How To Have Attractive Plants On Your Verandah All Year Round:

There is nothing better or more joyful than seeing gorgeously full hanging baskets creating a splash of colour during the summer months. They can also add a nice finishing touch to any verandah and make it even more welcoming and enjoyable.



But while there is no doubt we will use our outdoor spaces more during the summer, its still nice to see some colour during the winter too. We may not go outside quite as often but we can still see our garden from indoors, and this means its nice to be able to see a riot of colour throughout the winter too.



And its not as hard to make this a reality as you might think. The only thing stopping you from having a gorgeous looking verandah or patio area all year round is knowledge - knowledge of what grows at what time of the year, and how to grow it.



Some people are unaware that it is perfectly possible to have hanging baskets all year round, but there is no reason why you cant; you just need to know which plants will be coming to fruition just as your summer ones finally reach the end of their life.



The trick to having a verandah or outdoor space that is always rife with colour is to learn which plants to use at which time, and to be ready with replacements when you dig out the ones that need removing. Alternatively you could buy ready made hanging baskets so that all you need to do is take down your summer ones and put the winter ones up! It feels a little like cheating and it isnt as much fun, but it could provide a good answer if you are a beginner and you dont have the confidence to choose individual plants and plant them from scratch.



The best bet is to choose small plants that are ready to plant straight out when they are in season. If you lack knowledge in this area ask the advice of an assistant at your local garden centre. They will know which plants should go in the shady area at the rear of your verandah nearest your house, and which ones can tolerate the sun at the edge of the verandah, where it meets the garden.



You should also consider having a variety of items such as hanging baskets and pots in the area. If you are keen on gardening then you can include troughs or beds that are built into the floor of your design; these could be raised to allow for easier planting, and to enable you to plant trailing plants that will grow over the edges and down to the floor.



Finally why not consider buying small evergreen trees in pots that you can place at the rear door of your house if it opens directly onto your verandah, for a grander and more elegant feel? These take the minimum of work and they will look wonderful all year round.