Ideas for contemporary pots/garden..

I have two new pots to place either side of our front door. The front garden is fairly 'contemporary' looking with Cotswold buff and ornamental grasses. My wife likes a bit of colour, but I like the 'less is more' approach!

Any suggestions to keep us both happy would be great :D The pots are 20'' tall and 9'' square. Due to their height we don't want anything that will grow too tall.

Thanks!

 

Two possibles.....Ophiopogon with small bulbs like snowdrops, cyclamen and perhaps a trailing scarlet-flowered, blackish-leaved geranium for summer. Heuchera with a small-leaved, silver-variegated ivy.

 

If the pots will be in a sheltered sunny spot Coleus would look good

 

Thanks for the suggestions, I'll have a look at those

 

This looks good, does anyone know what they are please?

 

The grass could be Molina, with, perhaps, Vinca. That bright pink flower suggests a different member of the periwinkle family, though...Catharanthus rings a bell.....

 

Thank you Vinca looks nice actually, I think planting that at the front with a contrasting grass would look pretty nice! Will ask for permission...

 

Finished the two pots last weekend, Vinca at the front and I can't for the life of me remember what's behind!

Pleased with the end result though. I think it'll look pretty once the Vinca establishes/flowers.

 

Can anyone tell me what the plant is at the rear of the pot please? I split some into spare pots which I am thinking of planting elsewhere in the garden. However the chap I bought them from said they can be quite invasive - would like to research before planting.

 

If you mean the spikey one, I think it may be a variety of cordyline

 

Skimia Japonica Godrie's Dwarf? Doesn't grow quickly, has pink berry buds all winter and white flowers in spring.

 

Are you sure that he wasn't talking about the Vinca? It's a bloody nightmare to get rid of (I know from experience). Not as bad as Ivy though.

 

Not talking about the Vinca, interested to know what the spiky one is. Can't remember what it was now and I am thinking of planting some in a border - if it won't go mad!

 

It looks like a Cordyline species/cultivar of some sort. Not invasive at all although it may get big. Vinca is invasive which is why I asked if that was what he was talking about. Plant the Cordyline (assuming that my id is correct) but give it space.