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Grow a Spectacular Garden in Pots
Planting the big copper up for summer - part 3
with ARTHUR PARKINSON — Horticulturist, writer and container gardening expert.
Lesson 35 of 51
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Arthur shows how to plant up a large pot with a combination of grasses, foliage and prolific flowerers to ensure a riot of colour later in the summer.
From the Lesson Workbook
Planting the Copper for Summer - Part 3
There are different ways you could plant a pot like this for summer. If you're on a tighter budget, you directly sow seeds like cosmos or dwarf sunflowers 'Ms Mars' or 'Double Dandy'.
Arthur is planting a combination of home-grown plants, seedlings from the garden centre and little plugs that have come in the post from nurseries.
How many plants you fit into the pot depends on how much you're able to feed and water the pot through the season. Arthur knows he will be watering all through the summer so will be packing them in quite tightly.
Make sure that your seedlings and small plants are nice and watered before planting them into the bigger pot, as translating them causes stress.
Lightly water for the first couple of weeks until you see visible signs of growth, which is then the plants telling you they want water.
Plant Directory
Foliage
- Bronze fennel
- Panicum 'Frosted Explosion'
- Panicum red
Flowers
- Tagetes patula, 'Burning Embers'
- Black scabious
- Dahlia 'Bishop's Children'
- Cosmos 'rubenza'
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May 31, 2026
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Interior and exterior confidence
Create Academy has been such a great resource. I'm in the middle of renovating a bungalow with a very large garden and the courses have offered a wealth of information to dive into and explore new ideas. I'm...
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Jun 10, 2026
Absolutely love Create Academy
Absolutely love Create Academy! The instructors are extremely informative, and it is beautifully filmed. Create Academy is great value for money and plan on renewing my subscription yearly because there are ...
SG
May 31, 2026
Magic in small spaces
Butter's creativity is stunning! Her ability to incorporate brilliance in small gardens is magical!
Carla
May 30, 2026
Your Instructor
Arthur Parkinson
Horticulturist, writer and container gardening expert.
Named one of the most influential young UK gardeners by Architectural Digest, Arthur Parkinson is a gardener, florist and author with a penchant for growing flamboyant blooms and raising chickens. After studying horticulture at the Royal Botanical Gardens of Kew, Arthur went to work for plantswoman Sarah Raven at her farm in East Sussex to pursue his passion for growing cut flowers. He later became head gardener for the potter Emma Bridgewater, which inspired his first book, The Pottery Gardener. Arthur also co-presents the popular gardening podcast 'Grow, cook, eat, arrange' with Sarah Raven and regularly appears on BBC's 'Gardeners' World'.
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