close relatives, it will create the look of a meadow on a small scale. The blend of flowers and grasses will benefit wildlife and look good over a long season.

Filled with yarrow, red valerian, avens, squirrel-tail grass, purple toadflax and woodland sage, this pot is perfect for a sunny spot.

You Will Need

30cm terracotta pot
Multi-purpose, peat-free compost
Loam topsoil
Washed pea gravel
Achillea 'Terracotta'
Centranthus ruber
Geum 'Mrs J Bradshaw'
Hordeum jubatum
Linaria purpurea
Salvia nemorosa

Step 1

Stand your plants in a tray of water to dampen the roots. Meanwhile, mix together equal quantities of compost and soil. Place crocks in the base of your pot, then half fill with compost mix.

Step 2

Remove each plant from its pot and plant into the main container. It's easiest to start at the back with the tallest, then fill in the centre and finally add the last plants around the edges.

Step 3

Fill any gaps between the rootballs with additional compost and firm in well. The compost surface should be a few centimetres below the pot rim. Water thoroughly.

Kevin Smith says...
All of these plants can be moved to the garden when the display is past its best. Plant them in a sunny border and enjoy them for many years to come – wildlife will continue to benefit from the blooms too.