If your pots have been cracked or broken by winter frost, now's a good time to revamp your outside space with a clutch of cool containers. Hannah Stephenson checks out some new pots to perk up your patio

Every year I have a number of casualties among my terracotta pots, which end up broken or cracked in the depths of winter.

Replacing them can be an almost impossible decision, thanks to the plethora of garden pots available both from retailers and online, from huge Grecian-style glazed urns, to light resin contemporary planters.

If you're going to invest in new pots, make sure they match the outside of your property and the style of your garden. If you live in a centuries-old cottage featuring original brickwork, for example, you may want to steer clear of contemporary urban planters.

While some manufacturers claim their terracotta pots are frostproof or frost resistant, I would advise you take care of them anyway to minimise risk of flaking and cracking.

Glazed terracotta pots are generally more frostproof than unglazed ones, but if compost in the pot becomes waterlogged and then the water freezes, it will expand and crack the pot as well as killing the roots of your plants.

Move terracotta pots near to the house during the winter months or wrap them in bubble wrap or horticultural fleece to protect them - and make sure you have adequate drainage holes and drainage material in the pot, standing the pot on feet.

If you do need to refresh your garden pots, there are possibilities for all tastes:

Designer planter

Laura Ashley has branched out on to the garden scene with a new range of frostproof glazed terracotta pots in pastel blue, available in selected Wyevale Garden Centres and fully available across 108 stores from March 20, from £6.99-£34.99. For stockists, visit www.wyevalegardencentres.co.uk

Lighting up time

Soft lighting can create a great ambience in the garden - and you can highlight your plants with Dutch design company Elho's flower light which features a contemporary planter with the stylish solar light connected by a wooden frame. Available in white, anthracite and mint, Flower Light charges by natural sunlight. RRP £34.99. For stockists, visit www.elho.com

Water-wise style

Lechuza has come out with another stylish contemporary planter, the Cubeto bowl planter, ideal for lower-growing plants, either for permanent or temporary planting. It's a smooth, bowl-shaped lower-to-the-ground pot made from lightweight plastic, but which looks a lot like stone and comes with a sub-irrigation system featuring a colour-coordinated liner, drain plug, water level indicator which reduces risk of over-watering and water supply shaft and which makes watering easy. Available in stone grey, sand beige or classic black. From £17.99, www.lechuza.co.uk

Yakuta water jars

If you want something bespoke that no-one else will have, look no further than these unique Chinese vases, finished with a stunning hand-painted glaze. They come in a range of sizes, from small pots to huge urns in greens, blues, yellows and browns. Prices range from around £9 upwards, depending on size, from Roundwood of Mayfield (www.roundwood.com).

Tudor twist

This uniquely shaped wooden planter from specialists Lichfield Planters has an unusual twist reminiscent of a Tudor chimney pot. Constructed with square lengths of Scandinavian red pine treated with a high quality, plant-friendly, water-repellant preservative. The floor of the planter is 30cm from the top, so you don't need to fill it up completely with compost. Weighing more than 25kg (size 35cm x 35cm x 80cm), it's stable even in strong winds. £125, www.thelichfieldplantercompany.co.uk

Colour statement

Darlington and Stockton Times:

Eye-catching planters can look amazing against a plain white house wall or minimalist backdrop. These new Satu Bumi egg planters in white base, black dip and gold band provide a splash of rich, vibrant colour in a minimalist setting. They are made from glass fibre reinforced concrete which is frostproof. Available in three sizes, from £90. For stockists details contact, visit www.laminvale.co.uk or phone 01949 844 871

Back to nature

Darlington and Stockton Times:

New for this year is a natural-looking range of lightweight, frost resistant contemporary planters within the The Nature collection from Cadix. The lightweight pots are equipped with a special rib structure that uses hydrograins to keep plants healthy and provide smooth water drainage. Row white egg planter (left) RRP £39.99, ivory Brix vase elegant RRP £44.99. For stockists details, visit www.cadix.co.uk/stockists

BEST OF THE BUNCH: ELAEAGNUS

Darlington and Stockton Times:

This tough, fast-growing evergreen is ideal for growing as hedging, with its resistance to coastal winds and tolerance of the elements.

Leaves may be plain green or silvery, or there are types with silver or gold variegation that look great in full sun.

Small clusters of bell-shaped fragrant flowers are borne in summer or autumn, occasionally followed by small berries. Grow them in fertile, well-drained soil, preferably in full sun.

Deciduous types are also available. Good bets include E. 'Quicksilver', a deciduous, clump-forming shrub which grows to 4m, flowering in summer, and E. x ebbingei 'Gilt Edge', a dense evergreen with green and yellow variegated leaves and creamy white flowers in autumn.

Prune deciduous types in late winter or early spring and evergreens in mid-to-late spring.

GOOD ENOUGH TO EAT: GROWING SPINACH

You can now be sowing true spinach - the annual, green leafy plant as opposed to perpetual spinach or leaf beet, a biennial which can be sown later next month - in short rows once every three weeks to give you a succession of crops throughout the summer.

They key is to pick it when the leaves are small, before it starts to bolt. Prepare the seedbed well, raking in balanced fertiliser and water if the soil is dry and sown thinly into drills 1cm deep and 30cm apart.

The first few sowings should be protected with cloches. Through March and April, continue to sow small amounts of true spinach at intervals.

Thin the seedlings to around 10-15cm apart and use the thinnings in salads.

Good varieties include 'Giant winter', which will overwinter from an autumn sowing, and 'Mikado' and 'Amazon Seed'.

WHAT TO DO THIS WEEK

  • Prune bush and shrub roses.
  • Reseed bare patches on the lawn, if weather permits.
  • Mulch bare soil in beds and borders.
  • Lift and divide overgrown clumps of perennials.
  • Put stakes and other plant supports in before the new growth really needs them.
  • Finish planting bare-root trees and shrubs and new fruit trees and bushes.
  • Cut back climbers including honeysuckle, ivy and winter jasmine.
  • Cut down any growth left after winter, even if seedheads still look good, to make way for new growth.
  • Dress the soil with a fertiliser so it is ready for a layer of mulch.
  • Plant out early chitted seed potatoes with the 'rose' end uppermost.
  • Plant out bulbs grown for indoor use which have finished flowering.
  • Continue to sow hardy annuals in a cold frame or unheated greenhouse.