Shrubs for containers

There are varieties of hostas that slugs don't bother, you could put some vaseline around the pots about half way up, this should deter the slugs

Anno I've got a big hosta in a pot and no slugs /snails have ever bothered with it either

Tegan, you only need to break off a piece of heuchera and stick it in the soil and it will thrive, they are so easy

In a garden centre you can buy a copper tape to stick round plant pots. I have found that it works well as a deterrent to slugs and snails. I have a huge hosta which gets bigger every year and for some reason they don't seem to bother with it.

Might have to get meself one now; I like a challenge of the horticultural kind...

Tegan Without nicking any copper power cables I don't know either.

That was a joke! a sick joke, but a joke! I don't do it!

Slugs and snails love Hostas. One thing I cannot understand is that we have armies of snails but few slugs in our garden any suggestions?
Nothing deters the beggars in my garden.

Pots are about the best place for them as you can control slugs and snails a bit more. Hosts do like it pretty damp under foot, so it would be lots of watering and they would be best with a soil medium that doesn't dry out easily. They are impressive plants if they haven't been eaten.

You can put copper rings round them [not sure where you get them from, though].

I planted my hostas in tubs and poured gravel around the plants, seems to keep the little devils at bay. Another idea is to smear vaseline around the pots.

Aren't slugs very partial to hostas? I might try one in my dry, shady bit of garden where the epimediums grow. I bought a dicentra today; obviously only a summer plant but I love seeing them in a tub with their delicate leaves and pretty pink flowers; I planted one in the very shady part of the garden last year and was surprised to see it growing happily [thought I'd killed it]. My favourite annual pot plant is the heliotrope, but not many garden centres seem to sell them. I found a garden centre near Nottingham today where the plants are much chepaer than out local garden centres so I might go mad there next Sunday with the garden vouchers I had for Christmas . B7Q has a special offer on last weekend and I bought 3 heuchera for £5. In retrospect I should have bought more.

Jessie, I hadn't given hosta a thought, have never grown them,

Tegan, I have been reading up on Skimmia since you spoke of them, they do look lovely

And Hilda and suzz, two very useful sites, thank you

I have a north corner near the front door which get no sun and have a lovely variegated hosta growing there in a tub very happily.

Thank you all for your help, most grateful

I love skimmias. Seem to take everything that nature throws at them and do different things at different times of year. The smell from the flowers in spring is gorgeous. I'm probably biased, though, because I have acid soil which they thrive on and they are [important for me] quite idiot proof .

Sorry should have been www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/htbg/

Anniebach give this site a look www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/htbg/

Anniebach....if you go on the RHS website they have a neat plant selector page where you can fill in your requirements and plant choices will be found for you!