GINA PARKINSON looks at pots of tender perennials and bedding plants to relieve dull areas of concrete or paving.

MY computer has broken down and I am forced to pick up pen and paper to compose this column. Fortunately the day is warm and sunny (for once) and I am able to sit on the back doorstep surrounded by my plants.

A tall bamboo casts dappled shade on my paper and rustles in the breeze. This romantic image does have its drawbacks, mainly the length of time it takes to write these words, but it's great to have a valid excuse to sit in the garden.

Pots of tender perennials and bedding can make a real difference to patios and yards, giving colour and a focal point to what would otherwise be a bare area of concrete or paving.

Each year brings greater choice of subjects to use, with plants suitable for almost any situation. The only thing that all potted plants need is regular watering, plus fertiliser to keep them going longer.

Our yard is warm and sunny for most of the day in summer, making it an ideal spot for plants such as pelargoniums and verbena. Best of all are petunias, which love to be hot and flower for months if treated well. We have four different varieties in our garden - there are scores to choose from, either as plants from nurseries and garden centres or to grow from seed from catalogues.

Petunia Surfinia Rose Vein is a robust variety with soft green leaves and pale pink flowers with darker veins. It started life in a terracotta pot but grew too long and trailed on the ground. I dug it up and re-potted it into a wall container where it looks much better and has room to expand over the next few weeks.

Growing at ground level are Petunia Million Bells Fuchsia and Petunia Petitunia Happy Dreams which are compact varieties. Fuchsia has small intense pink flowers and dark foliage. It looks good with hot pink pelargoniums and impatiens, and white nemesia to cool down the arrangement.

Happy Dreams also has small flowers which are pale purple heavily netted with deep purple. At the centre of each flower are grey-blue stamen and the plant forms a compact mass of foliage and flowers. It is growing with Argyranthemum frutescens with yellow-centred daisies and purple-speckled white verbena.

Briza maxima has also seeded itself in this pot, adding height and movement as well as a contrasting colour as it fades from fresh green to pale brown.

The final petunia is a double variety, Petunia Viva Double Purple, which so far has only had a couple of flowers, one of which was destroyed by slugs. It is struggling on and has produced plenty of flower buds recently so should give a good display soon.

Petunias are easy to grow so long as they are in full sun for at least part of the day. They will tolerate some neglect but will fare better if watered regularly. Add slow release fertiliser to the compost when planting or add liquid feed to their water once a week instead.

I tend to use tomato feed to feed all my pots when the tomatoes need fertilising as it is easy to remember and convenient. However, liquid feeds specifically for flowering plants are available in DIY stores and garden centres.

Updated: 08:34 Saturday, July 10, 2004