I'd like my patio to look...

Your garden is lovely, kitty. There are elements of it that remind me of our last garden, and I pine for it as this one, though it is coming on year after year, will never be what I really want it to be. It is a split space with nothing to tie it together. Hilda I craved a black bamboo. They make a real statement, but DH said we had enough with three and in the end I had to agree with him as two of them were thugs of the highest order!

Make sure bamboo is a "clumper", not a "runner". Have a look at websites for advice. It looks lovely and when you cut it you also get canes!

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Our garden is the site of a school playground and grass just didn't grow so we have two patios with pots and beds - mostly leafy with odd splashes of colour. The walls are covered in ivy and other climbers.

I'm growing large crocosmia in a pot, it looks a bit jungley.

How about a black bamboo. It grows very successfully in a large pot.

Galen, have you ever grown a Japanese orange tree? I ask as you said you had citrus trees on your patio. My DH bought one at the Harrogate Spring Flower Show yesterday and wonders if it needs special care. He's never grown a citrus tree before, but he's a good gardener so thought he'd give it a go.

uk.pinterest.com/pin/114912227966118894/ These are lovely.. do you only have pot space?

Could you grow some verbena bonariensis in pots? It grows (at least in my garden) to around five feet and keeps its pretty purple flowers all Summer and well into Autumn.

Ooh, I've got one of those in a pot in the front garden.

Your garden looks great Galen. Our next door neighbour has an area like that and other gives great shade in our south facing garden.

Thanks for the link shysal I've got one of those, but I didn't know what it was called. It was from the sad plant corner and had lost its label.

I have been very pleased with my Jelly Palm. It is in a pot and completely hardy, giving a tropical feel to the patio. It was about 4ft tall when I bought it so I stood it on an upturned pot behind others for height. It has grown about a foot a year so far. I also have a few of those bright green conifers for structure. I have a series of potted plants which I swap around according to what is flowering. They include Pieris Forest Flame, Hydrangeas, Geranium Rozanne, Ivy, Fatsia and bulbs. I wish you luck with your patio, it sounds great.
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Butia-capitata-Hardy-Jelly-Palm-Great-trunk-size-120cm-/122316846729?hash=item1c7aa6f689:g:UnEAAOSwt5hYgKoQ

Wisteria sinensis "Prolific" is a large blooming wisteria, specially designed for growing in pots on a patio. Looks, and smells, wonderful.

That looks very reastful Galan.
There was an interesting item on Gardeners World this week, about a jungly small garden, although they didn't mention too many plants.
We are trying to do something similar with our courtyard and I agree waiting for things to grow tall is a bit of a pain.
I have pots of bamboo, fatsia, and medium sized palms. I am growing a pheasant berry ( it grows fast), clematis and jasmine in pots, as well as smaller hostas.
To make plants look taller I have put them on upturned pots and bricks.

That's really lovely Galen!

I've got citrus trees and a couple of olives a fig and a eucalyptus on mine. Soon there will be loads of bright geraniums as well. A grape vine trained over old boat rigging gives shade and hanging baskets more colour. Pinks, lavender and my rambling rector give perfume. All I want at the moment is sun!

I've just had a look at various bamboo online and they look perfect, thank you! I can only spare £100 this year and hope to be able to buy 3 or 4 things to make an immediate impact. I have just been told of an excellent nursery not too far away so plan to visit as soon as I am more mobile.

What about bamboos? They come in all shapes and sizes and are suitable for pots (in fact they are best confined to a pot or they will invade everywhere). They are lovely when they rustle in the breeze.