Ideas for permanent plant for tubs

Why not try a miniature patio fruit tree in each tub. Apples are best, you'll get blossom in the spring and fruit in the autumn. You could plant some herbs or even put in bedding plants in the summer.
www.jparkers.co.uk/catalogsearch/result/?q=Miniature+fruit+trees

Plant the flowers around the trees.

You could get a couple of those little bright green conifers which are sold in supermarkets and Wilko as well as garden centres. Ornamental ivy around the edge and fill in with cyclamen corms and bulbs for a succession of flowering.

Winter box! The smell in the winter is divine and you could put bedding plants under throughout the year.

I buy made up pots from the garden centre and drop them in to ornamental pots and change them when necessary. I bought one at the beginning of the summer for £12.50 and it is fabulous!

Something with colourful leaves such as a standard Pieris with small euonymous plants and some small bulbs and bedding at base level. That way it's never naked.
Although my pot out the front has a vari-coloured cordeline with bulbs and bedding around the pot edges, seems to cope with being baked alive even in this weather.

Personally I think you cannot go wrong with Buxus Ball or spiral plants, a rich green that just needs a little trimming (Topiary)to keep in shape.
Then small red begonias around the base in summer would add delighteful colour,whilst in autum you could add cerise cyclamen............I have actually done this in one of my homes , it was highly succesful and received loads of compliments whilst so easy to maintain..

In fact there is a vast variety to chose from. and that alone should give you great pleasure.............good luck.

I had 2 red cordylines in a previous house they ,looked very striking.

Skimmia are wonderfully easy, everygreen plants. Make sure you get one male and one female plant then you will assured of beautifully scented blossom in spring and luscious red berries that remain from year to year. The birds don't seem to like them. If you squish them when ripe they are easy to germinate so lots of new plants to gift or sell. I donate my seedlings to the library plant swap.

Lots of great ideas - thank you!

Are cordylines winter hardy?

Should I wait till autumn to plant those, or any similar shrub?

kittylester brilliant suggestion . Winter box , smells gorgeous

Autumn planting has tthe better chances of success.
Cordylines are quite hardy though the central core does really need protection during winter.
Here in Pembrokeshire where they sprout almost like weeds,they have been ravished by the "Beast from the East" hence many have or are dying.
However amazingly, new shoots will spring up and are already showing in half the ones that were damaged here in our garden.