Now the core perennials in the Preston Circus planters are taking root and giving us an idea of shape, we’ve started filling in with more plants, in particular some annuals which will eventually provide some colour.

The coastal planter

It’s been quite tricky trying to find the centrepiece for this planter. The original idea was an Agave americana but this is very tender. Instead, we’re trying what I think is an aloe plicatilis or as it was originally baptised Aloe africana arborescens montana non spinosa folio longissimo, plicatili, flore rubro – er … ‘African aloe tree-shrub from the mountains with very long non-spiny leaves in the shape of a fan with red flowers’. It grows VERY big, but only very, very slowly. Hence its use as an ornamental container plant. The dark green leaves and bright red-orange flowers should complement the blues and yellows of the santolina and rosemary. We’ve also planted a verbena bonariensis, calendula and some cornflowers. The lampranthus are flowering a brilliant orange and should drape over the edge along with the trailing rosemary.

The prairie planter (or ‘Circus Circus’ planter)

The lime green grasses at the four corners and the burgundy tinged miscanthus in the centre are working well. The bright grasses catch the evening sunlight beautifully. Eve added some deep red cornflower seeds, but we’re not sure if these are coming up. At the weekend, I added the cosmos seedlings – lighter pink and deep magenta with fluffy leaves which complement the euphorbia – as well as some wine red and some light green heuchera. We’ve also got nasturtiums growing. We’ll see how they look draping over the edge, otherwise maybe some of my burgundy annual verbena will work there.

The traditional planter

This is the most vulnerable planter as it is so near the Duke of York cinema. We’ve already had to put a low trellis barrier around it to stop people sitting on it. Sue planted it up with variegated pelargoniums and nasturtiums have seeded everywhere. It must be the compost we added to this and its ‘sister’ Cottage garden container. The nasturtiums will drape over the sides, but they may be a little too boisterous. They are currently trying to upstage the lavender plants planted at the four corners, which are coming into flower. The cornus in the centre is not growing much, but it’s a shrub and I’m assuming it grows slowly. The purple sedums are rather unruly at the moment, as they will be in their first year. We’ve already had several broken stems, but they are propagating more plants in my greenhouse.

The cottage garden planter

The pinks are the real eye-catchers in this container, and the perfume is delicious. In true cottage garden style, nasturtium seedlings are growing up through the alchemilla mollis and there are tomato seedlings and even a courgette growing up in the compost. The acanthus mollis in the centre is growing slowly, but my acquaintance with this plant is that it will put on a growth spurt suddenly. Diane and Madeleine planted four purple aubretia to drape over the sides, but they are sulking a little – again, as young aubretias sometimes do when the weather hasn’t been too warm. The purple of the aubretia works well with the pink of the pinks, both plants with silver blue foliage, offset by the leaf shape and lime flowers of the alchemilla.