When it comes to creating a summer tablescape, I always like to have an arrangement that is pretty and low maintenance. Crafted with fragrant herbs, this simple summer planter is an ideal accompaniment to relaxed outdoor gatherings.

To gather the ingredients for this simple summer planter, I ventured out to our local garden centre to find inspiration. While exploring the plants on offer, I found myself drawn to a beautiful mint with mauve-tinted leaves. That discovery led me to a trailing flowering sage in a soft reddish pink, which I knew would pair wonderfully with the tall and elegant Scabious.

When it comes to creating your own display, you can use whichever plants inspire you the most. Lavender, rosemary, oregano, and geranium are just a few of my favourites to include in a planter at this time of year. I recommend gathering the pieces that catch your eye into a trolley and using that to get an idea of how the different colours, shapes, and heights work together. Personally, I like to play with contrasts to ensure the arrangement has depth and visual interest.

Once you’ve made your plant selection, it’s time for the really fun bit: creating your planter!  

For this simple summer planter, I like to use our Nayland Rattan Planter. It’s made from Kubu rattan with a plastic liner that makes it suitable for use indoors and out. I love its naturalistic appearance and the subtle statement it makes when displayed on our dining table.

 

Ingredients

The plants I’ve used in my display include:

• Mint
• Creeping Lemon Thyme
• Silver Queen Thyme
• Pink Chintz Thyme
• White Bacopa
• Silver Mist Helichrysum
• Pure White Scabiosa Flutter

Method

Step One

Gather all your plants in their pots and place them in your chosen planter. Don’t be afraid to play around with the positioning until you find a combination that works for you. I tend to place the taller and larger plants in the middle and then add the shorter and trailing plants around the edges, but there are no hard and fast rules – let your creativity lead the way!  

 

Step Two

Once you’re happy with the placement, take them all out of the planter so you can add a shallow layer of gravel to the base. This provides stability and allows for drainage.

 

Step Three

Next, add another shallow layer of compost over the gravel.

 

Step Four

Take your plants out of their pots and position them on top of the compost. You can always add more if you need to raise them up, so they are on the same level as the planter edge.

 

Step Five

When all your plants are in place, fill any gaps with more compost.

Step Six 

Finally, give the full arrangement a good water, sit back, and enjoy!