I’ve jet-washed my patio and spruced up my garden furniture in anticipation of summer entertaining – now, the only thing that’s left are my patio pots, which is where the fun begins.

If you’re buying new pots, choose the same types – a row of three or four large containers looks much better than an assorted mix of pots you might have accumulated over the years.

Historically, annual bedding plants have been used to brighten the scene, offering a wealth of colour over the summer months, but in recent years gardeners with little time and less money have recognised the merit of permanent plantings, where only the surface of the soil needs to be scraped off and replaced by new compost every year, rather than the whole planting scheme.

More gardeners are also seeing the merits of evergreens, which add structure and form to the patio all year round. Clipped box balls, for instance, look great in tall, contemporary pots.

Summer-flowering bulbs such as the wonderful agapanthus, or African lily, look fantastic in pots, providing a striking display of ball-shaped 13cm (5in) flower clusters in blues or whites, late in the summer. Use a large deep pot to accommodate the roots and grow these sun lovers by themselves in containers, preferably somewhere sheltered.

Plant the bulbs now and you will have to be patient. It may take a couple of years for the flowers to appear, but if you keep them somewhere sheltered near the house or under a porch during the winter months, they should come back year after year.

You may have the popular Verbena bonariensis in your perennial border, but now you can buy a smaller version, V. bonariensis ‘Lollipop’ to enjoy the same incredible clusters of lavender flowers on low-growing, mound-like plants. It’s ideal for pots, being low-maintenance, drought-tolerant and good for cutting, growing to 60cm (24in). Available from suttons.co.uk or phone 0844 9220606.

However, there is still a place for annuals, particularly for those who have the time to give the tender loving care these colourful summer sizzlers will need to last throughout the warmer months. If you want a blaze of colour, have your fill of fuchsias, geraniums, osteospermums and climbing sweet peas.

You may be raring to go with your containers, but don’t put them out too early – wait until at least the middle of May.