The Middle-Sized Garden






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if your garden is bigger than a courtyard, but smaller than an acre

12 top plants for a brilliant winter container garden display https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/12-top-tips-brilliant-winter-container-garden-display/
https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/?p=17613
<p class=”timestamp”><span class=”fas fa-calendar-alt”></span> December 11th, 2021 <span class=”fas fa-list-alt”></span> Posted In: <a href=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/category/container-gardening/” rel=”category tag”>Container gardening</a></p><input class=”jpibfi” type=”hidden”><p>A <strong>winter container garden</strong> display can give the garden such a lift.</p><p>You can enjoy winter pots in the front garden every time you come home. And just a few pots near the house in the back garden can give your back garden focus and structure at a time when things can look quite shaggy.</p><p>So garden designer and baking influencer <a href=”https://www.instagram.com/janebbakes/?hl=en”>Jane Beedle</a> and I set out to Maytree, our local plant nursery to shop for plants and Jane told me her top tips.</p><div id=”attachment_17636″ class=”wp-caption alignnone” readability=”32.777173913043″><noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17636″ class=”wp-image-17636 size-medium” title=”These plants would all work beautifully in any winter container garden #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-hanging-basket-maytree-400×600.jpg” alt=”These plants would all work beautifully in any winter container garden #middlesizedgarden” width=”400″ height=”600″ srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-hanging-basket-maytree-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-hanging-basket-maytree-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-hanging-basket-maytree-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-hanging-basket-maytree.jpg 667w” sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/12-top-tips-brilliant-winter-container-garden-display/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”12 top plants for a brilliant winter container garden display” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-hanging-basket-maytree-400×600.jpg”></noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17636″ class=”lazyload wp-image-17636 size-medium” title=”These plants would all work beautifully in any winter container garden #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-hanging-basket-maytree-400×600.jpg” alt=”These plants would all work beautifully in any winter container garden #middlesizedgarden” width=”400″ height=”600″ data-sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/12-top-tips-brilliant-winter-container-garden-display/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”12 top plants for a brilliant winter container garden display” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-hanging-basket-maytree-400×600.jpg” srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-hanging-basket-maytree-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-hanging-basket-maytree-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-hanging-basket-maytree-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-hanging-basket-maytree.jpg 667w”><p id=”caption-attachment-17636″ class=”wp-caption-text”>This hanging basket at <a href=”https://www.maytreenursery.com/”>Maytree nursery, Kent</a>, is full of plants you can later plant out in your garden. Clockwise from left: pink hardy cyclamen, skimmia, festuca glauca and hellebore.</p></div><p>If you prefer to watch a video, see <a href=”https://youtu.be/vzYQtqT7x1Q”>evergreens for winter pots here</a>.</p><h2>Reduce waste – use plants that can go in the garden later</h2><p>All plants can grow in pots. So you can buy very small, young shrubs and perennials for your winter pots, hanging baskets and window boxes. They won’t grow much in winter so you can often keep them in your summer planters.</p><p>They will then grow in the summer, but you can often get a second winter out of them before they grow too big. At that point, you can plant them out in the garden.</p><div id=”attachment_17647″ class=”wp-caption alignnone” readability=”37″><noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17647″ class=”wp-image-17647 size-medium” title=”The best winter container plants for pots and window boxes #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-jane-winter-box-cornus-cyclame-400×600.jpg” alt=”The best winter container plants for pots and window boxes” width=”400″ height=”600″ srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-jane-winter-box-cornus-cyclame-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-jane-winter-box-cornus-cyclame-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-jane-winter-box-cornus-cyclame-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-jane-winter-box-cornus-cyclame.jpg 667w” sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/12-top-tips-brilliant-winter-container-garden-display/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”12 top plants for a brilliant winter container garden display” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-jane-winter-box-cornus-cyclame-400×600.jpg”></noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17647″ class=”lazyload wp-image-17647 size-medium” title=”The best winter container plants for pots and window boxes #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-jane-winter-box-cornus-cyclame-400×600.jpg” alt=”The best winter container plants for pots and window boxes” width=”400″ height=”600″ data-sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/12-top-tips-brilliant-winter-container-garden-display/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”12 top plants for a brilliant winter container garden display” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-jane-winter-box-cornus-cyclame-400×600.jpg” srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-jane-winter-box-cornus-cyclame-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-jane-winter-box-cornus-cyclame-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-jane-winter-box-cornus-cyclame-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-jane-winter-box-cornus-cyclame.jpg 667w”><p id=”caption-attachment-17647″ class=”wp-caption-text”>Jane starts her window box and planters by placing a tall plant at the centre. Here she chose a cornus (‘Cornus alba ‘Sibirica’) as a central plant. When the cornus is in leaf in the summer, it would be too large for most planters, but their red branches look wonderful and elegantly airy in winter.</p></div><h2>12 good winter container garden plants which also grow in your garden</h2><p>Here is our pick of the best evergreen plants which can start in your winter containers and then grow on in your garden:</p><h3>Conifers – many varieties. Available as ‘ground cover’ or to add height and structure.</h3><div id=”attachment_17634″ class=”wp-caption alignnone” readability=”30.643598615917″><noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17634″ class=”wp-image-17634 size-medium” title=”Winter container garden ideas with plants you can grow in your garden afterwards #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-conifers-400×600.jpg” alt=”Use conifers in pots, planters or the garden.” width=”400″ height=”600″ srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-conifers-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-conifers-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-conifers-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-conifers.jpg 667w” sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/12-top-tips-brilliant-winter-container-garden-display/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”12 top plants for a brilliant winter container garden display” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-conifers-400×600.jpg”></noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17634″ class=”lazyload wp-image-17634 size-medium” title=”Winter container garden ideas with plants you can grow in your garden afterwards #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-conifers-400×600.jpg” alt=”Use conifers in pots, planters or the garden.” width=”400″ height=”600″ data-sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/12-top-tips-brilliant-winter-container-garden-display/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”12 top plants for a brilliant winter container garden display” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-conifers-400×600.jpg” srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-conifers-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-conifers-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-conifers-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-conifers.jpg 667w”><p id=”caption-attachment-17634″ class=”wp-caption-text”>This is a ground cover conifer, which would work equally well in a planter or in the garden. Check the ultimate height as some tiny plants can grow very tall. There are thousands of conifer varieties, with some wonderful shapes and colours. See <a href=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/how-conifers-transform-year-round-garden/”>how conifers can transform your garden here</a>.</p></div><h3>Cyclamen – plant hardy varieties outside in shady spots</h3><div id=”attachment_17639″ class=”wp-caption alignnone” readability=”37″><noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17639″ class=”wp-image-17639 size-medium” title=”The best winter plants for outdoor container gardens #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-hardy-cyclamen-400×600.jpg” alt=”The best winter plants for outdoor container gardens” width=”400″ height=”600″ srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-hardy-cyclamen-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-hardy-cyclamen-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-hardy-cyclamen-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-hardy-cyclamen.jpg 667w” sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/12-top-tips-brilliant-winter-container-garden-display/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”12 top plants for a brilliant winter container garden display” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-hardy-cyclamen-400×600.jpg”></noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17639″ class=”lazyload wp-image-17639 size-medium” title=”The best winter plants for outdoor container gardens #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-hardy-cyclamen-400×600.jpg” alt=”The best winter plants for outdoor container gardens” width=”400″ height=”600″ data-sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/12-top-tips-brilliant-winter-container-garden-display/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”12 top plants for a brilliant winter container garden display” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-hardy-cyclamen-400×600.jpg” srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-hardy-cyclamen-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-hardy-cyclamen-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-hardy-cyclamen-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-hardy-cyclamen.jpg 667w”><p id=”caption-attachment-17639″ class=”wp-caption-text”>Hardy cyclamen are one of the best colourful flowers for winter container gardens. Available in pink, red, purple and white, they can be planted out in a shady part of the garden and will often spread.</p></div><h3>Ferns – many varieties, choose evergreen for winter container gardens</h3><div id=”attachment_17645″ class=”wp-caption alignnone” readability=”37″><noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17645″ class=”wp-image-17645 size-medium” title=”plants for outdoor pots and planters in winter #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-fern-geranium-macrorrhizum-400×600.jpg” alt=”plants for outdoor pots and planters in winter” width=”400″ height=”600″ srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-fern-geranium-macrorrhizum-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-fern-geranium-macrorrhizum-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-fern-geranium-macrorrhizum-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-fern-geranium-macrorrhizum.jpg 667w” sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/12-top-tips-brilliant-winter-container-garden-display/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”12 top plants for a brilliant winter container garden display” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-fern-geranium-macrorrhizum-400×600.jpg”></noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17645″ class=”lazyload wp-image-17645 size-medium” title=”plants for outdoor pots and planters in winter #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-fern-geranium-macrorrhizum-400×600.jpg” alt=”plants for outdoor pots and planters in winter” width=”400″ height=”600″ data-sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/12-top-tips-brilliant-winter-container-garden-display/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”12 top plants for a brilliant winter container garden display” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-fern-geranium-macrorrhizum-400×600.jpg” srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-fern-geranium-macrorrhizum-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-fern-geranium-macrorrhizum-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-fern-geranium-macrorrhizum-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-fern-geranium-macrorrhizum.jpg 667w”><p id=”caption-attachment-17645″ class=”wp-caption-text”>Ferns in a pot with a silver birch and Geranium macrorrhizum. There are thousands of different types of ferns, so check they’re evergreen for winter containers and also whether they’ll prefer sun or shade when planted out. The geraniums won’t flower in winter, so you would probably need to switch around the plants for the cooler months.</p></div><h3>Festuca glauca (sedge) available in blue/grey and bright green</h3><div id=”attachment_17638″ class=”wp-caption alignnone” readability=”35″><noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17638″ class=”wp-image-17638 size-medium” title=”12 outdoor winter container garden plants you can grow in your borders later #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Festuca-glauca-1-400×600.jpg” alt=”12 outdoor winter container garden plants you can grow in your borders later” width=”400″ height=”600″ srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Festuca-glauca-1-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Festuca-glauca-1-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Festuca-glauca-1-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Festuca-glauca-1.jpg 667w” sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/12-top-tips-brilliant-winter-container-garden-display/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”12 top plants for a brilliant winter container garden display” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Festuca-glauca-1-400×600.jpg”></noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17638″ class=”lazyload wp-image-17638 size-medium” title=”12 outdoor winter container garden plants you can grow in your borders later #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Festuca-glauca-1-400×600.jpg” alt=”12 outdoor winter container garden plants you can grow in your borders later” width=”400″ height=”600″ data-sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/12-top-tips-brilliant-winter-container-garden-display/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”12 top plants for a brilliant winter container garden display” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Festuca-glauca-1-400×600.jpg” srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Festuca-glauca-1-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Festuca-glauca-1-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Festuca-glauca-1-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Festuca-glauca-1.jpg 667w”><p id=”caption-attachment-17638″ class=”wp-caption-text”>Blue fescue or Festuca glauca is a neat, blue-grey ‘grass’ to edge window boxes, hanging baskets or borders.</p></div><p>As soon as Jane spotted these blue Festuca glauca, she was inspired to add them to her window boxes and pots.</p><h3>Gaultheria procumbens (American wintergreen)</h3><div id=”attachment_17641″ class=”wp-caption alignnone” readability=”36″><noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17641″ class=”wp-image-17641 size-medium” title=”Easy outdoor winter container garden ideas #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-gaultheria-hellebore-skimmia-cyclamen-400×600.jpg” alt=”Easy outdoor winter container garden ideas #middlesizedgarden” width=”400″ height=”600″ srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-gaultheria-hellebore-skimmia-cyclamen-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-gaultheria-hellebore-skimmia-cyclamen-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-gaultheria-hellebore-skimmia-cyclamen-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-gaultheria-hellebore-skimmia-cyclamen.jpg 667w” sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/12-top-tips-brilliant-winter-container-garden-display/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”12 top plants for a brilliant winter container garden display” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-gaultheria-hellebore-skimmia-cyclamen-400×600.jpg”></noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17641″ class=”lazyload wp-image-17641 size-medium” title=”Easy outdoor winter container garden ideas #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-gaultheria-hellebore-skimmia-cyclamen-400×600.jpg” alt=”Easy outdoor winter container garden ideas #middlesizedgarden” width=”400″ height=”600″ data-sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/12-top-tips-brilliant-winter-container-garden-display/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”12 top plants for a brilliant winter container garden display” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-gaultheria-hellebore-skimmia-cyclamen-400×600.jpg” srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-gaultheria-hellebore-skimmia-cyclamen-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-gaultheria-hellebore-skimmia-cyclamen-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-gaultheria-hellebore-skimmia-cyclamen-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-gaultheria-hellebore-skimmia-cyclamen.jpg 667w”><p id=”caption-attachment-17641″ class=”wp-caption-text”>The red-berried Gaultheria procumbens (central in this photo) will plant out in your garden. It grows to only 30cm high and is easy care. The pink berried Gaultherias, however, will need a male/female plant to ensure pollination.</p></div><h3>Hebes – many varieties and leaf colours.</h3><div id=”attachment_17642″ class=”wp-caption alignnone” readability=”33″><noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17642″ class=”wp-image-17642 size-medium” title=”The best winter plants for pots and planters #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-Hebes-for-hanging-baskets-planters-gardens-400×600.jpg” alt=”Hebes for planters and borders” width=”400″ height=”600″ srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-Hebes-for-hanging-baskets-planters-gardens-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-Hebes-for-hanging-baskets-planters-gardens-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-Hebes-for-hanging-baskets-planters-gardens-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-Hebes-for-hanging-baskets-planters-gardens.jpg 667w” sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/12-top-tips-brilliant-winter-container-garden-display/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”12 top plants for a brilliant winter container garden display” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-Hebes-for-hanging-baskets-planters-gardens-400×600.jpg”></noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17642″ class=”lazyload wp-image-17642 size-medium” title=”The best winter plants for pots and planters #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-Hebes-for-hanging-baskets-planters-gardens-400×600.jpg” alt=”Hebes for planters and borders” width=”400″ height=”600″ data-sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/12-top-tips-brilliant-winter-container-garden-display/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”12 top plants for a brilliant winter container garden display” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-Hebes-for-hanging-baskets-planters-gardens-400×600.jpg” srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-Hebes-for-hanging-baskets-planters-gardens-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-Hebes-for-hanging-baskets-planters-gardens-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-Hebes-for-hanging-baskets-planters-gardens-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-Hebes-for-hanging-baskets-planters-gardens.jpg 667w”><p id=”caption-attachment-17642″ class=”wp-caption-text”>There are a huge range of hebe varieties so check which ones grow where you live. They add structure and evergreen colour to both borders and planters.</p></div><h3>Hellebores – plant out after the first winter in a pot</h3><div id=”attachment_17643″ class=”wp-caption alignnone” readability=”36″><noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17643″ class=”wp-image-17643 size-medium” title=”Plants and ideas for beautiful winter container gardens #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-hellebores-400×600.jpg” alt=”Hellebores for pots and gardens” width=”400″ height=”600″ srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-hellebores-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-hellebores-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-hellebores-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-hellebores.jpg 667w” sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/12-top-tips-brilliant-winter-container-garden-display/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”12 top plants for a brilliant winter container garden display” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-hellebores-400×600.jpg”></noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17643″ class=”lazyload wp-image-17643 size-medium” title=”Plants and ideas for beautiful winter container gardens #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-hellebores-400×600.jpg” alt=”Hellebores for pots and gardens” width=”400″ height=”600″ data-sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/12-top-tips-brilliant-winter-container-garden-display/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”12 top plants for a brilliant winter container garden display” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-hellebores-400×600.jpg” srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-hellebores-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-hellebores-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-hellebores-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-hellebores.jpg 667w”><p id=”caption-attachment-17643″ class=”wp-caption-text”>These evergreen hellebores are available in blue/green or bright green leaves, to tie in with your colour scheme. Hellebores are probably best planted out after just one winter in a pot, as hellebores are quite deep rooted plants and may find a pot constricting.</p></div><p>Jane chose the pale blue grey of Hellebore ‘Silver Dollar’ along with a similar shade of Festuca glauca for her pots and window boxes.</p><h3>Heuchera – many varieties and leaf colours</h3><div id=”attachment_17644″ class=”wp-caption alignnone” readability=”36″><noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17644″ class=”wp-image-17644 size-medium” title=”12 top plants for evergreen winter containers and planters #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Heuchera-come-in-a-wide-range-of-leaf-colours-400×600.jpg” alt=”Heucheras” width=”400″ height=”600″ srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Heuchera-come-in-a-wide-range-of-leaf-colours-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Heuchera-come-in-a-wide-range-of-leaf-colours-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Heuchera-come-in-a-wide-range-of-leaf-colours-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Heuchera-come-in-a-wide-range-of-leaf-colours.jpg 667w” sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/12-top-tips-brilliant-winter-container-garden-display/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”12 top plants for a brilliant winter container garden display” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Heuchera-come-in-a-wide-range-of-leaf-colours-400×600.jpg”></noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17644″ class=”lazyload wp-image-17644 size-medium” title=”12 top plants for evergreen winter containers and planters #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Heuchera-come-in-a-wide-range-of-leaf-colours-400×600.jpg” alt=”Heucheras” width=”400″ height=”600″ data-sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/12-top-tips-brilliant-winter-container-garden-display/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”12 top plants for a brilliant winter container garden display” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Heuchera-come-in-a-wide-range-of-leaf-colours-400×600.jpg” srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Heuchera-come-in-a-wide-range-of-leaf-colours-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Heuchera-come-in-a-wide-range-of-leaf-colours-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Heuchera-come-in-a-wide-range-of-leaf-colours-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Heuchera-come-in-a-wide-range-of-leaf-colours.jpg 667w”><p id=”caption-attachment-17644″ class=”wp-caption-text”>Heucheras now come in a wide variety of leaf colours and grow well in pots. But they seem particularly vulnerable to vine weevil, so if you see little white grubs in the potting compost, change all the soil immediately.</p></div><h3>Holly – variegated hollies like ‘Golden King’ add structure to pots and gardens</h3><noscript><img class=”alignnone wp-image-17649 size-medium” title=”Plants for successful winter container gardening #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-hollies-400×600.jpg” alt=”Holly ‘Golden King'” width=”400″ height=”600″ srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-hollies-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-hollies-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-hollies-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-hollies.jpg 667w” sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/12-top-tips-brilliant-winter-container-garden-display/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”12 top plants for a brilliant winter container garden display” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-hollies-400×600.jpg”></noscript><img class=”lazyload alignnone wp-image-17649 size-medium” title=”Plants for successful winter container gardening #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-hollies-400×600.jpg” alt=”Holly ‘Golden King'” width=”400″ height=”600″ data-sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/12-top-tips-brilliant-winter-container-garden-display/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”12 top plants for a brilliant winter container garden display” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-hollies-400×600.jpg” srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-hollies-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-hollies-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-hollies-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-hollies.jpg 667w”><h3>Ivy – trails in pots and climbs in the garden</h3><div id=”attachment_17650″ class=”wp-caption alignnone” readability=”34.888888888889″><noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17650″ class=”wp-image-17650 size-medium” title=”Winter container plants that look good all year round #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Ivy-for-container-planting-and-in-the-garden-400×600.jpg” alt=”Ivy in planters and in the garden” width=”400″ height=”600″ srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Ivy-for-container-planting-and-in-the-garden-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Ivy-for-container-planting-and-in-the-garden-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Ivy-for-container-planting-and-in-the-garden-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Ivy-for-container-planting-and-in-the-garden.jpg 667w” sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/12-top-tips-brilliant-winter-container-garden-display/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”12 top plants for a brilliant winter container garden display” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Ivy-for-container-planting-and-in-the-garden-400×600.jpg”></noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17650″ class=”lazyload wp-image-17650 size-medium” title=”Winter container plants that look good all year round #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Ivy-for-container-planting-and-in-the-garden-400×600.jpg” alt=”Ivy in planters and in the garden” width=”400″ height=”600″ data-sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/12-top-tips-brilliant-winter-container-garden-display/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”12 top plants for a brilliant winter container garden display” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Ivy-for-container-planting-and-in-the-garden-400×600.jpg” srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Ivy-for-container-planting-and-in-the-garden-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Ivy-for-container-planting-and-in-the-garden-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Ivy-for-container-planting-and-in-the-garden-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Ivy-for-container-planting-and-in-the-garden.jpg 667w”><p id=”caption-attachment-17650″ class=”wp-caption-text”>Ivy is a good trailing plant for pots and window boxes, and can be good ground cover or a climber in the garden. You will need to trim it at least once a year however. If ivy is left unchecked, it will continue to grow – everywhere! For a garden that uses evergreens such as ivy beautifully, see Roger Lloyd’s<a href=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/a-clever-evergreen-garden-with-a-touch-of-grandeur/”> evergreen garden in Norfolk.</a></p></div><h3>Leucothoe (eg Leucothoe ‘Scarletta’)</h3><div id=”attachment_17651″ class=”wp-caption alignnone” readability=”36″><noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17651″ class=”wp-image-17651 size-medium” title=”Container plants for winter #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-leucothoe-400×600.jpg” alt=”Leucothoe in pots” width=”400″ height=”600″ srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-leucothoe-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-leucothoe-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-leucothoe-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-leucothoe.jpg 667w” sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/12-top-tips-brilliant-winter-container-garden-display/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”12 top plants for a brilliant winter container garden display” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-leucothoe-400×600.jpg”></noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17651″ class=”lazyload wp-image-17651 size-medium” title=”Container plants for winter #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-leucothoe-400×600.jpg” alt=”Leucothoe in pots” width=”400″ height=”600″ data-sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/12-top-tips-brilliant-winter-container-garden-display/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”12 top plants for a brilliant winter container garden display” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-leucothoe-400×600.jpg” srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-leucothoe-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-leucothoe-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-leucothoe-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-leucothoe.jpg 667w”><p id=”caption-attachment-17651″ class=”wp-caption-text”>Leucothoe’s red leaves make it a popular choice for winter container gardens. It prefers acid soil, so if your soil is alkaline, you’ll have to keep it in a pot and feed it with ericaceous plant feed in summer.</p></div><h3>Skimmia – low maintenance, easy-grow shrubs with good height</h3><div id=”attachment_17653″ class=”wp-caption alignnone” readability=”37″><noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17653″ class=”wp-image-17653 size-medium” title=”12 best plants for winter container gardens, pots and planters” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-hanging-basket-skimmia-400×600.jpg” alt=”Skimmias in a hanging basket” width=”400″ height=”600″ srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-hanging-basket-skimmia-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-hanging-basket-skimmia-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-hanging-basket-skimmia-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-hanging-basket-skimmia.jpg 667w” sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/12-top-tips-brilliant-winter-container-garden-display/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”12 top plants for a brilliant winter container garden display” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-hanging-basket-skimmia-400×600.jpg”></noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17653″ class=”lazyload wp-image-17653 size-medium” title=”12 best plants for winter container gardens, pots and planters” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-hanging-basket-skimmia-400×600.jpg” alt=”Skimmias in a hanging basket” width=”400″ height=”600″ data-sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/12-top-tips-brilliant-winter-container-garden-display/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”12 top plants for a brilliant winter container garden display” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-hanging-basket-skimmia-400×600.jpg” srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-hanging-basket-skimmia-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-hanging-basket-skimmia-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-hanging-basket-skimmia-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-hanging-basket-skimmia.jpg 667w”><p id=”caption-attachment-17653″ class=”wp-caption-text”>Several of the hanging baskets at Maytree Nursery featured skimmias as their central plant,. It adds height, colour and structure. Here a creamy white skimmia is partnered with red cyclamen, ivy and hellebores.</p></div><p>Skimmias work best in pots when they’re small plants. As they get bigger they need more space and nutrients. But they are very easy-care plants. They prefer partial shade in the garden. Many people think they need acid soil, but they don’t.</p><p>Skimmia are available in a wide range of colours. Although the picture above appears to show it in flower, these are actually buds, which are on the plant all winter. They’ll flower in spring, making skimmia a very useful presence in the garden.</p><h2>When to plant a winter container garden</h2><p>You can plant winter pots any time. Jane usually waits until her summer display is looking tired. This year there was a mild autumn, so the summer plants went on flowering until late November.</p><p>‘When I was working as a garden designer,’ says Jane, ‘I had clients who changed their pots and window boxes four times a year. So they’d have an autumn display from about late September onwards and then a winter one from the middle of December. You will find that the plants available in the shops change though.’</p><h2>How to choose the right pots</h2><p>You can plant a winter container garden in most kinds of planters. But if your winters are very cold, metal planters will get particularly cold, so you’ll need to check the hardiness of the plants you put in them. Terracotta pots must be frost-proof. Ceramic and resin planters are good too.</p><p>You can also recycle containers of various kinds to use as planters. The most important thing is to make sure that there are drainage holes in the base so that water can run out. Here are <a href=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/love-your-pots-25-inspiring-practical-ideas-for-container-gardens/”>25 pot and planter ideas for container gardens</a>.</p><h2>Can you re-use plants from one season to the next?</h2><p>Jane did the basic structure of the current window boxes and front garden pots up to two years ago. She explains how to put together <a href=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/how-plant-winter-window-box/”>winter window boxes from scratch here</a>. She re-did them the following winter, re-using most of the plants in some way. You can read <a href=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/winter-pots-really-useful-tips/”>her winter pots</a> tips here.</p><p>(If you’d like to read the Middlesized Garden’s gardening tips, ideas and inspiration regularly, see <a href=”https://tremendous-producer-5259.ck.page/4498e9fc42″>here to get a free weekly email</a> with all the posts.)</p><p>But now that the plants have been in for one or two years, she thinks it’s time for a change. The small conifers are getting too big, so she’s giving them to me.</p><p>Evergreens can often live in pots for several years, offering structure and year-round interest for very little attention. See <a href=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/10-easy-care-evergreen-pots-for-year-round-impact/”>10 easy care evergreen pots for year-round impact</a> for more evergreen container garden ideas.</p><h2>How to water a container garden in winter</h2><p>More container garden plants are killed by over-watering than by under-watering, especially in winter. It’s particularly important not to have winter pots sitting on saucers, for example, as the water can puddle at the base of the pot and freeze.</p><p>Unless your weather is very dry, you probably won’t have to water your winter pots and planters. Start watering in spring, when new foliage starts to appear. By then, your winter container gardens will probably need to be replaced by the spring or summer schemes. Some evergreen plants can stay in pots for a couple of years, however.</p><h2>Should you feed winter container garden plants?</h2><p>No. Most people don’t feed their winter containers. Some experts even say that feeding plants in pots, hanging baskets or planters in winter will encourage soft new growth which will then be vulnerable to frost.</p><p>All plants in pots need regular feeding and watering from about mid-spring to early autumn. See <a href=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/best-pots-ever-6-tips-brilliant-container-gardening/”>6 tips for brilliant container gardening here</a>.</p><h3>Pin to remember tips</h3><p>I often save articles on <a href=”https://www.pinterest.co.uk/midsizegarden/_created/”>Pinterest</a> if I think I will want to refer to them again. It’s such a useful online filing cabinet.</p><noscript><img class=”alignnone wp-image-17655 size-medium” title=”How to choose plants for a brilliant winter container garden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Choosing-plants-for-winter-container-gardens-400×600.jpg” alt=”How to choose plants for winter container gardens” width=”400″ height=”600″ srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Choosing-plants-for-winter-container-gardens-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Choosing-plants-for-winter-container-gardens-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Choosing-plants-for-winter-container-gardens-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Choosing-plants-for-winter-container-gardens.jpg 667w” sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/12-top-tips-brilliant-winter-container-garden-display/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”12 top plants for a brilliant winter container garden display” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Choosing-plants-for-winter-container-gardens-400×600.jpg”></noscript><img class=”lazyload alignnone wp-image-17655 size-medium” title=”How to choose plants for a brilliant winter container garden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Choosing-plants-for-winter-container-gardens-400×600.jpg” alt=”How to choose plants for winter container gardens” width=”400″ height=”600″ data-sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/12-top-tips-brilliant-winter-container-garden-display/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”12 top plants for a brilliant winter container garden display” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Choosing-plants-for-winter-container-gardens-400×600.jpg” srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Choosing-plants-for-winter-container-gardens-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Choosing-plants-for-winter-container-gardens-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Choosing-plants-for-winter-container-gardens-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Choosing-plants-for-winter-container-gardens.jpg 667w”> Sat, 11 Dec 2021 03:31:33 -0500 Alexandra Campbell
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https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/12-top-tips-brilliant-winter-container-garden-display/
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Indoor outdoor plants: 9 garden plants that also thrive as house plants https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/indoor-outdoor-plants-10-garden-plants-that-also-thrive-as-house-plants/
https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/?p=17630
<p class=”timestamp”><span class=”fas fa-calendar-alt”></span> December 4th, 2021 <span class=”fas fa-list-alt”></span> Posted In: <a href=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/category/garden-trends-design/” rel=”category tag”>Garden trends &amp; design</a></p><input class=”jpibfi” type=”hidden”><p><strong>Indoor outdoor plants</strong> are plants you can grow in winter as house plants, then move out onto your terrace or garden when the warmer weather comes.</p><p>If you don’t have a greenhouse but want to grow plants that won’t survive your winters, then plants you can bring indoors when the weather turns are not just beautiful. They’re also space savers. And in summer, you have an almost ready made display.</p><p>‘All plants evolved as outdoor plants,’ explains horticulturalist Stephen Ryan. The ones we can grow inside as indoor plants are generally those which can handle the much lower levels of light inside a house. There is more sunshine in a shady border than there is on a mantelpiece in a room!</p><p>So I’ve teamed up with Stephen’s YouTube channel <a href=”https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVP0JO-cSUUScAkI3YXpKRA”>The Horti-Culturalists,</a> which he runs with Matthew Lucas, to give you lists of beautiful indoor outdoor plants and how to look after them inside and out. See their video <a href=”https://youtu.be/zwrCP9-OFQE”>on peperomia, begonias, monstera, philodendron and more here</a>.</p><h2>The Green Indoors</h2><p>Sunlight isn’t the only factor in keeping indoor plants healthy. For the Middlesized Garden side of the collaboration, I’ve asked Alice and Maddie Bailey from the stunning house plant sellers <a href=”https://forest.london/”>Forest</a> to explain the house plant side of indoor outdoor plants.</p><div id=”attachment_17683″ class=”wp-caption alignnone” readability=”34″><noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17683″ class=”size-medium wp-image-17683″ src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Alice-and-maddie-bailey-400×600.jpg” alt=”Alice and Maddie Bailey” width=”400″ height=”600″ srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Alice-and-maddie-bailey-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Alice-and-maddie-bailey-533×800.jpg 533w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Alice-and-maddie-bailey-1024×1536.jpg 1024w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Alice-and-maddie-bailey-1365×2048.jpg 1365w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Alice-and-maddie-bailey-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Alice-and-maddie-bailey-scaled.jpg 1706w” sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/indoor-outdoor-plants-10-garden-plants-that-also-thrive-as-house-plants/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”Indoor outdoor plants: 9 garden plants that also thrive as house plants” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Alice-and-maddie-bailey-400×600.jpg”></noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17683″ class=”lazyload size-medium wp-image-17683″ src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Alice-and-maddie-bailey-400×600.jpg” alt=”Alice and Maddie Bailey” width=”400″ height=”600″ data-sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/indoor-outdoor-plants-10-garden-plants-that-also-thrive-as-house-plants/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”Indoor outdoor plants: 9 garden plants that also thrive as house plants” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Alice-and-maddie-bailey-400×600.jpg” srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Alice-and-maddie-bailey-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Alice-and-maddie-bailey-533×800.jpg 533w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Alice-and-maddie-bailey-1024×1536.jpg 1024w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Alice-and-maddie-bailey-1365×2048.jpg 1365w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Alice-and-maddie-bailey-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Alice-and-maddie-bailey-scaled.jpg 1706w”><p id=”caption-attachment-17683″ class=”wp-caption-text”>Alice and Maddie Bailey of Forest, the online and London indoor plant store. They’re also the authors of The Green Indoors.</p></div><p>Maddie and Alice are authors of <a href=”https://forest.london/products/the-green-indoors-book”>The Green Indoors</a>. This book tells you what the natural environment of your house plant would have been. The more closely you can mimic that environment indoors, the better your plant will grow inside. For example, calatheas grow on damp forest floors in the tropics, so they can tolerate the shade of a room. But they do need that room to be warm!</p><div id=”attachment_17684″ class=”wp-caption alignnone” readability=”33″><noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17684″ class=”size-medium wp-image-17684″ src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-the-green-indoors-book-400×600.jpg” alt=”The Green Indoors” width=”400″ height=”600″ srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-the-green-indoors-book-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-the-green-indoors-book-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-the-green-indoors-book-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-the-green-indoors-book.jpg 667w” sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/indoor-outdoor-plants-10-garden-plants-that-also-thrive-as-house-plants/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”Indoor outdoor plants: 9 garden plants that also thrive as house plants” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-the-green-indoors-book-400×600.jpg”></noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17684″ class=”lazyload size-medium wp-image-17684″ src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-the-green-indoors-book-400×600.jpg” alt=”The Green Indoors” width=”400″ height=”600″ data-sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/indoor-outdoor-plants-10-garden-plants-that-also-thrive-as-house-plants/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”Indoor outdoor plants: 9 garden plants that also thrive as house plants” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-the-green-indoors-book-400×600.jpg” srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-the-green-indoors-book-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-the-green-indoors-book-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-the-green-indoors-book-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-the-green-indoors-book.jpg 667w”><p id=”caption-attachment-17684″ class=”wp-caption-text”>The Green Indoors explains how you can give your house plant exactly the right atmosphere and place for it to thrive.</p></div><h2>Can you take any plant indoors and treat it as a house plant?</h2><p>No. You can grow any plant in a pot, but only a few will be happy indoors. As well as the light levels, Maddie says that ventilation is also a factor. ‘A lot of plants can’t cope with the fact that our homes are quite cooped up, with dry air and radiators.’</p><p>I’m often asked if you can grow plants like dahlias or cannas as house plants, but they need too much sun. In winter, you need to bring dahlias, cannas and other tender plants into a frost-free area, such as a shed or garage.</p><p>But you can’t take them indoors and treat them as a house plant as they’re going dormant. They won’t flower.</p><h2>Best indoor outdoor plants list</h2><ul><li>Alocasia</li><li>Aspidistra (Cast iron plant)</li><li>Aeoniums</li><li>Begonia Rex</li><li>Cacti (some varieties only)</li><li>Fatsia japonica</li><li>Hoya</li><li>Monstera deliciosa</li><li>Philodendron</li></ul><h2>Alocasia</h2><p>Alocasias need a light, bright spot in the house, says Alice. But they shouldn’t be in direct light (such as on a window sill) as they’re sheltered by the rainforest canopy in their native environment. They also love the humidity of the jungle, so put them in a light bathroom or kitchen, where there’s lots of humidity from cooking or bathing.</p><div id=”attachment_17685″ class=”wp-caption alignnone” readability=”34″><noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17685″ class=”wp-image-17685 size-medium” title=”Alocasia or Elephant’s Ear can live on a UK terrace in summer and work as a houseplant in the winter #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-alocasia-400×600.jpg” alt=”Alocasia” width=”400″ height=”600″ srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-alocasia-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-alocasia-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-alocasia-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-alocasia.jpg 667w” sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/indoor-outdoor-plants-10-garden-plants-that-also-thrive-as-house-plants/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”Indoor outdoor plants: 9 garden plants that also thrive as house plants” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-alocasia-400×600.jpg”></noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17685″ class=”lazyload wp-image-17685 size-medium” title=”Alocasia or Elephant’s Ear can live on a UK terrace in summer and work as a houseplant in the winter #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-alocasia-400×600.jpg” alt=”Alocasia” width=”400″ height=”600″ data-sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/indoor-outdoor-plants-10-garden-plants-that-also-thrive-as-house-plants/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”Indoor outdoor plants: 9 garden plants that also thrive as house plants” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-alocasia-400×600.jpg” srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-alocasia-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-alocasia-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-alocasia-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-alocasia.jpg 667w”><p id=”caption-attachment-17685″ class=”wp-caption-text”>Alocasia (Elephants’ Ear) can cope with temperatures down to around 7C/45F, so you could keep one outside in the UK all summer.</p></div><p>Stephen grows alocasias in his garden, where there are occasional frosts. These nip the leaves, although they grow back in spring. If you have an alocasia in a pot, you should probably bring it indoors before temperatures drop to around 7C/44F.</p><p>Although alocasias need quite high light levels inside, Stephen grows it in a partially shaded spot outside, because they don’t like strong sunlight.</p><h2>Aspidistra (Cast iron plant)</h2><p>The aspidistra is ‘really cast iron’, says Maddie. ‘They’re very low maintenance. They can grow in a very shaded spot and don’t mind a draught. In fact, they’ll tolerate almost any unfavourable conditions.’&nbsp; The aspidistra fell out of fashion in the mid 20th century, but is now newly appreciated for its elegance and because it’s so easy to care for.</p><div id=”attachment_17690″ class=”wp-caption alignnone” readability=”32″><noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17690″ class=”wp-image-17690 size-medium” title=”The aspidistra will tolerate almost anything as a house plant and in some places it can grow outside too #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-aspidistra-400×600.jpg” alt=”Aspidistras are good indoor outdoor plants” width=”400″ height=”600″ srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-aspidistra-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-aspidistra-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-aspidistra-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-aspidistra.jpg 667w” sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/indoor-outdoor-plants-10-garden-plants-that-also-thrive-as-house-plants/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”Indoor outdoor plants: 9 garden plants that also thrive as house plants” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-aspidistra-400×600.jpg”></noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17690″ class=”lazyload wp-image-17690 size-medium” title=”The aspidistra will tolerate almost anything as a house plant and in some places it can grow outside too #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-aspidistra-400×600.jpg” alt=”Aspidistras are good indoor outdoor plants” width=”400″ height=”600″ data-sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/indoor-outdoor-plants-10-garden-plants-that-also-thrive-as-house-plants/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”Indoor outdoor plants: 9 garden plants that also thrive as house plants” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-aspidistra-400×600.jpg” srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-aspidistra-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-aspidistra-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-aspidistra-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-aspidistra.jpg 667w”><p id=”caption-attachment-17690″ class=”wp-caption-text”>Aspidistra (in the pale pink pot). One of the easiest house plants to grow and very elegant.</p></div><p>If you put your aspidistra outside on the terrace, it can stay out until the temperatures drop below 6C.</p><p>‘Shade and dryness are the two things that aspidistras need if they’re planted outside,’ says Stephen.</p><p>Philip Oostenbrink, author of The Jungle Garden, has a National Collection of Aspidistras in the UK. Read about his <a href=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/the-new-jungle-garden-how-to-create-a-lush-contemporary-haven/”>jungle garden philosophy here.</a></p><h2>Aeoniums</h2><p>Aeoniums are a desert plant, says Maddie, so they prefer warm, dry air. ‘As long as they’ve got lots of sunlight and minimal amounts of watering, they’re perfectly happy indoors.’</p><div id=”attachment_17693″ class=”wp-caption alignnone” readability=”34″><noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17693″ class=”wp-image-17693 size-medium” title=”If you live in a frost-free area you can grow aeoniums both as house plants and garden plants #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-aeonium-400×600.jpg” alt=”Aeoniums” width=”400″ height=”600″ srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-aeonium-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-aeonium-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-aeonium-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-aeonium.jpg 667w” sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/indoor-outdoor-plants-10-garden-plants-that-also-thrive-as-house-plants/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”Indoor outdoor plants: 9 garden plants that also thrive as house plants” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-aeonium-400×600.jpg”></noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17693″ class=”lazyload wp-image-17693 size-medium” title=”If you live in a frost-free area you can grow aeoniums both as house plants and garden plants #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-aeonium-400×600.jpg” alt=”Aeoniums” width=”400″ height=”600″ data-sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/indoor-outdoor-plants-10-garden-plants-that-also-thrive-as-house-plants/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”Indoor outdoor plants: 9 garden plants that also thrive as house plants” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-aeonium-400×600.jpg” srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-aeonium-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-aeonium-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-aeonium-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-aeonium.jpg 667w”><p id=”caption-attachment-17693″ class=”wp-caption-text”>Aeoniums come in a range of colours and sizes. This burgundy one grows outside all year round in a sheltered coastal garden near me, but it’s an area that rarely gets frosts.</p></div><p>Stephen says that aeoniums grow well outside in a ‘cool Mediterranean climate.’ They’re a really easy, unfussy plant but they need sun. Some of the burgundy leafed ones will be more green if they’re planted in the shade.</p><p>Stephen has occasional frosts, which the aeoniums survive, but generally it’s best to bring them indoors before temperatures reach 5C/41F.</p><h2>Begonia Rex and others</h2><p>There are thousands of begonia varieties, but not many will transfer happily from indoors to outside. Alice recommends Begonia Rex as a good variety which will grow outdoors on a terrace in a temperate summer and still look good indoors in the winter.</p><p>If you do have a begonia that’s happy to come indoors as a house plant, you need to bring it in before temperatures drop to 12C/55F.</p><div id=”attachment_17694″ class=”wp-caption alignnone” readability=”33.404092071611″><noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17694″ class=”wp-image-17694 size-medium” title=”You can treat some begonias as indoor outdoor plants, such as this Begonia Sutherlandii #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-Begonia-sutherlandii-400×600.jpg” alt=”Begonia sutherlandii” width=”400″ height=”600″ srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-Begonia-sutherlandii-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-Begonia-sutherlandii-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-Begonia-sutherlandii-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-Begonia-sutherlandii.jpg 667w” sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/indoor-outdoor-plants-10-garden-plants-that-also-thrive-as-house-plants/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”Indoor outdoor plants: 9 garden plants that also thrive as house plants” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-Begonia-sutherlandii-400×600.jpg”></noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17694″ class=”lazyload wp-image-17694 size-medium” title=”You can treat some begonias as indoor outdoor plants, such as this Begonia Sutherlandii #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-Begonia-sutherlandii-400×600.jpg” alt=”Begonia sutherlandii” width=”400″ height=”600″ data-sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/indoor-outdoor-plants-10-garden-plants-that-also-thrive-as-house-plants/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”Indoor outdoor plants: 9 garden plants that also thrive as house plants” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-Begonia-sutherlandii-400×600.jpg” srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-Begonia-sutherlandii-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-Begonia-sutherlandii-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-Begonia-sutherlandii-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-Begonia-sutherlandii.jpg 667w”><p id=”caption-attachment-17694″ class=”wp-caption-text”>This Begonia Sutherlandii lived on my mantelpiece for a month or two, although tuberous begonias like this aren’t really suitable as house plants. It looked lovely in the garden the following summer. However, I didn’t bring it in early enough and it was killed by a frost the following autumn. There’s more about begonias as indoor outdoor plants <a href=”https://youtu.be/zwrCP9-OFQE”>over the The Horti-Culturalists video.</a></p></div><h2>Cacti</h2><p>Once again, the cactus encompasses is a huge genus of plants. ‘The key to looking after a cactus is to remember that it’s a desert plant,’ says Alice. ‘So whether they’re indoors or outdoors, they need lots of light, but they store a lot of water, so don’t water them too much. A bright south-facing window sill is ideal. And let the soil completely dry out before you water them again. Or even leave it a bit longer.</p><p>There are a few cacti that can survive very cold weather, but most can’t. So you’ll need to check your variety before deciding whether to take it outside in the summer.</p><h2>Fatsia japonica</h2><p>‘Fatsia can be kept inside as a house plant,’ says Maddie. ‘But they need to be kept away from any heat source, such as a fire or radiators.’ They don’t want to be in ‘bright, bright sunlight’, she advises and ‘they are quite shade tolerant as well.’</p><div id=”attachment_17698″ class=”wp-caption alignnone” readability=”35″><noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17698″ class=”wp-image-17698 size-medium” title=”Fatsia japonica is probably the ideal indoor outdoor plant – it’s happy in so many places #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-fatsia-400×600.jpg” alt=”Fatsia is the ideal indoor outdoor plant” width=”400″ height=”600″ srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-fatsia-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-fatsia-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-fatsia-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-fatsia.jpg 667w” sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/indoor-outdoor-plants-10-garden-plants-that-also-thrive-as-house-plants/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”Indoor outdoor plants: 9 garden plants that also thrive as house plants” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-fatsia-400×600.jpg”></noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17698″ class=”lazyload wp-image-17698 size-medium” title=”Fatsia japonica is probably the ideal indoor outdoor plant – it’s happy in so many places #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-fatsia-400×600.jpg” alt=”Fatsia is the ideal indoor outdoor plant” width=”400″ height=”600″ data-sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/indoor-outdoor-plants-10-garden-plants-that-also-thrive-as-house-plants/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”Indoor outdoor plants: 9 garden plants that also thrive as house plants” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-fatsia-400×600.jpg” srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-fatsia-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-fatsia-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-fatsia-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-fatsia.jpg 667w”><p id=”caption-attachment-17698″ class=”wp-caption-text”>Stephen says that Fatsia japonica is a very good indoor outdoor plant. It survives normal UK winters and is happy in most situations indoors too. If you live somewhere very cold, bring your fatsia indoors before temperatures drop below minus 10C/14F.</p></div><h2>Hoya</h2><p>‘It depends on the type of hoya, ‘ says Maddie. ‘But a lot of them have very waxy leaves, which means they’re tolerant to unfavourable conditions. Their leaves are less likely to crisp up than some other house plants if placed too close to a heat source, like a radiator or fire. And they can take quite bright light and keep the watering to a minimum.’</p><h2>Monstera deliciosa</h2><p>I remember Monstera deliciosa from my student days in the 1970s. Those plants must have been tough to survive the neglect of a student flat, but like aspidistras, they fell out of fashion until recently.</p><p>‘Monstera deliciosa has had a resurgence recently,’ says Alice. ‘They’re just such a wonderful house plant. Really, really easy. The brighter the light, the bigger the leaves will get, but they can also tolerate quite deep shade.’ Monsteras also like minimal watering – water them once about half the soil is dry, advises Alice.</p><div id=”attachment_17686″ class=”wp-caption alignnone” readability=”35″><noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17686″ class=”wp-image-17686 size-medium” title=”Monstera deliciosa is a resilient house plant, and it can be grown in some gardens too #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-monstera-deliciosa-400×600.jpg” alt=”Monstera deliciosa” width=”400″ height=”600″ srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-monstera-deliciosa-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-monstera-deliciosa-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-monstera-deliciosa-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-monstera-deliciosa.jpg 667w” sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/indoor-outdoor-plants-10-garden-plants-that-also-thrive-as-house-plants/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”Indoor outdoor plants: 9 garden plants that also thrive as house plants” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-monstera-deliciosa-400×600.jpg”></noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17686″ class=”lazyload wp-image-17686 size-medium” title=”Monstera deliciosa is a resilient house plant, and it can be grown in some gardens too #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-monstera-deliciosa-400×600.jpg” alt=”Monstera deliciosa” width=”400″ height=”600″ data-sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/indoor-outdoor-plants-10-garden-plants-that-also-thrive-as-house-plants/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”Indoor outdoor plants: 9 garden plants that also thrive as house plants” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-monstera-deliciosa-400×600.jpg” srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-monstera-deliciosa-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-monstera-deliciosa-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-monstera-deliciosa-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Canva-monstera-deliciosa.jpg 667w”><p id=”caption-attachment-17686″ class=”wp-caption-text”>Monstera deliciosa is an easy-going indoor outdoor plant, but you would need to bring it inside when temperatures go down to 15C/60F. However Stephen’s winters are colder than that and he has Monstera growing in his garden – in a sheltered spot.</p></div><h2>Philodendron</h2><p>‘There are a few different varieties of philodendron,’ says Alice. ‘Although they’re known to be a shade-loving plant, I’ve known them to enjoy quite a bright spot too. They need a little more water than the thicker, fleshier-leaved plants. So water them once the top inch of soil has dried out. But they’re fairly tough. As long as they don’t go below 15C, they tend to be fine.</p><div id=”attachment_17687″ class=”wp-caption alignnone” readability=”35″><noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17687″ class=”wp-image-17687 size-medium” title=”There are lots of varieties of philodendron. Some will grow happily outside in a temperate climate. #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/philodendron-400×600.jpg” alt=”Phllodendron scandens” width=”400″ height=”600″ srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/philodendron-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/philodendron-533×800.jpg 533w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/philodendron-1024×1536.jpg 1024w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/philodendron-1366×2048.jpg 1366w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/philodendron-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/philodendron.jpg 1531w” sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/indoor-outdoor-plants-10-garden-plants-that-also-thrive-as-house-plants/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”Indoor outdoor plants: 9 garden plants that also thrive as house plants” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/philodendron-400×600.jpg”></noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17687″ class=”lazyload wp-image-17687 size-medium” title=”There are lots of varieties of philodendron. Some will grow happily outside in a temperate climate. #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/philodendron-400×600.jpg” alt=”Phllodendron scandens” width=”400″ height=”600″ data-sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/indoor-outdoor-plants-10-garden-plants-that-also-thrive-as-house-plants/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”Indoor outdoor plants: 9 garden plants that also thrive as house plants” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/philodendron-400×600.jpg” srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/philodendron-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/philodendron-533×800.jpg 533w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/philodendron-1024×1536.jpg 1024w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/philodendron-1366×2048.jpg 1366w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/philodendron-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/philodendron.jpg 1531w”><p id=”caption-attachment-17687″ class=”wp-caption-text”>There are several varieties of philodendron. This is philodendron scandens, which is more tender than the big philodendrons in Stephen’s garden. Scandens won’t be happy if the temperature drops below 10C/50F.</p></div><h2>Ferns as house plants and garden plants…</h2><p>There are thousands of different kinds of fern.</p><p>But although you will see them for sale as indoor plants and in outdoor nurseries, these are not exactly the same plants.</p><p>Generally you will need to buy your ferns either as indoor (tropical ) ferns or as outdoor plants. ‘The key to growing ferns inside is that they need a high level of humidity,’ says Alice. ‘They really suffer from dry air and will crisp very quickly if they’re too close to central heating.</p><p>If you’d like inspiration on growing ferns and other house plants indoors, here is an <a href=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/how-decorate-indoor-plants-latest-trends/”>unusual post on styling house plants</a>.</p><h2>And can I treat palms as indoor outdoor plants?</h2><p>When I first thought about indoor outdoor plants, I thought about palms.</p><p>But Alice says that, as with ferns, you need to buy your palm either as an indoor or an outdoor variety. The parlour palm, for example, won’t like the sudden drops in temperature you can get outside even in a warm temperate summer.</p><p>Tree ferns grow well in many cool temperate climates, such as the UK and USDA zones 9. They offer much of the tropical feel that palms do. Find out more about <a href=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/what-need-know-tree-ferns-cool-climate/”>growing tree ferns in a cool climate here</a>.</p><h2>More about the Horti-Culturalists</h2><p><a href=”https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVP0JO-cSUUScAkI3YXpKRA”>The Horti-Culturalists</a> is a new channel this year. It’s quickly picking up a following for its informative and fun advice on unusual, rare or exotic plants and how to look after them. It’s run by Stephen Ryan and Matthew Lucas. Stephen grows rare plants in his nursery in Mount Macedon near Melboure, and was formerly a presenter on Gardening Australia (considered to be like the UK’s BBC Gardeners World).</p><p>Although many of the plants featured look exotic or tropical, the Horti-Culturalists broadcast from just outside Melbourne, Australia, where the climate is ‘cool Mediterranean’ with some quite cold winters and warm or hot summers. That’s pretty close to the UK or a USDA zone 9.</p><div id=”attachment_17700″ class=”wp-caption alignnone” readability=”32″><noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17700″ class=”size-medium wp-image-17700″ src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-Stephen-and-matthew-600×600.jpg” alt=”Stephen Ryan and Matthew Lucas” width=”600″ height=”600″ srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-Stephen-and-matthew-600×600.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-Stephen-and-matthew-150×150.jpg 150w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-Stephen-and-matthew-400×400.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-Stephen-and-matthew-300×300.jpg 300w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-Stephen-and-matthew-100×100.jpg 100w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-Stephen-and-matthew.jpg 667w” sizes=”(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/indoor-outdoor-plants-10-garden-plants-that-also-thrive-as-house-plants/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”Indoor outdoor plants: 9 garden plants that also thrive as house plants” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-Stephen-and-matthew-600×600.jpg”></noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17700″ class=”lazyload size-medium wp-image-17700″ src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-Stephen-and-matthew-600×600.jpg” alt=”Stephen Ryan and Matthew Lucas” width=”600″ height=”600″ data-sizes=”(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/indoor-outdoor-plants-10-garden-plants-that-also-thrive-as-house-plants/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”Indoor outdoor plants: 9 garden plants that also thrive as house plants” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-Stephen-and-matthew-600×600.jpg” srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-Stephen-and-matthew-600×600.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-Stephen-and-matthew-150×150.jpg 150w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-Stephen-and-matthew-400×400.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-Stephen-and-matthew-300×300.jpg 300w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-Stephen-and-matthew-100×100.jpg 100w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/canva-Stephen-and-matthew.jpg 667w”><p id=”caption-attachment-17700″ class=”wp-caption-text”>Stephen Ryan and Matthew Lucas of The Horti-Culturalists</p></div><h2>Pin to remember indoor outdoor plants</h2><p>And do <a href=”https://tremendous-producer-5259.ck.page/4498e9fc42″>join us for a free weekly email with more tips, ideas and inspiration</a> for your garden.</p><noscript><img class=”alignnone wp-image-17701 size-medium” title=”Indoor outdoor plants – bring some tender plants indoors and enjoy them year-round as house plants in winter #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Outside-in-summer-400×600.jpg” alt width=”400″ height=”600″ srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Outside-in-summer-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Outside-in-summer-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Outside-in-summer-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Outside-in-summer.jpg 667w” sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/indoor-outdoor-plants-10-garden-plants-that-also-thrive-as-house-plants/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”Indoor outdoor plants: 9 garden plants that also thrive as house plants” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Outside-in-summer-400×600.jpg”></noscript><img class=”lazyload alignnone wp-image-17701 size-medium” title=”Indoor outdoor plants – bring some tender plants indoors and enjoy them year-round as house plants in winter #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Outside-in-summer-400×600.jpg” alt width=”400″ height=”600″ data-sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/indoor-outdoor-plants-10-garden-plants-that-also-thrive-as-house-plants/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”Indoor outdoor plants: 9 garden plants that also thrive as house plants” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Outside-in-summer-400×600.jpg” srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Outside-in-summer-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Outside-in-summer-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Outside-in-summer-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Outside-in-summer.jpg 667w”> Sat, 04 Dec 2021 03:30:35 -0500 Alexandra Campbell
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https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/indoor-outdoor-plants-10-garden-plants-that-also-thrive-as-house-plants/
Garden trends & design
house plants
indoor plants


Why your soil is the key to a beautiful garden https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/soil-key-beautiful-garden/
https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/?p=17598
<p class=”timestamp”><span class=”fas fa-calendar-alt”></span> November 27th, 2021 <span class=”fas fa-list-alt”></span> Posted In: <a href=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/category/gardening-know-how/” rel=”category tag”>Gardening know how</a></p><input class=”jpibfi” type=”hidden”><p>I started thinking about <strong>garden soil </strong>recently&nbsp;when a friend complained to me about her gardener.</p><p>She’d just had a large bundle of bare root roses delivered. So she asked her gardener to plant them immediately.</p><p>But the gardener spent hours picking bits of old builder’s rubble and stones out of the border, while my friend worried that the roses would die. ‘I just wanted her to get on and plant them,’ said my friend. ‘There wasn’t time to fiddle about, but she always does what she wants to do, not what I ask her to do.’</p><p>In fact, the gardener was absolutely right. The bare root roses are dormant over the winter. It’s ideal to plant them as soon as possible, but a knowledgeable gardener will ‘heel them&nbsp; in’ or roughly place them in the earth or in some potting compost. They’ll be fine – for weeks if necessary.</p><p>But if you plant trees, shrubs or roses without sorting out your garden soil, then much of the money you spent on the plants will be wasted.</p><p>They won’t all die. But you won’t get that gorgeous, luscious effect you see in photographs. You’ll get straggly plants with scrappy foliage and fewer flowers than you’d like.</p><div id=”attachment_17717″ class=”wp-caption alignnone” readability=”32″><noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17717″ class=”wp-image-17717 size-medium” title=”A beautiful garden starts with the soil #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/flowers-and-soil-400×600.jpg” alt=”Adding manure and compost is the best way to improve your soil” width=”400″ height=”600″ srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/flowers-and-soil-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/flowers-and-soil-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/flowers-and-soil-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/flowers-and-soil.jpg 667w” sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/soil-key-beautiful-garden/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”Why your soil is the key to a beautiful garden” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/flowers-and-soil-400×600.jpg”></noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17717″ class=”lazyload wp-image-17717 size-medium” title=”A beautiful garden starts with the soil #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/flowers-and-soil-400×600.jpg” alt=”Adding manure and compost is the best way to improve your soil” width=”400″ height=”600″ data-sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/soil-key-beautiful-garden/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”Why your soil is the key to a beautiful garden” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/flowers-and-soil-400×600.jpg” srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/flowers-and-soil-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/flowers-and-soil-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/flowers-and-soil-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/flowers-and-soil.jpg 667w”><p id=”caption-attachment-17717″ class=”wp-caption-text”>Adding manure and compost is the best way to improve your soil.</p></div><h2>Which garden soil is best?</h2><p>You don’t need the ‘best’ garden soil. You just need to make your own garden soil as healthy as it can be.</p><p>Good soil is alive with life. There are more living organisms in a teaspoon of good garden soil than there are human beings living on the earth. They includes worms, insects, microbes and funghi.</p><p>Insecticides and fungicides can kill these living organisms off. Covering it in concrete, stone, artificial grass or anything that doesn’t breathe suppresses the life underneath.</p><p>It’s even worse if people use products like bleach for killing weeds, because it will kill the good organisms – the ones your plants need – as well as the weeds.</p><p>So when you see those internet ‘hacks’ suggesting you pour bleach on your soil as a homemade weeding remedy, scroll on by. If you accidentally spill some bleach as a one-off, don’t worry too much. The soil will recover.</p><p>If you just carry on planting plants, but you don’t feed the soil with mulch, manure or soil improvers, you’ll use up many of the soil’s nutrients. And if you never put any nutrients back, then your soil can run out. In agriculture, this is a very serious issue. That’s how vast swathes of land can turn barren, unable to grow the food we need to survive.</p><h2>Can you make good garden soil?</h2><p>You can improve your garden soil.</p><p>Firstly, if it’s got lots of rocks or builders’ rubble in it, pick them out.</p><p>If you have a new-build house, there’s every chance that stuff will have been dumped in the garden. It’ll be rolled flat, covered in topsoil and a layer of lawn will be added. That’s why many plants and lawns don’t thrive for long in new build gardens.</p><p>You can feed the soil by adding <a href=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/the-really-simple-guide-to-making-your-own-garden-compost/”>a layer of garden compost</a>, well rotted manure, leaf mould, lawn clippings or spent mushroom compost. You don’t need to dig it in – I practice<a href=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/no-dig-flower-borders-easy-weed-free-and-brilliant/”> no dig for flower borders</a>. Just leave the layer on top.</p><p>And while it’s better to do it in spring or autumn, you can do it any time.</p><p>Some gardeners add a very thick layer. You can read about <a href=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/make-herbaceous-border-look-amazing/”>Frances Moskovits’ amazing herbaceous border here,</a> because she uses up to 2ft of compost. But most gardeners only add around 2″-3″.</p><p>Just looking at the people I’ve interviewed on the blog, I think you can say that if you want lots of flowers and veg, use lots of compost or manure every year. But if your garden is mainly green, with relatively few flowers, then once every two years is probably fine.</p><h2>Do fertilisers improve your garden soil?</h2><p>No, they don’t. Composts and manures feed the soil. <a href=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/how-to-use-garden-fertilizer-for-amazing-results/”>Fertilisers feed the plant</a>.</p><p>Fertilisers are specific chemical or <a href=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/5-homemade-fertilisers-garden-grow/”>home-made solutions</a> or granules administered to individual plants to help them grow better. Once they’ve been used up, that’s it. You have to reapply them to get more benefit.</p><p>Soil improvers help the soil function better. They don’t get washed away or used up. They feed the soil, not the plant.</p><p>If you use fertilisers, you should get more flowers or better crops, but it won’t make a long term difference to the soil. They only benefit the plant you directly fertilise, rather than the whole garden. You also need to add fertilisers when the plant needs them or they can be washed away by rain.</p><p>If you feed the soil, the whole infrastructure improves. You’ll get better water retention or drainage, and more of the micro-organisms that keep your plants health.</p><h2>Biochar is an old farming technology rediscovered for gardens</h2><p>There is a new product around which can almost be described as a mix between fertiliser and compost. It’s called biochar, and was used by the ancient Amazonians to convert barren soil into fertile land.</p><p>Biochar is charcoal which is mixed with other elements, such as manure or other organic fertilisers, and added to the soil.</p><p>The original biochar was a mix of charcoal, pottery shards and manure, used by ancient indigenous tribes in the Amazon. They added it to the soil so that they could grow plants in previously infertile soil. And that soil stayed fertile for thousands of years.</p><p>I was sent some samples of <a href=”https://www.carbongold.com/our-vision/”>Carbon Gold’s Biochar</a> range free for review. It’s an range of organic, peat-free soil improvers, fertilisers and composts, all with biochar added.</p><h2>How biochar works</h2><p>Microscopic pockets in the charcoal structure of biochar hold water, like tiny sponges. So instead of all the water running away in sandy soil, it’s retained in the soil. But because it’s in the pockets of the biochar, not the soil, then clay soil is less likely to be a soggy mess.</p><p>And the water is retained in the pockets until there’s dry weather, when it’s released into the soil for the plants to use.</p><p>So you need to water your plants less, because you’re losing less water to runoff. And the soil stays moist for longer.</p><p>Microbial activity improves around biochar, too. The same honeycomb structure creates pockets for microbes and nutrients. The plants can draw on these. When plants have a steady supply of water and nutrients, they grow better and are more resistant to drought and disease.</p><p>Plants need three things to grow – water, nutrition and microbial activity in the soil. They create the nutrition from sunlight and elements in the soil.</p><h2>An environmentally friendly manufacturing process</h2><p>Charcoal is wood burned with minimal oxygen. That process permanently locks carbon in, so the manufacture of biochar is a ‘carbon negative’ process.</p><p>Biochar is one of the elements in the Carbon Gold peat-free compost. Most gardeners today are looking for peat-free compost, because mining peat releases a great deal of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and destroys some of the world’s most biodiverse habitats.</p><p>But many of the alternatives have an environmental cost, too. Coir, for example, is a by-product of the coconut industry, so needs to be shipped from countries which grow coconuts. There is coir in Carbon Gold and other commercial peat-free products, although <a href=”https://melcourt.co.uk/products/sylvagrow-multi-purpose/”>Dalefoot Composts</a> are made from English bracken and wool.</p><p>And most peat-free alternatives are currently more expensive than the peat based ones. Although it’s hard to compare like with like, because Carbon Gold can’t be equated with standard composts, it is certainly more expensive. But it’s worth remembering that there should be some permanent improvement to the soil.</p><h2>What I thought of the Carbon Gold Biochar range</h2><p>I think it’s difficult for an individual to make comparisons between brands of compost and soil improvers.</p><p>We’re not institutions with rows of identical tester seed trays and laboratory conditions, monitored by trained horticulturalists.</p><p>We’re ordinary gardeners, with draughty potting sheds and imperfect ways of doing things. One successful sowing of seeds is no guarantee of anything.</p><p>I haven’t used peat in the garden for around five years. So I’ve got completely used to peat-free composts and have always found them just as good as the peat-based ones. <a href=”https://melcourt.co.uk/products/sylvagrow-multi-purpose/”>Melcourt Sylvagrow</a> and <a href=”https://www.dalefootcomposts.co.uk/”>Dalefoot Composts</a> are both good. And I’ve personally had good results with Westland’s New Horizon peat free compost, too.</p><p>But I thought Carbon Gold’s Biochar was a good product. I researched some of the science around it and liked what I found. It was easy to use and the plants have done well. It is expensive, but there’s a serious long term benefit to consider.</p><p>Your garden soil is so, so important. If you’re going spend time and money on any part of your garden, put improving your soil at the top of the list.</p><h2>But I’d like more explanation</h2><p>I found the Carbon Gold website quite confusing. You can click on ‘grow house plants’, ‘cultivate herb garden’, ‘create a lawn’ and much the same choice of products pops up, without any explanation as to why you’d want one product over another.</p><p>And I had to check elsewhere to find a proper explanation of how biochar worked (although I found <a href=”https://www.carbongold.com/our-vision/”>one on the Carbon Gold site</a> eventually).</p><p>I’ve noticed that a lot of garden company websites are confusing in this way. A friend who works in retail recently told me that companies want you to focus on the products for sale, so any background explanations and ‘how-to’s are often made deliberately difficult to find.</p><p>I think that when you’re dealing with a new technology like this, more explanation would be better.</p><p>As for my friend who thought her gardener was wasting time by picking stones out of the border before planting roses in it – she is lucky to have someone who cares about the soil and does not treat her job merely as a ‘to do’ list. If you want a similarly good gardener, read <a href=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/how-to-find-a-gardener-whos-perfect-for-your-garden/”>how to find a gardener who is perfect for your garden</a>.</p><h2>More help for eco-friendly gardeners</h2><p>Find out the <a href=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/3-simple-things-do-create-eco-friendly-garden/”>three simple things you can do to create an eco-friendly garden here</a>.&nbsp; There are some good <a href=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wildlife-friendly-garden-tips/”>wildlife friendly garden tips here</a>. And see this post for a good overview on<a href=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/makes-good-wildlife-garden/”> what a wildlife friendly garden really needs</a>.</p><noscript><img class=”alignnone wp-image-17718 size-medium” title=”If you want a successful garden, don’t neglect your soil #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Create-a-beautiful-border-by-improving-your-soil-400×600.jpg” alt width=”400″ height=”600″ srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Create-a-beautiful-border-by-improving-your-soil-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Create-a-beautiful-border-by-improving-your-soil-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Create-a-beautiful-border-by-improving-your-soil-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Create-a-beautiful-border-by-improving-your-soil.jpg 667w” sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/soil-key-beautiful-garden/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”Why your soil is the key to a beautiful garden” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Create-a-beautiful-border-by-improving-your-soil-400×600.jpg”></noscript><img class=”lazyload alignnone wp-image-17718 size-medium” title=”If you want a successful garden, don’t neglect your soil #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Create-a-beautiful-border-by-improving-your-soil-400×600.jpg” alt width=”400″ height=”600″ data-sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/soil-key-beautiful-garden/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”Why your soil is the key to a beautiful garden” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Create-a-beautiful-border-by-improving-your-soil-400×600.jpg” srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Create-a-beautiful-border-by-improving-your-soil-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Create-a-beautiful-border-by-improving-your-soil-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Create-a-beautiful-border-by-improving-your-soil-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Create-a-beautiful-border-by-improving-your-soil.jpg 667w”> Sat, 27 Nov 2021 12:25:40 -0500 Alexandra Campbell
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https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/soil-key-beautiful-garden/
Gardening know how


Best trees for small gardens – expert advice and new ideas https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/best-trees-for-small-gardens-expert-advice-new-ideas/
https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/?p=17519
<p class=”timestamp”><span class=”fas fa-calendar-alt”></span> November 14th, 2021 <span class=”fas fa-list-alt”></span> Posted In: <a href=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/category/gardening-know-how/” rel=”category tag”>Gardening know how</a></p><input class=”jpibfi” type=”hidden”><p>When you’re choosing <strong>trees for small gardens</strong>, always try to find out what they will look like in 5-10 years time.</p><p>That’s advice from Jamie Butterworth, award-winning garden designer, RHS ambassador and MD of tree and shrub specialist <a href=”https://www.formplants.com/”>Form Plants.</a> As a garden designer and a professional tree grower, he’s chosen and grown trees for every space from a tiny balcony to a thousand-acre estate.</p><div id=”attachment_17533″ class=”wp-caption alignnone” readability=”36″><noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17533″ class=”wp-image-17533 size-medium” title=”Tips from garden designer and plant grower Jamie Butterworth on trees for small gardens #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-jamie-butterworth-400×600.jpg” alt=”Jamie Butterworth MD of Form Plants” width=”400″ height=”600″ srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-jamie-butterworth-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-jamie-butterworth-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-jamie-butterworth-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-jamie-butterworth.jpg 667w” sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/best-trees-for-small-gardens-expert-advice-new-ideas/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”Best trees for small gardens – expert advice and new ideas” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-jamie-butterworth-400×600.jpg”></noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17533″ class=”lazyload wp-image-17533 size-medium” title=”Tips from garden designer and plant grower Jamie Butterworth on trees for small gardens #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-jamie-butterworth-400×600.jpg” alt=”Jamie Butterworth MD of Form Plants” width=”400″ height=”600″ data-sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/best-trees-for-small-gardens-expert-advice-new-ideas/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”Best trees for small gardens – expert advice and new ideas” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-jamie-butterworth-400×600.jpg” srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-jamie-butterworth-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-jamie-butterworth-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-jamie-butterworth-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-jamie-butterworth.jpg 667w”><p id=”caption-attachment-17533″ class=”wp-caption-text”>Jamie Butterworth, garden designer, MD of Form Plants, RHS ambassador and author of 50 Plants You Can’t Kill.</p></div><p>But buying a tree for a small garden doesn’t always mean buying a small tree. Jamie also has tips for restricting the height and size of many trees.</p><p>And you can grow any tree in a pot, which is another way of keeping it small.</p><p>Form Plants grow trees, shrubs, topiary and perennials for garden designers and landscapers. They also have public open days, and they’re next door to the plant nursery Crocus in Dorney Court, Berkshire. People often wander over from Crocus to look at Form Plants’ trees and shrubs as well.</p><p>If you prefer to watch on video, the full interview <a href=”https://youtu.be/i3Om4PJRNMY”>on choosing trees</a> is here.</p><h2>Jamie’s tips for trees for small gardens</h2><ul><li>Check the ultimate height and how long it takes to grow</li><li>Check what the tree has to offer in all four seasons</li><li>What are the soil conditions and how much sunlight will your tree get?</li><li>You can grow any tree in a pot for small gardens, balconies and courtyards. That will restrict its growth</li><li>You can also control the shape and size with pruning, depending on the tree.</li><li>Try pollarding (cutting all the branches from the crown once a year)</li><li>Or pleaching (training against a square, free-standing frame)</li><li>Or espaliered trees – fruit trees trained against a frame or wall</li><li>‘Table top’ trees are trained on a frame to look like a table top.</li><li>Topiarise trees to keep them smaller</li><li>Coppiced and multi-stemmed trees are smaller than single trunk equivalents</li><li>If you already have a tree, but it’s too big, consider pruning it into shape rather than cutting it down</li></ul><h2>Check what the tree has to offer in all four seasons</h2><p>Every inch counts in a smaller garden, so pick a tree that looks good in more than one season.</p><p>For example, the Strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo) is evergreen, so it will give you a year round green presence. And it also has both fruit and flowers in the autumn, with strawberry-like fruits and creamy white or pink flowers. It reaches 4m-8m high so would fit in most gardens and can also be grown in a large pot.</p><div id=”attachment_17535″ class=”wp-caption alignnone” readability=”34″><noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17535″ class=”wp-image-17535 size-medium” title=”Think about what you want from your small tree and where you will plant it #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Canva-Strawberry-tree-400×600.jpg” alt=”Arbutus unedo or strawberry tree” width=”400″ height=”600″ srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Canva-Strawberry-tree-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Canva-Strawberry-tree-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Canva-Strawberry-tree-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Canva-Strawberry-tree.jpg 667w” sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/best-trees-for-small-gardens-expert-advice-new-ideas/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”Best trees for small gardens – expert advice and new ideas” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Canva-Strawberry-tree-400×600.jpg”></noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17535″ class=”lazyload wp-image-17535 size-medium” title=”Think about what you want from your small tree and where you will plant it #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Canva-Strawberry-tree-400×600.jpg” alt=”Arbutus unedo or strawberry tree” width=”400″ height=”600″ data-sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/best-trees-for-small-gardens-expert-advice-new-ideas/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”Best trees for small gardens – expert advice and new ideas” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Canva-Strawberry-tree-400×600.jpg” srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Canva-Strawberry-tree-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Canva-Strawberry-tree-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Canva-Strawberry-tree-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Canva-Strawberry-tree.jpg 667w”><p id=”caption-attachment-17535″ class=”wp-caption-text”>This evergreen Strawberry tree growing at Form Plants has both autumn flowers and fruit, so it’s very wildlife friendly. Grows 4m-8m high.</p></div><p>If you don’t know what your soil is like, <a href=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/do-you-really-need-to-do-a-soil-test/”>do a soil test</a>. And think about whether the tree will be in sun or shade.</p><p>Even if a tree will grow in both sun and shade, it may grow differently in each. In this post, you can see how planting the same kind of tree just a few metres apart can <a href=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/better-autumn-colours-your-garden-three-things-you-need-know/”>dramatically change the autumn colour.</a></p><p>Jamie recommends the <a href=”https://www.barcham.co.uk/store/”>Barcham Trees Tree Finder service</a>. You can put in detail about the type of tree you’re looking for – height, shape and more. The website will give you a shortlist of trees.</p><p>There’s more advice on <a href=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/which-garden-tree-is-absolutely-perfect-for-you/”>choosing the right tree for your garden here.</a></p><h2>You can grow any tree in a pot to keep it small</h2><p>All the trees at Form Plants are grown in pots. Some reach a good height. But they will never get as tall as they would if they were growing in the ground. (Once they’re planted in the ground, they’ll grow normally.)</p><p>So growing trees in pots can be a good option if you move frequently or if you want to restrict the height of a big tree, such as an oak or a beech.</p><div id=”attachment_17539″ class=”wp-caption alignnone” readability=”34″><noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17539″ class=”wp-image-17539 size-medium” title=”Grow trees for small gardens in pots – you can grow any tree in a container #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-trees-in-pots-400×600.jpg” alt=”You can grow trees for small gardens in pots” width=”400″ height=”600″ srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-trees-in-pots-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-trees-in-pots-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-trees-in-pots-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-trees-in-pots.jpg 667w” sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/best-trees-for-small-gardens-expert-advice-new-ideas/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”Best trees for small gardens – expert advice and new ideas” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-trees-in-pots-400×600.jpg”></noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17539″ class=”lazyload wp-image-17539 size-medium” title=”Grow trees for small gardens in pots – you can grow any tree in a container #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-trees-in-pots-400×600.jpg” alt=”You can grow trees for small gardens in pots” width=”400″ height=”600″ data-sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/best-trees-for-small-gardens-expert-advice-new-ideas/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”Best trees for small gardens – expert advice and new ideas” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-trees-in-pots-400×600.jpg” srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-trees-in-pots-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-trees-in-pots-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-trees-in-pots-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-trees-in-pots.jpg 667w”><p id=”caption-attachment-17539″ class=”wp-caption-text”>You can grow the largest trees in the smallest gardens if you restrict their height by growing them in pots. But you will have to water and fertilise them, especially in the summer.</p></div><p>But it can be very difficult to repot a huge tree. At Form Plants they use a system called <a href=”https://air-pot.com/garden/”>Airpot</a>. It’s a system made of recycled plastic, which you can essentially wrap around the rootball. Tiny little holes stimulate root growth.</p><p>When the plant or tree grows too big for the size of the container, you can unwrap it and re-use the Airpot for another plant. Then you can wrap the larger size around the plant. There is more explanation on the Airpot company website.</p><div id=”attachment_17537″ class=”wp-caption alignnone” readability=”34″><noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17537″ class=”size-medium wp-image-17537″ src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-airpots-400×600.jpg” alt=”Airpot reusable pot system made of recycled plastic” width=”400″ height=”600″ srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-airpots-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-airpots-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-airpots-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-airpots.jpg 667w” sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/best-trees-for-small-gardens-expert-advice-new-ideas/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”Best trees for small gardens – expert advice and new ideas” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-airpots-400×600.jpg”></noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17537″ class=”lazyload size-medium wp-image-17537″ src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-airpots-400×600.jpg” alt=”Airpot reusable pot system made of recycled plastic” width=”400″ height=”600″ data-sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/best-trees-for-small-gardens-expert-advice-new-ideas/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”Best trees for small gardens – expert advice and new ideas” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-airpots-400×600.jpg” srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-airpots-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-airpots-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-airpots-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-airpots.jpg 667w”><p id=”caption-attachment-17537″ class=”wp-caption-text”>Made of recycled plastic, the Airpot re-usable potting system makes it easier to re-pot very large trees and shrubs.</p></div><h2>Turn a large tree into a small tree with pruning and shaping</h2><p>There are several ways of pruning trees to control their size and shape. Not all trees can be shaped in the same ways.</p><p>Jamie lists ‘boxhead’ shapes, pollarded, pleached, espaliered, ‘table top’ and topiarised trees as good options for small gardens. However, you will have to maintain the shapes. That usually means annual trimming, so that needs to be factored in.</p><h2>Pollarding trees to reduce their height</h2><p>Pollarding means cutting off the branches around the crown of the tree, often every year. It keeps trees smaller than they would usually grow. There are limes in my street which are pollarded every two to three years. Pollarding keeps the height under control. With time, the trunks get thick and gnarly.</p><div id=”attachment_17588″ class=”wp-caption alignnone” readability=”32.790322580645″><noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17588″ class=”wp-image-17588 size-medium” title=”Grow larger trees in small gardens by clipping or training them every year #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Above-limes-pollarded-annually-around-20ft6m.-Below-lime-tree-growing-to-full-height-up-to-40m130ft-400×600.jpg” alt=”Pollard lime trees to reduce their height” width=”400″ height=”600″ srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Above-limes-pollarded-annually-around-20ft6m.-Below-lime-tree-growing-to-full-height-up-to-40m130ft-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Above-limes-pollarded-annually-around-20ft6m.-Below-lime-tree-growing-to-full-height-up-to-40m130ft-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Above-limes-pollarded-annually-around-20ft6m.-Below-lime-tree-growing-to-full-height-up-to-40m130ft-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Above-limes-pollarded-annually-around-20ft6m.-Below-lime-tree-growing-to-full-height-up-to-40m130ft.jpg 667w” sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/best-trees-for-small-gardens-expert-advice-new-ideas/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”Best trees for small gardens – expert advice and new ideas” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Above-limes-pollarded-annually-around-20ft6m.-Below-lime-tree-growing-to-full-height-up-to-40m130ft-400×600.jpg”></noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17588″ class=”lazyload wp-image-17588 size-medium” title=”Grow larger trees in small gardens by clipping or training them every year #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Above-limes-pollarded-annually-around-20ft6m.-Below-lime-tree-growing-to-full-height-up-to-40m130ft-400×600.jpg” alt=”Pollard lime trees to reduce their height” width=”400″ height=”600″ data-sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/best-trees-for-small-gardens-expert-advice-new-ideas/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”Best trees for small gardens – expert advice and new ideas” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Above-limes-pollarded-annually-around-20ft6m.-Below-lime-tree-growing-to-full-height-up-to-40m130ft-400×600.jpg” srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Above-limes-pollarded-annually-around-20ft6m.-Below-lime-tree-growing-to-full-height-up-to-40m130ft-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Above-limes-pollarded-annually-around-20ft6m.-Below-lime-tree-growing-to-full-height-up-to-40m130ft-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Above-limes-pollarded-annually-around-20ft6m.-Below-lime-tree-growing-to-full-height-up-to-40m130ft-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Above-limes-pollarded-annually-around-20ft6m.-Below-lime-tree-growing-to-full-height-up-to-40m130ft.jpg 667w”><p id=”caption-attachment-17588″ class=”wp-caption-text”>The pollarded lime trees at the top are in Jane Beedle’s garden. She trims all the branches off every winter, which keeps the height to around 20ft. She originally thought that was still too big for her 52ft long garden, but now says they’re an ideal size to offer privacy and some shade, but not blocking the light. <a href=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/secrets-contemporary-garden-design-cheap/”>See more of Jane’s contemporary town garden here.</a></p></div><p>At Form Plants, there are lots of beautifully gnarled olive trees that have been regularly pollarded. Olive trees can grow to 25ft-30ft, but when pollarded they can be around 6ft-10ft.</p><div id=”attachment_17542″ class=”wp-caption alignnone” readability=”36″><noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17542″ class=”size-medium wp-image-17542″ src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-olivein-pots-400×600.jpg” alt=”Grow olives in pots in sheltered gardens” width=”400″ height=”600″ srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-olivein-pots-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-olivein-pots-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-olivein-pots-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-olivein-pots.jpg 667w” sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/best-trees-for-small-gardens-expert-advice-new-ideas/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”Best trees for small gardens – expert advice and new ideas” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-olivein-pots-400×600.jpg”></noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17542″ class=”lazyload size-medium wp-image-17542″ src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-olivein-pots-400×600.jpg” alt=”Grow olives in pots in sheltered gardens” width=”400″ height=”600″ data-sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/best-trees-for-small-gardens-expert-advice-new-ideas/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”Best trees for small gardens – expert advice and new ideas” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-olivein-pots-400×600.jpg” srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-olivein-pots-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-olivein-pots-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-olivein-pots-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-olivein-pots.jpg 667w”><p id=”caption-attachment-17542″ class=”wp-caption-text”>Olive trees grow to around 30ft/10m and are not very hardy. They can be damaged by frost, especially if temperatures go below minus 10C/14F. But they are good trees for small, sheltered urban gardens and can be kept small by pollarding.</p></div><p>You can pollard limes (Tilia not citrus), olives, hornbeam, oak, willow and poplar as well as some other trees.</p><h2>Pleached or espaliered trees for small gardens</h2><p>Pleaching trees means training the branches on a framework and linking them together. Pleaching is often called ‘a hedge on stilts’, as the trees are cut in a geometric shape and can seem almost two dimensional.</p><p>Espaliered trees are also grown on a framework, sometimes against a wall. It’s used in fruit growing so that the fruit is exposed to the sun, rather than being covered by branches.</p><p>Pleached and espaliered trees take up much less space, but they need pruning once or twice a year to keep them in shape.&nbsp; This way of shaping trees is often used to create privacy in urban gardens because it can block a view without blocking too much light. This <a href=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/the-8-best-perfect-for-privacy-garden-trees/”>post has more tips on choosing trees for privacy</a>.</p><div id=”attachment_17550″ class=”wp-caption alignnone” readability=”36″><noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17550″ class=”wp-image-17550 size-medium” title=”Keep trees small by pruning them to a pleached or espaliered frame #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-form-sign-pleached-trees-400×600.jpg” alt=”Espaliered or pleached trees for small gardens” width=”400″ height=”600″ srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-form-sign-pleached-trees-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-form-sign-pleached-trees-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-form-sign-pleached-trees-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-form-sign-pleached-trees.jpg 667w” sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/best-trees-for-small-gardens-expert-advice-new-ideas/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”Best trees for small gardens – expert advice and new ideas” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-form-sign-pleached-trees-400×600.jpg”></noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17550″ class=”lazyload wp-image-17550 size-medium” title=”Keep trees small by pruning them to a pleached or espaliered frame #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-form-sign-pleached-trees-400×600.jpg” alt=”Espaliered or pleached trees for small gardens” width=”400″ height=”600″ data-sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/best-trees-for-small-gardens-expert-advice-new-ideas/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”Best trees for small gardens – expert advice and new ideas” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-form-sign-pleached-trees-400×600.jpg” srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-form-sign-pleached-trees-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-form-sign-pleached-trees-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-form-sign-pleached-trees-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-form-sign-pleached-trees.jpg 667w”><p id=”caption-attachment-17550″ class=”wp-caption-text”>These trees on frames by the entrance to Form Plants await their next destination. The frames can create a continuous ‘hedge on stilts’, an effect often used for beech or hornbeam, which would otherwise be too large for small gardens.</p></div><div id=”attachment_17589″ class=”wp-caption alignnone” readability=”34″><noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17589″ class=”wp-image-17589 size-medium” title=”Clip larger trees into shapes to make them work in small gardens #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Above-hornbeam-tree-growing-to-full-height-400×600.jpg” alt=”Pleach large trees like hornbeam to make them suitable for smaller gardens” width=”400″ height=”600″ srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Above-hornbeam-tree-growing-to-full-height-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Above-hornbeam-tree-growing-to-full-height-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Above-hornbeam-tree-growing-to-full-height-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Above-hornbeam-tree-growing-to-full-height.jpg 667w” sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/best-trees-for-small-gardens-expert-advice-new-ideas/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”Best trees for small gardens – expert advice and new ideas” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Above-hornbeam-tree-growing-to-full-height-400×600.jpg”></noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17589″ class=”lazyload wp-image-17589 size-medium” title=”Clip larger trees into shapes to make them work in small gardens #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Above-hornbeam-tree-growing-to-full-height-400×600.jpg” alt=”Pleach large trees like hornbeam to make them suitable for smaller gardens” width=”400″ height=”600″ data-sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/best-trees-for-small-gardens-expert-advice-new-ideas/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”Best trees for small gardens – expert advice and new ideas” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Above-hornbeam-tree-growing-to-full-height-400×600.jpg” srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Above-hornbeam-tree-growing-to-full-height-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Above-hornbeam-tree-growing-to-full-height-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Above-hornbeam-tree-growing-to-full-height-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Above-hornbeam-tree-growing-to-full-height.jpg 667w”><p id=”caption-attachment-17589″ class=”wp-caption-text”>Hornbeams are amongst the largest street trees, but they can be pleached on frames and clipped annually to keep them compact.</p></div><div id=”attachment_17553″ class=”wp-caption alignnone” readability=”31.83257918552″><noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17553″ class=”size-medium wp-image-17553″ src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-newt-espaliered-400×600.jpg” alt=”Espaliered fruit trees at the Newt” width=”400″ height=”600″ srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-newt-espaliered-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-newt-espaliered-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-newt-espaliered-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-newt-espaliered.jpg 667w” sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/best-trees-for-small-gardens-expert-advice-new-ideas/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”Best trees for small gardens – expert advice and new ideas” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-newt-espaliered-400×600.jpg”></noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17553″ class=”lazyload size-medium wp-image-17553″ src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-newt-espaliered-400×600.jpg” alt=”Espaliered fruit trees at the Newt” width=”400″ height=”600″ data-sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/best-trees-for-small-gardens-expert-advice-new-ideas/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”Best trees for small gardens – expert advice and new ideas” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-newt-espaliered-400×600.jpg” srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-newt-espaliered-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-newt-espaliered-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-newt-espaliered-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-newt-espaliered.jpg 667w”><p id=”caption-attachment-17553″ class=”wp-caption-text”>These fruit trees are trained to frames at <a href=”https://thenewtinsomerset.com/”>The Newt in Somerset</a>, where the gardens have a huge range of pleached and espaliered fruit trees in lots of shapes and styles. You can see some of the espaliered trees behind it.</p></div><p>Training fruit trees onto different espalier shapes means you can grow a surprising amount of fruit in a small garden. There’s even a small urban garden which has 80-100 espaliered apple and pear trees in a space around 80ft long. Read about it in <a href=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/an-orchard-in-the-garden-you-really-do-have-the-space/”>‘you can have an orchard in a small garden</a>.’</p><h2>‘Table top’ and ‘box’ pruned trees</h2><p>These are two shapes currently trending in contemporary garden design. They’re done with trees that can be pleached – hornbeam, lime (Tilia, not the citrus tree), London plane, beech and more.</p><p>‘Table top’ trees are so contemporary that you can barely even Google them. When I searched, the results included lots of little trees you could have inside on your dining table.</p><p>But these ‘table top’ are proper trees, also grown on a frame. At Form Plants, they have them grown from London plane, which would normally be far too big for a small garden.</p><p>A ‘table top’ shape has a single upright trunk, free of all branches. And the crown is grown on a flat frame to create a ‘table top’ effect. You can see ‘table top’ trees in one of the gardens created by Polly Wilkinson in this post on <a href=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/how-to-design-a-garden/”>how to design a garden</a>.</p><div id=”attachment_17565″ class=”wp-caption alignnone” readability=”22.916666666667″><noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17565″ class=”wp-image-17565 size-medium” title=”Restrict the size of big trees for small gardens by shaping them or growing them on frames #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Canva-table-top-400×600.jpg” alt=”Table top trees in a garden designed by Pollyanna Wilkinson Garden Design” width=”400″ height=”600″ srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Canva-table-top-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Canva-table-top-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Canva-table-top-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Canva-table-top.jpg 667w” sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/best-trees-for-small-gardens-expert-advice-new-ideas/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”Best trees for small gardens – expert advice and new ideas” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Canva-table-top-400×600.jpg”></noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17565″ class=”lazyload wp-image-17565 size-medium” title=”Restrict the size of big trees for small gardens by shaping them or growing them on frames #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Canva-table-top-400×600.jpg” alt=”Table top trees in a garden designed by Pollyanna Wilkinson Garden Design” width=”400″ height=”600″ data-sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/best-trees-for-small-gardens-expert-advice-new-ideas/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”Best trees for small gardens – expert advice and new ideas” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Canva-table-top-400×600.jpg” srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Canva-table-top-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Canva-table-top-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Canva-table-top-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Canva-table-top.jpg 667w”><p id=”caption-attachment-17565″ class=”wp-caption-text”>‘Table top’ trees in a garden designed by <a href=”https://www.pollyannawilkinson.com/”>Pollyanna Wilkinson Garden Design</a>. From a photo by Rae Warren.</p></div><h2>Topiarise your trees to keep them small</h2><p>‘Box’ pruned trees are literally trees with their canopy pruned square, in the shape of a box. They look very smart, too. They’re a contemporary shape for a topiarised tree.</p><p>Topiarising is cutting the tree into shapes. I’ve got several topiarised trees in my garden. Two are holm oaks, which could grow to 80ft/20m high if I didn’t have them trimmed into double pom-poms every year. We also have a large holly ‘Golden King’, trimmed into a wedding cake shape. It was originally a lump of a shrub.</p><p>You can buy topiarised trees, but they are often expensive. If you topiarise your trees yourself, then it will usually take a few years for them to reach the ideal shape. And if you are keeping them tree-sized, you may need to pay an expert to do the cutting.</p><h2>Multi-stemmed and coppiced trees</h2><p>Multi-stemmed trees are also increasingly popular now. They’re a great way of reducing the size of a large tree, such as silver birch or limes to fit them into a smaller garden. To create a multi-stemmed tree, the <a href=”https://www.rhs.org.uk/garden-inspiration/design/how-to-fit-trees-and-shrubs-into-a-small-garden”>RHS says you cut the main stem off</a> a young tree and allow several stems to re-grow from the base.</p><p>Not all trees will re-grow when cut hard back at the base, but good ones to try include hazel, lime (Tilia), dogwoods, beech, yew, elder, hornbeam and cotinus. I’ve also known people to multi-stem silver birches and amelanchiers. It may be more reliable to buy your tree multi-stemmed to start with.</p><div id=”attachment_17576″ class=”wp-caption alignnone” readability=”34″><noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17576″ class=”wp-image-17576 size-medium” title=”Ways of shaping and pruning trees to make them work for smaller gardens #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-multi-stemmed-osmanthus-burkwoodii-400×600.jpg” alt=”Osmanthus x burkwoodii” width=”400″ height=”600″ srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-multi-stemmed-osmanthus-burkwoodii-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-multi-stemmed-osmanthus-burkwoodii-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-multi-stemmed-osmanthus-burkwoodii-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-multi-stemmed-osmanthus-burkwoodii.jpg 667w” sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/best-trees-for-small-gardens-expert-advice-new-ideas/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”Best trees for small gardens – expert advice and new ideas” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-multi-stemmed-osmanthus-burkwoodii-400×600.jpg”></noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17576″ class=”lazyload wp-image-17576 size-medium” title=”Ways of shaping and pruning trees to make them work for smaller gardens #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-multi-stemmed-osmanthus-burkwoodii-400×600.jpg” alt=”Osmanthus x burkwoodii” width=”400″ height=”600″ data-sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/best-trees-for-small-gardens-expert-advice-new-ideas/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”Best trees for small gardens – expert advice and new ideas” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-multi-stemmed-osmanthus-burkwoodii-400×600.jpg” srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-multi-stemmed-osmanthus-burkwoodii-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-multi-stemmed-osmanthus-burkwoodii-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-multi-stemmed-osmanthus-burkwoodii-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-multi-stemmed-osmanthus-burkwoodii.jpg 667w”><p id=”caption-attachment-17576″ class=”wp-caption-text”>Multi-stemmed Osmanthus x burkwoodii , a small evergreen tree or shrub that adapts beautifully to a multi-stem shape for a small garden.</p></div><p>One of Jamie’s favourite multi-stemmed trees is Osmanthus burkwoodii.</p><h2>You may already have the best tree for your small garden</h2><p>If you already have a tree in your garden, but you feel it’s too big, don’t automatically think about replacing it.</p><p>Jamie says that it’s far better to prune a tree than cut it down. ‘I don’t mean go at it as if it was a Tesco car park,’ he says. Although tree pruning should be done by expert, it’s worth thinking about what sort of pruning you’d like. This <a href=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/how-to-prune-garden-trees-for-privacy-and-light/”>post on how to prune for privacy and light</a>, for example, shows a way of pruning that keeps the shape of the tree but allows more light through.</p><p>Or you could consider one of the shapes above.</p><p>Either way, always put safety first when pruning trees. There are more serious gardening accidents around tree work than any other activity, which is why I’d suggest calling in an arborist or a tree surgeon. But be aware that not everyone with a chainsaw is qualified or knowledgeable enough to shape your tree properly. That’s why I wrote this post on finding <a href=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/tree-surgeon-arborist-chain-saw-man-why-you-need-know/”>an arborist, tree surgeon or chainsaw man</a>.</p><h2>Jamie’s pick of trees for small gardens</h2><p>The absolute best tree will vary according to your garden, weather and design. But check out some of these more unusual trees, which Jamie recommends for small gardens.</p><ul><li>Acer griseum (Paperbark maple)</li><li>Several types of cherry (Prunus)</li><li>Osmanthus x burkwoodii</li><li>Koelreuteria paniculata (Pride of India tree)</li><li>The cornus family (dogwoods)</li><li>Heptacodium micinoides (Seven sons tree)</li></ul><div id=”attachment_17593″ class=”wp-caption alignnone” readability=”33″><noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17593″ class=”wp-image-17593 size-medium” title=”Seven Sons Tree is an elegant, compact tree for small gardens #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-heptacodium-micinoides-1-400×600.jpg” alt=”Heptacodium micinoides tree for small gardens” width=”400″ height=”600″ srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-heptacodium-micinoides-1-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-heptacodium-micinoides-1-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-heptacodium-micinoides-1-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-heptacodium-micinoides-1.jpg 667w” sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/best-trees-for-small-gardens-expert-advice-new-ideas/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”Best trees for small gardens – expert advice and new ideas” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-heptacodium-micinoides-1-400×600.jpg”></noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17593″ class=”lazyload wp-image-17593 size-medium” title=”Seven Sons Tree is an elegant, compact tree for small gardens #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-heptacodium-micinoides-1-400×600.jpg” alt=”Heptacodium micinoides tree for small gardens” width=”400″ height=”600″ data-sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/best-trees-for-small-gardens-expert-advice-new-ideas/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”Best trees for small gardens – expert advice and new ideas” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-heptacodium-micinoides-1-400×600.jpg” srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-heptacodium-micinoides-1-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-heptacodium-micinoides-1-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-heptacodium-micinoides-1-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/canva-heptacodium-micinoides-1.jpg 667w”><p id=”caption-attachment-17593″ class=”wp-caption-text”>Seven Sons Tree (Heptacodium micinoides) is a small elegantly shaped tree with pretty autumn flowers and attractive peeling bark. (13-30ft/4m-9m)</p></div><h2>Good books about trees and gardening</h2><p>Jamie’s book <a href=”https://amzn.to/3qwGKOu”>RHS 50 Plants You Can’t Kill</a> is an ideal guide for beginner gardeners. It covers 50 easy-to-grow indoor and outdoor plants, listing what the plants need, plus other useful expert tips.</p><p>One of the most popular books on the <a href=”https://www.amazon.co.uk/shop/themiddle-sizedgarden”>Middlesized Garden Amazon store</a> is <a href=”https://amzn.to/3odE1qu”>Alan Titchmarsh’s How to Garden: Small Trees</a>. As well as basic advice on choosing and pruning trees, it also lists trees for ‘challenging sites’. This includes trees for tiny gardens, windy gardens, dry gardens and more.</p><p>And if you’re looking for trees for privacy, the Middlesized Garden’s own <a href=”https://amzn.to/3krRGJu”>Complete Guide to Garden Privacy</a> gives you a range of privacy options, including trees, screening, pergolas, fences and hedges.</p><p>Note that links to Amazon are affiliate,<a href=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/disclosure-policy/”> see disclosure</a>.</p><h3>Pin to remember choosing trees for small gardens</h3><p>And do join us for a free weekly email with more <a href=”https://tremendous-producer-5259.ck.page/4498e9fc42″>tips, ideas and inspiration for your garden</a>.</p><noscript><img class=”alignnone wp-image-17578 size-medium” title=”Tips from garden designer and tree expert Jamie Butterworth on trees for small gardens #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Trees-for-small-gardens-ideas-expert-tips-400×600.jpg” alt width=”400″ height=”600″ srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Trees-for-small-gardens-ideas-expert-tips-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Trees-for-small-gardens-ideas-expert-tips-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Trees-for-small-gardens-ideas-expert-tips-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Trees-for-small-gardens-ideas-expert-tips.jpg 667w” sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/best-trees-for-small-gardens-expert-advice-new-ideas/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”Best trees for small gardens – expert advice and new ideas” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Trees-for-small-gardens-ideas-expert-tips-400×600.jpg”></noscript><img class=”lazyload alignnone wp-image-17578 size-medium” title=”Tips from garden designer and tree expert Jamie Butterworth on trees for small gardens #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Trees-for-small-gardens-ideas-expert-tips-400×600.jpg” alt width=”400″ height=”600″ data-sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/best-trees-for-small-gardens-expert-advice-new-ideas/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”Best trees for small gardens – expert advice and new ideas” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Trees-for-small-gardens-ideas-expert-tips-400×600.jpg” srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Trees-for-small-gardens-ideas-expert-tips-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Trees-for-small-gardens-ideas-expert-tips-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Trees-for-small-gardens-ideas-expert-tips-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Trees-for-small-gardens-ideas-expert-tips.jpg 667w”> Sun, 14 Nov 2021 06:46:35 -0500 Alexandra Campbell
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Gardening know how
small garden trees


Better autumn colours in your garden – the three things you need to know https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/better-autumn-colours-your-garden-three-things-you-need-know/
https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/?p=17461
<p class=”timestamp”><span class=”fas fa-calendar-alt”></span> October 31st, 2021 <span class=”fas fa-list-alt”></span> Posted In: <a href=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/category/gardening-know-how/” rel=”category tag”>Gardening know how</a></p><input class=”jpibfi” type=”hidden”><p>There are three factors that influence <strong>autumn colours</strong> in your garden.</p><p>The first is quite obvious. Choose the plants that are well known for good autumn colour. I’ll list some later in this post.</p><p>The second is often forgotten. You need to plant them in the right place. I’ll explain where that is likely to be.</p><p>But the third thing is the hardest of all to influence. It’s your weather. But get the first two right and you have a better chance of a brilliant autumn colour display, even in a bad year.</p><p>So here are 11 top plants for autumn colours, with tips on how to choose or plant them.</p><div id=”attachment_17490″ class=”wp-caption alignnone” readability=”37″><noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17490″ class=”wp-image-17490 size-medium” title=”Autumn garden ideas – and why they work #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-autumn-colour-400×600.jpg” alt=”Autumn colours in my garden” width=”400″ height=”600″ srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-autumn-colour-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-autumn-colour-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-autumn-colour-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-autumn-colour.jpg 667w” sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt=”How to make the most of autumn colours in your garden by choosing the right plants and planting them in the right place. ” data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/better-autumn-colours-your-garden-three-things-you-need-know/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”Better autumn colours in your garden – the three things you need to know” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-autumn-colour-400×600.jpg”></noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17490″ class=”lazyload wp-image-17490 size-medium” title=”Autumn garden ideas – and why they work #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-autumn-colour-400×600.jpg” alt=”Autumn colours in my garden” width=”400″ height=”600″ data-sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt=”How to make the most of autumn colours in your garden by choosing the right plants and planting them in the right place. ” data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/better-autumn-colours-your-garden-three-things-you-need-know/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”Better autumn colours in your garden – the three things you need to know” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-autumn-colour-400×600.jpg” srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-autumn-colour-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-autumn-colour-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-autumn-colour-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-autumn-colour.jpg 667w”><p id=”caption-attachment-17490″ class=”wp-caption-text”>The autumn colours are best in this part of the garden, because it’s a sunny spot. It’s not as good as usual this year, however, because we’ve had mild weather and lots of rain. The tree with the pale trunk is the <em>Liquidambar styraciflua</em> (Sweetgum).</p></div><h2>How autumn colours are created</h2><p>Leaves are green because of the chlorophyll in them. It’s the key element in converting sunlight into the nutrition the tree needs.</p><p>But, at the end of the summer, the chlorophyll breaks down and is reabsorbed by the tree. Other elements in the leaves then become dominant, so the leaves change colour.</p><p>Leaves also contain the yellows and oranges of carotinoid, which also gives carrots their orange colour.</p><p>And they have the reds and purples of anthacyanin, which also turns apples red. Anthacyanins are more intense if there’s lots of sun, and they also intensify in bouts of cool weather. So they will be most intense when you have sunny days and cool – but not frosty – nights.</p><p>But lots of rain can dilute the effects of anthacyanins. This autumn we’ve had mild weather and more rain than usual. That’s not good for the anthacyanins in my autumn garden.</p><div id=”attachment_17500″ class=”wp-caption alignnone” readability=”36″><noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17500″ class=”wp-image-17500 size-medium” title=”Plant your trees and shrubs in the right place to improve your autumn colour #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-liquidambar-hydrangea-arborescens-400×600.jpg” alt=”Liquidambar falling leaves” width=”400″ height=”600″ srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-liquidambar-hydrangea-arborescens-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-liquidambar-hydrangea-arborescens-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-liquidambar-hydrangea-arborescens-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-liquidambar-hydrangea-arborescens.jpg 667w” sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt=”How to make the most of autumn colours in your garden by choosing the right plants and planting them in the right place. ” data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/better-autumn-colours-your-garden-three-things-you-need-know/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”Better autumn colours in your garden – the three things you need to know” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-liquidambar-hydrangea-arborescens-400×600.jpg”></noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17500″ class=”lazyload wp-image-17500 size-medium” title=”Plant your trees and shrubs in the right place to improve your autumn colour #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-liquidambar-hydrangea-arborescens-400×600.jpg” alt=”Liquidambar falling leaves” width=”400″ height=”600″ data-sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt=”How to make the most of autumn colours in your garden by choosing the right plants and planting them in the right place. ” data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/better-autumn-colours-your-garden-three-things-you-need-know/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”Better autumn colours in your garden – the three things you need to know” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-liquidambar-hydrangea-arborescens-400×600.jpg” srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-liquidambar-hydrangea-arborescens-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-liquidambar-hydrangea-arborescens-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-liquidambar-hydrangea-arborescens-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-liquidambar-hydrangea-arborescens.jpg 667w”><p id=”caption-attachment-17500″ class=”wp-caption-text”>The tree on the top right of the photo is the <em>Liquidambar styraciflua</em> or Sweetgum. It has glorious red autumn foliage when planted in a sunny spot because sunshine stimulates anthacyanins. But I planted this in a north-facing border, and its leaves appear to be turning yellow and dropping off before they can go red.</p></div><p>Different plants have different amounts of carotinoid or anthacyanin in their leaves. Those with high levels are the ones that will produce glorious autumn colours. There’s more detail about this <a href=”https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?pid=296″>here on the RHS website</a>.</p><p>So, as you can’t control your weather, the first step to a beautiful autumn garden is to choose the right plants.</p><h2>Plant in the right place</h2><p>Once you’ve bought your trees, shrubs or grasses, remember that you’ll get the best autumn colours if you plant them in the right place. Generally that will be where they get enough sunshine to stimulate the reds and purples of the anthacyanins.</p><p>For example, I have the two liquidambar trees seen the photos above. It’s a tree that is famous for its autumn display.</p><p>One of my trees is a stunning mix of red and gold. The other still looks mainly green, but is losing its leaves quickly. They seem to be turning yellow and falling immediately to the ground.</p><div id=”attachment_17491″ class=”wp-caption alignnone” readability=”34″><noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17491″ class=”wp-image-17491 size-medium” title=”Find out what creates autumn colours in your garden, so you can choose and plant the right trees and shrubs #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-liquidambar-good-autumn-colour-400×600.jpg” alt=”Liquidambar in full sun” width=”400″ height=”600″ srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-liquidambar-good-autumn-colour-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-liquidambar-good-autumn-colour-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-liquidambar-good-autumn-colour-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-liquidambar-good-autumn-colour.jpg 667w” sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt=”How to make the most of autumn colours in your garden by choosing the right plants and planting them in the right place. ” data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/better-autumn-colours-your-garden-three-things-you-need-know/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”Better autumn colours in your garden – the three things you need to know” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-liquidambar-good-autumn-colour-400×600.jpg”></noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17491″ class=”lazyload wp-image-17491 size-medium” title=”Find out what creates autumn colours in your garden, so you can choose and plant the right trees and shrubs #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-liquidambar-good-autumn-colour-400×600.jpg” alt=”Liquidambar in full sun” width=”400″ height=”600″ data-sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt=”How to make the most of autumn colours in your garden by choosing the right plants and planting them in the right place. ” data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/better-autumn-colours-your-garden-three-things-you-need-know/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”Better autumn colours in your garden – the three things you need to know” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-liquidambar-good-autumn-colour-400×600.jpg” srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-liquidambar-good-autumn-colour-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-liquidambar-good-autumn-colour-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-liquidambar-good-autumn-colour-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-liquidambar-good-autumn-colour.jpg 667w”><p id=”caption-attachment-17491″ class=”wp-caption-text”>This Liquidambar (also known as Sweetgum) is in full sun. Its autumn colours have been coming out for around two weeks now. Compare this to the photo below, which was taken on the same day.</p></div><p>The two trees are about twenty feet (around 7 metres) apart. One is in a shady, north-facing border. The other is in the sunniest spot in the garden. The liquidambar that gets the most direct sunshine is the one with the brilliant autumn colour.</p><div id=”attachment_17492″ class=”wp-caption alignnone” readability=”35″><noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17492″ class=”wp-image-17492 size-medium” title=”How to get the best fall colours in your garden #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-liquidambar-green-autumn-colour-400×600.jpg” alt=”Liquidambar with green autumn leaves” width=”400″ height=”600″ srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-liquidambar-green-autumn-colour-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-liquidambar-green-autumn-colour-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-liquidambar-green-autumn-colour-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-liquidambar-green-autumn-colour.jpg 667w” sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt=”How to make the most of autumn colours in your garden by choosing the right plants and planting them in the right place. ” data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/better-autumn-colours-your-garden-three-things-you-need-know/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”Better autumn colours in your garden – the three things you need to know” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-liquidambar-green-autumn-colour-400×600.jpg”></noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17492″ class=”lazyload wp-image-17492 size-medium” title=”How to get the best fall colours in your garden #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-liquidambar-green-autumn-colour-400×600.jpg” alt=”Liquidambar with green autumn leaves” width=”400″ height=”600″ data-sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt=”How to make the most of autumn colours in your garden by choosing the right plants and planting them in the right place. ” data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/better-autumn-colours-your-garden-three-things-you-need-know/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”Better autumn colours in your garden – the three things you need to know” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-liquidambar-green-autumn-colour-400×600.jpg” srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-liquidambar-green-autumn-colour-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-liquidambar-green-autumn-colour-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-liquidambar-green-autumn-colour-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-liquidambar-green-autumn-colour.jpg 667w”><p id=”caption-attachment-17492″ class=”wp-caption-text”>This is a close up of the Liquidambar in a shady north-facing border. Its leaves are turning yellow, then dropping off. The anthacyanins which create the red colours are muted by the lack of direct sunshine and we have also had a very wet autumn.</p></div><h2>The top trees for autumn colours</h2><p>Trees are the first thing we think about when we’re choosing plants for a good autumn display.</p><ul><li>Acers (maple)</li><li>Amelanchier lamarckii</li><li>Liquidambar styraciflua (better for larger gardens as it gets quite tall)</li><li>Fruit trees, such as ornamental plums and crab apples</li></ul><h3>Acer (maple)</h3><p>The top tree is the acer or maple.</p><p>They are easy-going trees, but they haven’t done well in my garden, perhaps because we’ve had a series of very dry summers. They prefer neutral to acid soil. Unlike my liquidambar, they also prefer some shade. This makes a smaller acer a good choice for a town garden.</p><h3>Amelanchier lamarckii or Juneberry</h3><p>Amelanchier has beautiful white flowers, berries and a lovely coppery tint in autumn. It’s a good tree for a smaller garden as it often stays below 10m or 30ft in height and is quite a compact shape.</p><p>Multi-stemmed amelanchiers are particularly popular at the moment. A multi-stemmed tree is one that has been cut down to its base. Several stems then grow up, and this gives an airy feel. It also helps keep the tree to small garden size.</p><div id=”attachment_17495″ class=”wp-caption alignnone” readability=”32″><noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17495″ class=”wp-image-17495 size-medium” title=”11 top trees and shrubs for beautiful fall color in your garden #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-amelanchier-400×600.jpg” alt=”Amelanchier lamarckii” width=”400″ height=”600″ srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-amelanchier-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-amelanchier-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-amelanchier-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-amelanchier.jpg 667w” sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt=”How to make the most of autumn colours in your garden by choosing the right plants and planting them in the right place. ” data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/better-autumn-colours-your-garden-three-things-you-need-know/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”Better autumn colours in your garden – the three things you need to know” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-amelanchier-400×600.jpg”></noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17495″ class=”lazyload wp-image-17495 size-medium” title=”11 top trees and shrubs for beautiful fall color in your garden #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-amelanchier-400×600.jpg” alt=”Amelanchier lamarckii” width=”400″ height=”600″ data-sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt=”How to make the most of autumn colours in your garden by choosing the right plants and planting them in the right place. ” data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/better-autumn-colours-your-garden-three-things-you-need-know/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”Better autumn colours in your garden – the three things you need to know” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-amelanchier-400×600.jpg” srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-amelanchier-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-amelanchier-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-amelanchier-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-amelanchier.jpg 667w”><p id=”caption-attachment-17495″ class=”wp-caption-text”>This is Amelanchier lamarckii or Juneberry with its autumn foliage.</p></div><h3>Liquidambar styraciflua (sweet gum)</h3><p>This is a beautiful tree, but it can grow very tall – up to 60ft/20m tall.&nbsp; It’s generally an easy-going tree, however, and will grow in sheltered or sunny spots and in most soils.</p><h2>Choose plants with more than one season of interest</h2><p>When choosing trees or shrubs for autumn colour, choose a plant with at least two seasons of interest.</p><p>For example, fruit trees can be a brilliant choice because they also have spring flowers and may have fruit. Some are ornamental varieties and don’t have fruit, but they can still be very worthwhile.</p><div id=”attachment_17493″ class=”wp-caption alignnone” readability=”33″><noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17493″ class=”wp-image-17493 size-medium” title=”Pick trees and shrubs with good fall colour and beautiful spring flowers #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-comparison-trees-400×600.jpg” alt=”Trees with good autumn colour and spring flowers” width=”400″ height=”600″ srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-comparison-trees-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-comparison-trees-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-comparison-trees-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-comparison-trees.jpg 667w” sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt=”How to make the most of autumn colours in your garden by choosing the right plants and planting them in the right place. ” data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/better-autumn-colours-your-garden-three-things-you-need-know/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”Better autumn colours in your garden – the three things you need to know” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-comparison-trees-400×600.jpg”></noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17493″ class=”lazyload wp-image-17493 size-medium” title=”Pick trees and shrubs with good fall colour and beautiful spring flowers #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-comparison-trees-400×600.jpg” alt=”Trees with good autumn colour and spring flowers” width=”400″ height=”600″ data-sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt=”How to make the most of autumn colours in your garden by choosing the right plants and planting them in the right place. ” data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/better-autumn-colours-your-garden-three-things-you-need-know/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”Better autumn colours in your garden – the three things you need to know” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-comparison-trees-400×600.jpg” srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-comparison-trees-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-comparison-trees-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-comparison-trees-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-comparison-trees.jpg 667w”><p id=”caption-attachment-17493″ class=”wp-caption-text”>The tree on the right is Prunus ‘Snow Goose’. It has vivid orange autumn colour and beautiful white flowers in spring.</p></div><h3>Prunus (the plum family)</h3><p>Prunus is the tree which grows plums, peaches, cherries, apricots and more. There are also ornamental prunus trees, which don’t have fruit.</p><p>My favourite is Prunus ‘Snow Goose’, an ornamental plum which has beautiful white flowers in spring and gorgeous autumn colours. It’s also compact (only about 15ft/5m tall) and vase shaped, so casts relatively little shade. That also makes it a good choice for small gardens. You can see other good <a href=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/my-best-autumn-trees-for-small-gardens/”>trees for small gardens and autumn colour</a> here.</p><p>There’s more about <a href=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/how-choose-garden-tree-brilliant-autumn-colour/”>choosing and planting trees for brilliant</a> autumn colour here in this interview with head gardener Stephen Herrington at Leonardslee Lakes &amp; Gardens, which is famous for its autumn displays.</p><p>There are other factors to consider when choosing a tree. See <a href=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/which-garden-tree-is-absolutely-perfect-for-you/”>‘which tree is perfect for your garden’.</a></p><h2>The best shrubs for brilliant autumn colours</h2><ul><li>Viburnum opulus</li><li>Viburnum bodnantense</li><li>Cotinus coggyria (smokebush)</li><li>Cornus (dogwoods)</li><li>Hydrangeas</li><li>Euonymus (especially ‘alatus’ and ‘Europaeus’)</li></ul><h3>Viburnums</h3><p>I have two viburnums in this garden. Both have good autumn foliage and a second season of interest with flowers. Viburnum bodnantense ‘Dawn’ has pretty pale pink flowers throughout the winter.</p><p>And Viburnum opulus, otherwise known as the snowball bush, has big puffs of white flowers in spring. A word of warning with Viburnum opulus, however. There are two types. One has red berries in autumn, which would be a lovely addition. The other is the sterile form, which doesn’t have berries.</p><div id=”attachment_17496″ class=”wp-caption alignnone” readability=”35″><noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17496″ class=”wp-image-17496 size-medium” title=”Plant shrubs with two seasons of interest – stunning fall foliage and pretty spring blossoms #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-comparison-trees-1-400×600.jpg” alt=”Viburnum opulus for spring and autumn” width=”400″ height=”600″ srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-comparison-trees-1-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-comparison-trees-1-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-comparison-trees-1-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-comparison-trees-1.jpg 667w” sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt=”How to make the most of autumn colours in your garden by choosing the right plants and planting them in the right place. ” data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/better-autumn-colours-your-garden-three-things-you-need-know/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”Better autumn colours in your garden – the three things you need to know” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-comparison-trees-1-400×600.jpg”></noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17496″ class=”lazyload wp-image-17496 size-medium” title=”Plant shrubs with two seasons of interest – stunning fall foliage and pretty spring blossoms #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-comparison-trees-1-400×600.jpg” alt=”Viburnum opulus for spring and autumn” width=”400″ height=”600″ data-sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt=”How to make the most of autumn colours in your garden by choosing the right plants and planting them in the right place. ” data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/better-autumn-colours-your-garden-three-things-you-need-know/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”Better autumn colours in your garden – the three things you need to know” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-comparison-trees-1-400×600.jpg” srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-comparison-trees-1-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-comparison-trees-1-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-comparison-trees-1-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/canva-comparison-trees-1.jpg 667w”><p id=”caption-attachment-17496″ class=”wp-caption-text”>Viburnum opulus, the snowball bush, with its handsome burnt red foliage (top) and its beautiful white pom pom flowers in spring (above)</p></div><p>Sadly, I didn’t know this when I bought it, so I have the sterile form. I still love its spring flowers and autumn colours, but am sorry to miss the berries. You can tell which is which from the label – the sterile form is called Viburnum opulus ‘Sterile Roseum’.</p><h3>Cotinus coggyria or smokebush</h3><p>Cotinus is an extraordinary plant with amazing purple foliage. It turns into a rainbow of colours in autumn. You can coppice cotinus by cutting it back almost to the ground every year, in order to enjoy the fresh new foliage. Or you can let it grow into a large bush or, as in my garden, almost a small tree.</p><h3>Hydrangeas – especially hydrangea quercifolia</h3><p>While sunshine stimulates the reds and purples of anthacyanins in leaves, some plants can turn a good colour in some shade. Hydrangeas often have good autumn colour and they are usually happiest in part shade.</p><p>Hydrangea quercifolia or oakleaf hydrangea is a plant that is happy with more sunshine than most hydrangeas. It has very good autumn colours.</p><p>Other hydrangeas with beautiful leaf changes in autumn include Hydrangea aspera ‘Hot Chocolate’, which turns a very good red in my garden, even though it is planted in quite a shady spot.</p><p>See here for <a href=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/everything-need-know-growing-hydrangeas/”>more about choosing hydrangeas,</a> including recommendations for those with good autumn colour.</p><h3>Cornus (dogwoods) and Euonymus (spindle)</h3><p>Last autumn I visited the beautiful gardens at Gravetye Manor. I asked head gardener, Tom Coward, for <a href=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/six-top-shrubs-late-season-colour/”>six top shrubs for autumn colour</a>.</p><p>He suggested several kinds of dogwoods, which are magnificent at Gravetye.</p><p>And he also named Euonymus alatus, which is a dazzling red with brilliant clashing berries. Euonymus Europaeus is also stunning for late season colour.</p><div id=”attachment_17503″ class=”wp-caption alignnone” readability=”33″><noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17503″ class=”wp-image-17503 size-medium” title=”11 beautiful plants for gorgeous autumn colours #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Shrubs-for-brilliant-autumn-colour-400×600.jpg” alt=”Shrubs for autumn colours” width=”400″ height=”600″ srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Shrubs-for-brilliant-autumn-colour-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Shrubs-for-brilliant-autumn-colour-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Shrubs-for-brilliant-autumn-colour-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Shrubs-for-brilliant-autumn-colour.jpg 667w” sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt=”How to make the most of autumn colours in your garden by choosing the right plants and planting them in the right place. ” data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/better-autumn-colours-your-garden-three-things-you-need-know/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”Better autumn colours in your garden – the three things you need to know” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Shrubs-for-brilliant-autumn-colour-400×600.jpg”></noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17503″ class=”lazyload wp-image-17503 size-medium” title=”11 beautiful plants for gorgeous autumn colours #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Shrubs-for-brilliant-autumn-colour-400×600.jpg” alt=”Shrubs for autumn colours” width=”400″ height=”600″ data-sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt=”How to make the most of autumn colours in your garden by choosing the right plants and planting them in the right place. ” data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/better-autumn-colours-your-garden-three-things-you-need-know/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”Better autumn colours in your garden – the three things you need to know” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Shrubs-for-brilliant-autumn-colour-400×600.jpg” srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Shrubs-for-brilliant-autumn-colour-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Shrubs-for-brilliant-autumn-colour-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Shrubs-for-brilliant-autumn-colour-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Shrubs-for-brilliant-autumn-colour.jpg 667w”><p id=”caption-attachment-17503″ class=”wp-caption-text”>Autumn colours at Gravetye Manor Hotel &amp; Gardens. There is a row of different cornus in the top photo and Euonymus alatus is the glowing red shrub in the photo above.</p></div><p>I have some Cornus ‘Midwinter fire’ in my garden, which I have planted in front of a silver birch. I’ve planned this to enjoy the bright colours of the stems when they are bare in winter. However, planting cornus under the shade of a tree means that there’s less sunshine to stimulate the anthacyanins, so its autumn leaf colours are not so good.</p><h2>Use grasses to add to your autumn colours</h2><p>Don’t restrict your autumn colour scheme to foliage. Ornamental grasses can play a real part in creating a brilliant autumn display. Several types go red or orange before turning to brown and adding structure and movement to your winter garden.</p><p>I have four Panicum virgatum ‘Shenandoah’ in pots. They stripe in gold and red from September onwards. Then they’re brown from around mid-winter to mid spring. Then I cut them back, and they sprout back to green again.</p><p>Grasses are often very easy care. Often all they need is to be cut back once a year, and divided every few years.</p><p>Other good autumn colour grasses include some miscanthus, Hakenochloa macra and Fountain grass (Pennisetum ‘Rubrum’.)</p><p>You can see more <a href=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/your-autumn-gardening-strategy/”>beautiful autumn colours and expert gardening tips in this interview</a> with Jane Moore, head gardener at the Bath Priory Hotel.</p><h2>National Garden Scheme handbook offer for Middlesized Garden readers</h2><p>The NGS is offering £3 off its famous ‘yellow book’ guide book for 2022. It has over 3,500 gardens around the country in it, many of which are not normally open to the public. Normally £14.99 (+ postage), it’s £11.99 (+ postage) to Middlesized Garden readers if you buy it via the <a href=”https://ngs.org.uk/shop/”>NGS online shop</a>, quoting TMSG22 at checkout.</p><div id=”attachment_17471″ class=”wp-caption alignnone” readability=”25.948717948718″><noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17471″ class=”wp-image-17471 size-medium” title=”Middlesized Garden reader off for the NGS Garden Visitor Handbook” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/canva-msg-400×600.jpg” alt=”NGS offer” width=”400″ height=”600″ srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/canva-msg-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/canva-msg-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/canva-msg-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/canva-msg.jpg 667w” sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt=”How to make the most of autumn colours in your garden by choosing the right plants and planting them in the right place. ” data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/better-autumn-colours-your-garden-three-things-you-need-know/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”Better autumn colours in your garden – the three things you need to know” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/canva-msg-400×600.jpg”></noscript><img aria-describedby=”caption-attachment-17471″ class=”lazyload wp-image-17471 size-medium” title=”Middlesized Garden reader off for the NGS Garden Visitor Handbook” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/canva-msg-400×600.jpg” alt=”NGS offer” width=”400″ height=”600″ data-sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt=”How to make the most of autumn colours in your garden by choosing the right plants and planting them in the right place. ” data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/better-autumn-colours-your-garden-three-things-you-need-know/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”Better autumn colours in your garden – the three things you need to know” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/canva-msg-400×600.jpg” srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/canva-msg-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/canva-msg-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/canva-msg-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/canva-msg.jpg 667w”><p id=”caption-attachment-17471″ class=”wp-caption-text”>Get £3 off the normal price of the NGS Garden Visitor Handbook 2022 by quoting TMSG22 when <a href=”https://ngs.org.uk/shop/”>you order it online here.</a></p></div><h2>An inspirational and immersive gardening book…</h2><p>I’ve been sent a big, immersive coffee table book called <a href=”https://amzn.to/3Bu4moV”>The Kinfolk Garden</a> to review. It’s been a worldwide cult best-seller. Written by John Burns, who runs the Kinfolk magazine, its about and aimed at a global creative community. The Kinfolk Garden is a collection of stories about gardens around the world, mainly created by people looking for something different (and who have the time and money to achieve it).</p><p>The Kinfolk aesthetic has been described as ‘minimalistic’. However, The Kinfolk Garden is much richer, more layered and more eclectic than that. Its gardens range from rooftops in Paris and Copenhagen to space carved out of the Californian desert, from a tropical inspired garden in Tokyo to a surrealist garden in Mexico. There are house plant specialists, ‘flower arranging’ consisting of a single bloom and gardens that look like a wilderness.</p><p>There are no herbaceous borders or classical statuary in this book. Instead there are gnarled roots, boulders and interesting foliage. And above all, it is a series of stories about the people who have created gardens and why they created them, rather than about the gardens themselves.</p><p>A good present for anyone who loves contemporary style or wants to do something different in their garden.</p><h3>Pin to remember autumn colours for the garden</h3><p>And <a href=”https://tremendous-producer-5259.ck.page/4498e9fc42″>do join us for a free weekly email with more tips, ideas and inspiration</a> for your garden.</p><noscript><img class=”alignnone wp-image-17505 size-medium” title=”How to get stunning fall foliage in your garden #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/For-gorgeous-autumn-colours-in-your-garden-400×600.jpg” alt width=”400″ height=”600″ srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/For-gorgeous-autumn-colours-in-your-garden-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/For-gorgeous-autumn-colours-in-your-garden-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/For-gorgeous-autumn-colours-in-your-garden-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/For-gorgeous-autumn-colours-in-your-garden.jpg 667w” sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt=”How to make the most of autumn colours in your garden by choosing the right plants and planting them in the right place. ” data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/better-autumn-colours-your-garden-three-things-you-need-know/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”Better autumn colours in your garden – the three things you need to know” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/For-gorgeous-autumn-colours-in-your-garden-400×600.jpg”></noscript><img class=”lazyload alignnone wp-image-17505 size-medium” title=”How to get stunning fall foliage in your garden #middlesizedgarden” src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/For-gorgeous-autumn-colours-in-your-garden-400×600.jpg” alt width=”400″ height=”600″ data-sizes=”(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px” data-jpibfi-post-excerpt=”How to make the most of autumn colours in your garden by choosing the right plants and planting them in the right place. ” data-jpibfi-post-url=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/better-autumn-colours-your-garden-three-things-you-need-know/” data-jpibfi-post-title=”Better autumn colours in your garden – the three things you need to know” data-jpibfi-src=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/For-gorgeous-autumn-colours-in-your-garden-400×600.jpg” srcset=”https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/For-gorgeous-autumn-colours-in-your-garden-400×600.jpg 400w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/For-gorgeous-autumn-colours-in-your-garden-534×800.jpg 534w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/For-gorgeous-autumn-colours-in-your-garden-600×900.jpg 600w, https://www.themiddlesizedgarden.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/For-gorgeous-autumn-colours-in-your-garden.jpg 667w”> Sun, 31 Oct 2021 14:42:56 -0400 Alexandra Campbell
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