Flowers lift the spirit.

Photo: Grøn Kommunikation

Written by Lars Lund 

Edited by Louise Curley 

Cheer up your doorstep or patio this spring with a decorative pot packed full of beautiful early-flowering plants. Pots of little spring bulbs and perennials are easy to get hold of from the garden centre at this time of year and they can be combined to create a display that will raise the spirits.

Plants to look out for:

• Primroses and bedding primulas
• Dwarf daffodils and dainty species daffodils such as Narcissus bulbocodium
• Muscari, also known as grape hyacinths
• Small irises
• The pasque flower (Pulsatilla vulgaris)
• Anemones such as the wood anemone and Anemone coronaria
• Fritillaries such as the chequerboard flowers of the snake’s head fritillary
• Alpines such as saxifrages

How to

• Make sure the container has plenty of drainage holes, if not add some using a drill.
• Fill with a soil-based compost such as John Innes No2.
• Plant up the individual plants and fill in the gaps in between with more compost.
• If there’s any bare soil cover this with moss gathered from your garden.
• Give the container a good soak with a can of water.