Hi Clare

Thanks for your suggestions, will try out the layering in a larger pot.
Speaking of South African garden - there's a front garden in Plymton that
has a corner plot with the most amazing exotic look, very jungly -
apparently there's nursery down in Cornwall that specialises in these types
of plants - will have to see if I can find.

Unfortunately most of the big planting will have to be on hold as the rear
coutryard needs lots of work on the infrastructure, ie, rendering the walls,
installing new wall and gate at the rear, putting in some raised beds and
then thinking on what type of 'flooring' to go for (the broken concrete
thing is soooo not nice! Still, I have a few pots out there already and am
feeling much happier!

Sharon

PS: not sure if I should top post or bottom post on this group - I know some
groups are very strict on getting the etiquette right.

"Victoria Clare" wrote in message
.205...
"Sharon Hughes" wrote in
:

Two months ago I moved into a house in Plymouth that has a large'ish
courtyard and a space out the front that is southfacing where I can
put pots and troughs etc (the rear courtyard does receive sun too in
the largest part for most of the day).

Hi Sharon
I'm up the river from you in Gunnislake. If you've only just moved to
Plymouth, don't underestimate just how warm (relatively) it stays down
there - ideal for jungly things. If you've got all that stone storing the
sun's warmth, you can probably grow all sorts of exciting things in your
pots that would struggle in the rest of the country.

I'm always amazed how much warmer it is down there when I pop in for some
shopping - and how early things start into flower down there!

There's an interesting article in the freeby 'Devon Gardener' paper this
month about a guy who grows all sorts of exotic South African plants in a
tiny Plymouth garden - if you like that sort of thing. I picked up a copy
in the Safeway in Tavistock.

One thing I do with bigger pots is plant up with fairly deep-planted early
bulbs with pansies for immediate colour - if you stick the early bulbs
deep
enough, you can then whip the pansies off the next spring and replace with
shallow-rooted summery annuals without causing the bulbs any problems
(though I don't find they seem to be bothered if I accidentally dig them
up
and have to re-plant)

Victoria Clare
(on a hill in Cornwall)