Home
Premium
Our favourites
Plants for a purpose: spring containers

Spring container

Plants for a purpose: spring containers

BBC Gardeners' World Magazine

Published: Friday, 23 February 2024 at 8:51 pm

Discover a rainbow of plants for colourful spring containers, chosen by the Gardeners' World team and our friends in the gardening world

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecAt Its Bestyesyesyes

Save

There's nothing like a spring container to celebrate the fact that we've turned the corner, leaving winter behind us. From bright yellow daffodils that yell 'Spring!' to more subtle narcissus that whisper the change of season, or from the lush green of ferns to a sweet-shop display of tulips, there's a spring container for everyone. And the beauty of a container (a small one at any rate) is that it's portable so you can move your pot of joy to wherever you'll see it most – right on your front doorstep, or just outside the kitchen window so you can gaze at it while doing the dishes! Our choices include recommendations from the Gardeners' World team and familiar faces from across the gardening industry.

More inspiration for spring containers:

Monty's tips for planting up a spring container
Step-by-step guide to making a daffodil pot display
Create a spring bulb tray

Tulips

Chosen by Alan Titchmarsh, TV presenter and gardening writer

Nothing beats tulips! I plant them at the rate of ten to a 25 or 30-cm diameter terracotta pot in October. They stand in a sheltered spot by the garden shed until the flower buds are out and then I move them to the terrace alongside the house.

How to grow tulips

Narcissus bulbocodium 'Arctic Bells'

2048-1365-Frances-Tophill-Narcissus-Arctic-Bells-Bob-Purnell

'Arctic Bells' is a dainty early-flowering narcissus that is perfect for spring pots

Chosen by Frances Tophill, Gardeners' World presenter

I am a big lover of bulbs. I love daffodils, especially the more refined ones and 'Arctic Bells' is my particular favourite. The tubular or cup-shaped flowers, of the palest yellow, sit on top of thin green stems. They are delicate and beautiful.

Omphalodes cappadocica 'Starry Eyes'

Omphalodes

Omphalodes cappadocica 'Starry Eyes' prefers a moist soil in shade. Alamy

Chosen by Ashley Edwards, Horatio's Garden head gardener

This plant really shines in spring, with its pale lilac flowers with their star-shaped blue centre. It looks great against spring bulbs, and the veined foliage provides a lush backdrop.

You could also try:

Omphalodes cappadocica 'Cherry Ingram'

Narcissus 'Tête-à-tête'

2048-1365-Pippa-Greenwood-Tete-a-Tete-Helen-Riches

Popular for good reason, sprightly 'Tête-à-tête' will brighten any container display

Chosen by Pippa Greenwood, Gardeners' Question Time presenter and plantswoman

Narcissus 'Tête-à-tête' – what's not to love? Small, wind-resistant and gloriously golden, they reliably pop up in pots and planters year after year. I use them in my spring containers but also with potted shrubs and other permanent plantings... and it doesn't take long for them to start to multiply too!

Polystichum tsussimense

Polystichum

Also known as Korean rock fern, this compact, hardy fern prefers a shady spot

Chosen by Cel Robertson, founder of Forever Green flower company

A collection of pots filled with spring bulbs is one of the joys of spring, but amidst all the colour I love to thread through pots of ferns. Polystichum tsussimense is particularly beautiful, with finely textured fronds that are reliably evergreen, providing the perfect green foil for the showier narcissi and tulips.

Best ferns to grow

Crocus ‘Orange Monarch’

Crocus

Named after the butterfly, this crocus shares its striking orange and black colouring. Getty Images

Chosen by Sinead Fenton, Aweside Farm manager

After a long, grey winter, a vibrant pop of colour is something I find myself in desperate need of. This rich orange crocus with its intricate dark veining looks like a small flame, and gives a much needed reminder of warmth as we break out of the winter and into spring!

How to grow crocuses

Muscari 'Valerie Finnis'

2048-1365-Isabelle-Palmer-Muscari-Valerie-Finnis

Robust and compact, 'Valerie Finnis' is an unusually pale blue grape hyacinth

Chosen by Isabelle Palmer, The Balcony Gardener founder

This beautiful grape hyacinth with its delicious fragrance is a must for spring pots. The palest of blues, the flowers conjure images of summer skies. Plant them at the front of your pots paired with other bulbs such as tulips and narcissus.

Drumstick primula

Primula

This joyful perennial primula enjoys a moist soil in sun or partial shade

Chosen by Catherine Mansley, digital editor

If the vivid polyanthus on sale in your local DIY store are too garish for your tastes, Primula denticulata is just as cheerful but a little more subtle. The round balls of purple flowers look glorious combined with late-flowering daffodils, tulips and other spring bedding.

How to grow primulas

Tulips

Plant fresh bulbs each year for the best display of tulips in your spring containers

Chosen by Jo Cloke, art editor

Tulips are one of my favourite flowers for spring pots as they come in such different forms and colours. They can look spectacular if you plant several varieties together in a container, and you can cut the odd stem for a vase indoors.