Perennials offer an exciting and cost-effective alternative to traditional container plants, recommends Geoff Stebbings

Container gardening is rapidly becoming a defining feature of horticulture at the turn of the century. A well-planted container can transform an otherwise dull area, especially around a front door or where there is no open soil. Recent years have seen an explosion in the choice of tender plants for containers, and genera almost unknown a few years ago - such as Angelonia and Sutera - are now commonplace. In addition, there is now a wide range of containers readily available, further enhancing the decorative effects that can be achieved.

Certain shrubs have a long history of cultivation in pots. Pieris, camellias and Japanese maples have specific compost requirements and are regularly grown in containers. Hardy perennials are less often used, yet they can give a wonderful display, with no more trouble than tender plants. Their advantage is that they will repeat the performance for several years or can then be released into the garden, making them an economical proposition despite the original high outlay compared with traditional subjects.

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