what can I put in bottom of pots?

That is a beauty of a skimmia Bornagain and an impressive new home for it! Looking at the container it seems to taper in a lot towards the bottom, as you don't want ti to be top heavy and go over I'd use soil in the bottom. It is also recommended that you put lots of organic compost in the planting hole.

Thanks Mg, unfortunately I don't have any organic compost as my husband put celandine bulblets in our compost bin grrrr:-( I was worried in case the soil went sour with no roots in like it can in house plants if over potted? Also I thought some variegated ivy might look nice trailing down, but would it be easy to get out if it started taking over?

The soil shouldn't go sour, especially if you raise the container up off the ground so that it can drain freely. Trailing ivy would look great but how easy it would be to remove I'm not sure...

You must be pretty upset with hubby putting celandine bulblets in the compost!

Scrunched up tin foil, or an open side down rigid icecube trays will cover the drianage hole yet allow it to drain dont need very much as you want penty of compost for the roots some dont bother at all and put the pots on stands to aid drainage.
I put my skimmias in ericas compost. its the biggest leaf and berries on skimmia japonica reevesiana I have ever seen.

Glad you've seen it Drc, now you know what I was on about:-) Perhaps after a while it won't look the same, I think the growers must have a magic formula which they don't tell us about :-) I do have some ericaceous? compost so that should be ok and at last I have a use for old icecube trays thanks good idea:-) Mg, I told him not to put the celandine in at the time, but he did. Now when my gardener comes tomorrow He's going to empty the compost bin into the skip I've hired along with a lot of overgrown rubbish etc. He's bringing a chain saw !!! Doesn't it sound grand, my gardener, he's going to come once a week to help me get straight then I can start my makeover:-)

Good luck with the makeover Bornagain

Bornagain why not post this pic as a what is it question? I am not convinced its skimmia Japonica because of the leaf size and the berries. And you need to be sure before putting it in ericas just in case. Also i think you would regret the ivy in the same pot.

The pot DOES have drainage holes doesn't it, Bornagain?
Assuming that it does have drainage I wouldn't put anything in the bottom. A very little compost will escape through the holes at first but it will then settle itself down. Raise the pot off the ground on bricks or pot feet.

I've just got to stick my oar in here! If the pot you have bought has only one hole, break an old, small terracotta pot, and place a curved piece over the hole, (open one side) to stop compost falling out. If it has more than one drainage hole, don't bother to crock the bottom. Do, though, stand on something to keep it off the ground once planted. That is a Skimmia reevesiana if the leaves are 3 inches long, though I'll admit they do look a little wider than I'd expect, and if the berries are very slightly pear shaped, not quite round, and it will do better in ericaceous compost if you have it. And yes, add an ivy - but don't leave it in there too long - heave it out in late spring, tear it in half and replant if you think the pot still needs it. And remember that Skimmia likes some shade, not full sun - the leaves can get a bit pale in full sunlight.

In pots which I do not want to make heavier I use the aluminium mesh sold for reparing cars or failing that, a scrunched up onion bag, the plastic woeven type to cover the drainage holes.

Thanks all, It does have one large and four little holes so I will put a piece of pot on the large 3cm(11/8inch) diameter hole and leave the 4 little quarter inch holes uncovered. Sorted:-) It is going in a shaded position near my lovely aucuba but I must remember to keep it moist! Drc I'll use your ice cube /tin foil idea for the pansies etc:-)

I know the sort of stuff, I had some small bags of compost delivered in one, another good idea, thanks Owdboggy, who needs polystyrene:-)

I think Qwdboggy's ideas are better than mine Bornagain.

Drc, I don't have the aluminium mesh but I do have old ice cube trays and occassionally tin foil and I do have a woven platic bag too so all ideas more than welcome:-)

Well they worked for me as I had them to hand.

Exactly:-)