Plants for patios

Create an extended "living room" to your home.

Enjoyable, easy to make and maintain, a relaxing retreat that adds more value and ambiance to your home as well as an extra room to entertain or just put your feet up. Go on, extend your home with these exotic planting ideas...

SUN OR SHADE?

First things first... Most decks, patios, courtyards and balconies are built with the sun factor in mind, sited on the sunny side of the home for entertainment purposes. You may be faced with a shaded corner through-remember this when it comes to plant choices. It is quite nice to have a little shade to escape to in the heat of the day. This can also be created with the use of plants or the simple umbrella if there's room.

POTS ARE HOT:

The easiest way to create your new "living room" without building and construction is to plant up pots. This not only let you add exciting contrast of glazed or coloured pots but also gives the freedom to move your room around and create a new look or theme if you desire.

You can even connect the decor from adjoining room to "living room" for added room flow through the use of pot style and colours. Shop from our huge range.

We also recommend placing your patio pots on pot feet. This aids drainage, protects your deck and allows air flow too.

THE RIGHT MIX:

For all your container and pot planted specimens we recommend Kings Container Mix. This is a top quality mix and contains added nutrients and water storing crystals.

WHY NOT TRY A POND POT?

Visit our specialty water garden stores and add one of these easy water features for a tranquil, cool effect.

WATERING:

Be sure to keep all patios pots and baskets well watered especially during the hotter months.

Glazed and plastic pots retain the water better than those of terracotta. For terracotta pots seal the inside of the pot with Potseal.

We recommend using Saturaid to also aid in watering. Simply sprinkle around the top of pots. When watered in it sinks deep down to the plants root zone creating channels for the water -this means no wasteful run off either. Try placing polished pebbles around the top of the pots too -this not only looks decorative but will also help stop the soil surface from drying out as quickly.

Palms are perfect in pots, during the hotter months mist the foliage with water-they love it. Remember though-watering is best done in the cool of the evening or first thing in the morning.

FEEDING:

For all your potted exotics use a slow release fertiliser such as Florvital "Citrus and Subtropical". This need only be applied every 3-4months.

EXOTIC PLANTING IDEAS:

FOR FOLIAGE:Ponytail palm, Queen palm, Dwarf Date Palm

FOR STRUCTURE: Yucca, Agave, Dragon tree, Dwarf flax, Cordylines, Aloes

FOR FRAGRANCE: Gardenias (some shade), Stephanotis (climber), Port wine magnolia (grow as a standard), Citrus (when in flower-lemon meyer especially as it is rarely without flowers)

DRAMATIC FOCAL POINT: Agave attenuata, Dragon tree, Yucca

EDIBLE:Citrus (all kinds), Bay tree, Passionfruit (grow in a generously sized container), Herbs (baskets or tubs)

CLIMBER: Dipladenia, Mandevilla, Stephanotis, Pandorea

TO CREATE HEIGHT: Topairy specimens

AN EXOTIC SEASIDE: Tough, easy and exotic looking, Native grasses, Metrosideros Tahiti, Dwarf flax, Flaming Katy, Dragon tree, Yucca, Palms, Gazanias, Agave, Succulents

FLOWERS:Butterfly impatients, Gazanias, Potted colour, Hot colour geranium, Perennial Petunias