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Red petunias are dotted across several pots
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Petunias pack a red punch to complement geraniums

By Linda Fort
June 04, 2010

The snails have started to eat the hostas – so it must be summer.

I have one enormous hosta with tough blue green leaves which I think is called ‘Blue Wedgewood’.

This must be the old boiled cabbage of hostas because the slugs and snails don’t touch it and its magnificent veined leaves remain ornamental throughout the summer.

My hosta called ‘Patriot’ with white-edged leaves is snail caviar and rapidly gets eaten despite my efforts to protect it.

I bought two cheap packs of red petunias and have finally transformed my containers.

The red was chosen to go with two huge geraniums (pelargoniums really) which have been growing enormous on the windowsill over winter.

They were desperate to get outside and have now been properly watered, fed, staked and tidied up and I hope will now enjoy the fresh air and good light for the summer.

It was impossible to be hard-hearted and get rid of them last autumn because they were such a brilliant colour.

However, keeping such enormous pots on the windowsill has been inconvenient – not least because they blot out most of the light.

A plumbago which has also been kept on the windowsill was looking much unhappier and needed potting into a larger container.

At least all the outdoor plants – including tomatos, aubergines, squashes and chillis – which have been cluttering windowsills throughout the house are now all outside where they should be.

I have kept the aubergines in pots but put them in a sunny position because I believe they need a lot of light.

I have also put the squashes in containers – full of new compost and handfuls of blood fish and bone – but I fear they would be better off in the ground. Unfortunately, my vegetable patch is now full so I have no choice.

I am also not happy that their yellow flowers – which are to be trained upwards – will be on full display in an area where yellow flowers simply will not be welcome.

As I don’t like butternut squash that much I wonder why I am bothering, but perhaps the crop will be so fabulous and succulent that it will all be worthwhile.

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Most recent user comments 1 of 1

Put copper wire around the pots - that will stop the slugs and snails. Petunias are great - they'll repeat flower all summer and will spread out. But you don't have to settle for red. There's dark blue, white, pink, and yellow. You can have trailing or uprights. Their only 'enemy' is a downpour, but they'll soon come back. Keep them watered when it's really hot'n'dry.