OxFORD GARDEN PARTNERS

 Bored of endless terracotta pots full of pretty but disposable plants, Oxford Garden Partners decided to experiment with planting up containers with native wildflowers - and seeing if they would last from year to year.

We chose two very different but contemporary styles of container- an aluminum cube style from Primrose, and simple plastic garden trugs.

Plugs were ordered from Naturescape, and flowers and foliage grouped according to their natural habitats.

The two containers pictured here were chosen for a slightly shady spot, and a sunny open spot.

On the right the aluminium cube has a selection of plants chosen to flower from mid-spring, through summer and into autumn - Meadow buttercup (Ranunculus acris), Ragged Robin (Lychnis flos-cullis), Red Valerian (Centranthus ruber), and Tufted Hair Grass (Deschampsia cespitosa).

Below a simple black trug was planted with sun-loving plants for a meadow habitat flowering from mid-spring to autumn, with grasses to extend the season - Wild Carrot (Daucus carota), Silky bent-grass (Apera spica-venti), Meadow saxifrage (Saxifraga granulata) and Red clover (Trifolium pratense)