Using a decorative topping to finish off your planting is an interesting detail which creates an attractive overall appearance, and has practical benefits too.
Toppings help to seal in moisture during dry warmer weather, less frequent watering is required and will also inhibit weed growth. When you water your pots, a cover over the top layer of soil means that the contents of the pot won’t splash out onto the ground.
We use two different methods – toppings, and underplanting.
For toppings, you could use pine cones, small shells, pebbles, slate or bark spread over the surface of the soil. We particularly like to use pine cones, as gathering them makes a lovely day out. They’re also biodegradable, and when they start to look past their best you can simply crush them up a bit and put them on the garden. You could also enjoy looking for pebbles or seashells, and they would be a lovely reminder of a family holiday.
For Christmas or other festive occasions, why not add some sparkle? paint a few of the pine cones silver or gold, add a bauble or three? silver pebbles for a festive touch? The list goes on…
Underplanting works best when you have a standard tree or bush as your main plant, and want to add colour and interest. Use a low growing, attractive plant such as Diascia or Artemisia and the results will please you all summer. You could create an instant kitchen garden by underplanting a bay tree with varieties of thyme, which are shallow rooted. Another method is to place a membrane over the top layer of soil and planting over it makes it easier to remove and replant.
Finally, water regularly and feed throughout the summer months to stop the soil drying out, which would lighten the pot and may loosen the root ball.