Foliage

We planted summer hanging baskets a while ago, and they've done well. Blue Crystal and Blue Fountain lobelia (I think), some becopa, a fuchsia. They're nice, and they've been a really welcome bit of colour on the front of the house. However, apart from (probably) the fuchsia, the plants aren't hardy, and will either die, or look rubbish as soon as it gets frosty.

Clearly, that won't do. Over lunch today, we went to a B&Q, and found a combination of foliage plants that will take the hanging baskets through the winter: a gold-edged ivy, a holly-leaved fern, a black ophiopogon, and an acora.

We've got enough of them to plant up the four hanging baskets that go on the house—we don't intend bothering with the two from the arbour for winter—and got a set of baskets so we can plant them up soon, so they settle and grow together before autumn.

Planting combination for winter foliage basket (© Ian 2016)