Planting drought resistant pots for table centres

Planting Drought-Resistant Pots for Table Centres

In this lesson, I'm going to show you how to create table centre pots for both indoor and outdoor spaces. All the plants I have chosen are drought tolerant and fuss-free making them ideal for those with less time.

Recipe for a Drought-Resistant Pot

• Erigeron karvinskianus
• Pelargonium 'Attar of Roses'

You will see erigeron growing wild in walls in places like East Sussex, which proves that it is a highly drought-resistant plant. This will flower from April right through until November.

Planting Your Erigeron

I have placed a crock (a broken piece of terracotta) at the bottom of my pot to help with drainage and prevent the compost from blocking up the drainage hole, and then I have filled the pot with peat-free compost.

The peat-free compost that we use is based on composted bark and it works really well around the garden. I'm using scallop pots here which I think add a lovely effect.

Planting Pelargonium 'Attar of Roses'

This variety of pelargonium works well in containers. If you squeeze its leaves you will release a beautiful scent that is a mix of pelargonium and roses and is very popular in the perfume industry. It also makes a delicious tea or cordial.

Place your plants into a larger pot with crocks at the bottom. With drought-resistant plants in pots, it is very important to add drainage, as if the pot fills with water it will rot very easily.

Watering

Even with drought-tolerant plants, if it's a very hot summer then I would still water them three times a week. If you are arranging your plants on a table where you wish to avoid water damage, then consider using saucers or take your plants outside to water them before leaving them to stand and drain for half an hour.

In average weather, watering them twice a week should be enough to keep them healthy.

Low-Maintenance and Perennial

Both the erigeron and the pelargonium are perennial so will continue to thrive for years to come. The erigeron is hardy, so it could be kept in the pot for several years or transferred into the garden, while the pelargonium is not hardy, so will have to be brought inside during the colder months.