Jehovah's creations, Genesis 1:31

[Julie1]

I love my garden and the plants and connecting with nature. Jehovah is very generous. 

What wonders to enjoy.

My garden gets very hot in summer, what plants can i put in containers that require no maintenance hardly and rapidly grow?

I want to enjoy the beauties but want to spend time on other spiritual things too.

 

"And god saw everything he had made, and behold, it was very good"

 

 

[LeolaRootStew]

Petunias, Geraniums, Million Bells.

 

Petunias:

Spoiler

Geraniums:

Spoiler

Million Bells: 

Spoiler

 

[Julie1]

If that's your garden it's beautiful ❤️

[LeolaRootStew]

6 hours ago, Julie1 said:

If that's your garden it's beautiful ❤️

 

Just pics from the internet. Here's my garden a few weeks apart:

Spoiler

 

 

[Qapla]

There are Cacti (cactus) that can work for your area

Outdoor Varieties (Can stay out year-round with strict drainage)

These specific varieties can tolerate freezing winter temperatures, provided their roots are kept bone-dry:

• Prickly Pear (Opuntia humifusa): The absolute best outdoor choice for the UK. It is seriously tough, handles the damp better than any other cactus, and multiplies rapidly by dropping flat pads that easily root into new plants. It even produces beautiful yellow summer flowers.
• Tree Cholla (Cylindropuntia imbricata): A highly architectural, frost-hardy upright cactus. It branches out rapidly into a miniature shrub-like structure when given maximum sun.

 

Indoor Varieties (Best for quick multiplication)

If kept on a bright, south-facing windowsill, these varieties will multiply quickly by throwing off "pups" (baby offshoots) around their base, which you can easily detach and repot:

• Rebutia (Crown Cactus): Extremely beginner-friendly, free-flowering, and clusters incredibly fast into low mounded clumps.
• Echinopsis (Hedgehog Cactus): Fills out containers rapidly by clustering heavily at the base and produces massive, fragrant flowers in the summer.

 

The Strict Rules for Sussex Cactus Success

• The Soil Mixture: Standard UK multi-purpose compost retains too much water and will cause root rot. You must mix your soil to be at least 50% sharp sand, grit, or perlite to guarantee instant drainage.
• Pot Material: Always use terracotta pots. Terracotta is breathable and allows wet soil to dry out much faster than plastic pots.
• Winter Rain Shelter: If keeping hardy cacti outdoors, place them under the eaves of the house, against a south-facing brick wall, or under a transparent porch roof from October to March to block the winter rain.
• Watering: Water heavily but infrequently from April to September (allowing the soil to dry out completely between waterings). Stop watering completely during the dark winter months

 

1. Hardy Geranium (Cranesbill, e.g., Rozanne)

• Care Level: Virtually Zero
• Why It Works: Unlike tender bedding geraniums, these are tough perennials that survive the wet West Sussex winters. They spread rapidly, tumble over container edges, and bloom continuously from June until the first winter frosts.
• Maintenance: None. Chop them back to the ground in late autumn, and they will return larger the next spring.

 

2. Hosta (Plantain Lily)

• Care Level: Very Low
• Why It Works: Hostas thrive in the damp, shaded, or semi-shaded environments common in South East England. They grow into massive, lush mounds of foliage very quickly, completely filling a container in a single season.
• Maintenance: Keep the soil damp. Protect them from slugs using copper tape around the rim of your pot.

 

3. Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia)

• Care Level: Low
• Why It Works: A fantastic "spiller" plant with bright golden-green leaves that roots itself wherever it touches soil. It cascades dramatically down the sides of pots and hanging baskets, multiplying at a rapid pace.
• Maintenance: Needs regular watering during dry spells to maintain its vibrant color.

 

4. Perennial Wallflower (Erysimum 'Bowles's Mauve')

• Care Level: Low
• Why It Works: A coastal Sussex superstar. It loves sunshine, handles salty sea air, is highly drought-tolerant once established, and flowers for up to nine months of the year without stopping.
• Maintenance: Plant in a pot with excellent drainage and a grit-heavy compost mix

 

Winter Drainage: Because West Sussex gets a high volume of winter rain, always raise your containers off the ground using "pot feet" or bricks. This prevents the compost from waterlogging and freezing the roots.

Edited 13 hours ago by Qapla

[Watching and Waiting]

A good thing to keep in mind for container plantings on patio or concrete surfaces: to prevent direct transfer of heat into the pot (which can damage roots) raise it up a bit  on a raised stand. You can repurpose old trivets without spending a lot for fancy plant stands. Most plants don’t like their “feet” hot. Me neither LOL. 

 

I have discovered that old fashioned geraniums do quite well in the heat in containers, with regular watering. And there are a myriad of colors.  

 

[Julie1]

Yes, I must do that, good advice.😁

Some of my plants do very badly, I will certainly look into that, and protect my little beauties 🌸🌹🌺🌼