Pots of colour

Sunny side up

Painting A collection of pots creates a montage that is often more effective than a single pot. I used two coats of sunny yellow emulsion on all three.

Planting By mixing summer bedding plants (here, the creeping zinnia and bidens) with hardy plants (berberis, carex and euonymus), your display will look good from day one and only get better as the tender plants fill out. It's a big block of yellow, but I've balanced it with a good amount of green so that it's cheerful rather than gaudy. The reddening berberis also helps to mellow the yellow.

Position Choose a spot in sun or light shade.

Aftercare Leave the berberis, carex and euonymus in their pots over winter. For spring colour, tuck in a few 'Tete-a-tete' narcissus bulbs in autumn or buy a tray of yellow pansies. In spring, resow or buy new bidens and creeping zinnias.

We used

• Large octagonal terracotta pot, 33cm tall/35cm diameter (from a selection at B&Q, as before)
• Medium terracotta pot, 20cm tall/30cm diameter (from a selection at B&Q)
• Small terracotta pot, 15cm tall/25cm diameter (from a selection at B&Q)
• Dulux emulsion in yellow (Easter Morn 2), around £2 for 250ml

In the large octagonal pot

• 1 x Berberis thunbergii 'Pow-wow'
• 1 x Carex oshimensis 'Evergold'
• 2 x creeping zinnias (Sanvitalia procumbens)
• 1 x Bidens ferulifolia

• 1 x Carex oshimensis 'Evergold'

• 2 x pots Euonymus fortunei 'Emerald 'n' Gold'

Fabulous foliage

Painting I gave this old terracotta pot a distressed look with a light spray of metallicsilver car spray paint.

Planting You don't always need to say it with flowers. Subtle variations in foliage colour and texture can create classy results on their own. Here, two varieties of begonia and a few dark-leaved plectranthus provide soft shades of purple, hints of matt pink and dusky grey and some leaves with just a touch of sparkle.

Position These plants need to be kept out of the hot midday sun.

Aftercare This container is strictly a summer pleasure, as the begonias and plectranthus are both tender. Bring the plants into a frost-free place over winter.

We used

• Terracotta pot, 35cm tall/35cm diameter
• Spray can of metallic-silver car spray paint (or you could use Plasti-kote Fast Dry
• Enamel, £3.50 for 100ml, 01223 836 400, www.plastikote.co.uk)
• 1 x mixed tray Begonia rex, including small- and large-leaved varieties
• 2 x plectranthus 'Mona Lavender' (any dark-leaved plectranthus would do)