Patio Garden – A well thought-out patio garden can be a delight. Make a list of the plants you wish to grow and then plan the position of each container, checking that the colors will blend well.
A patio is the most sensible, easiest and most convenient place to site a container garden. In many houses the kitchen door leads directly on to it, and herbs and vegetables grown there can be sought out by the cook and be picked immediately.
It is important to consider the size and uses for the patio. Is it just a passageway between house and garden that needs to be kept clear, or is it used as a seating area, furnished with tables and chairs for eating out during the summer months? Is it surrounded by walls up which you can grow peas or runner beans, and is it large enough for you to grow some small fruit trees in large containers? Can you design a planting scheme that pleases the eye?
Plan your patio garden with care
Plan ruthlessly. Place your containers carefully so that they form pleasing, harmonious groups of differing shapes and sizes, use containers with different textures and materials and then plant so that the smallest plants are in the front and the tallest at the back to hide unsightly walls.
Establish any permanent plants first. If you have a patio that attracts a large amount of sunshine then you may well want to consider growing some fruit trees, especially the delicate stone fruit with its pink blossom in spring. Once in position a large container filled with compost is a very heavy object to move.
A warm sunny patio enables the gardener to grow a number of tender plants, provided they can be taken indoor during the cold months of the year. Oranges and lemons are particularly suitable and there are some varieties that will not grow too large. They carry white scented flowers from spring to summer and the fruit borne at the same time.
