Plant an early spring container

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Plant an early spring container

BBC Gardeners' World Magazine

Published: Tuesday, 5 February 2019 at 3:58 pm

Discover how to use primulas, hellebores and cherry laurel to create this pretty display.

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This pretty display bridges the gap between winter and spring, and is perfect for a patio.

A sturdy evergreen cherry laurel is the backbone of the scheme. The delicate blooms of primulas and hellebores in contrasting shapes and colours give interest at the front. Give the pot and the evergreen a new lease of life by replacing fading flowers with seasonal plants. All the plants can be moved to the garden when they are past their best, where they’ll last for years.

Create a pretty early spring container to herald in the new season, in just three easy steps.

You Will Need

Prunus laurocerasus ‘Rotundifolia’
Helleborus x hybridus
Primula denticulata (3)
Slow-release fertiliser
30sm pot

Total time: 15 minutes

Step 1

Adding slow-release fertilise to the compost

Add compost to your pot until it’s half-full. Mix in a handful of slow-release fertiliser granules.

Step 2

Planting the hellebore in the container

Add the plants one at a time, with the evergreen at the back. Pack them in tightly.

Step 3

Watering the container

Give your early spring container a good water to settle the compost around the roots. Fill gaps with more compost.

Reuse the plants in the garden

All the plants can be moved to the garden when they are past their best, where they’ll last for years.

Red watering can

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