After a long break from gardening forums for personal reasons (I was a member called newbierosarian on the old Gardenweb site), I am finally returning to the concept of container gardening with increased interest - but all the knowledge I gained from the research I did over a decade ago has sadly left me and I feel as if I am starting from scratch. I do remember reading all of Tapla's threads when I was an active member but so much of it seems trickier to understand now because people have seemingly since gone on to adapt these mixes to their own tastes/requirements..

Anyway, the plan is to plant the following shrubs into containers which will be kept outdoors (in the UK):

Michelia Figo

a Tree Peonies

various hardy Gardenias

a Camellia

tenders jasmines such as Sambac and Maid of Orleans (I will suitably protect these in winter)

a strawberry guava plant

I do not intend to repot any of them, at least not for a few years.

I understand the inherent difference between the water retention of the 5:1:1 potting mix compared to the free drainage of the gritty mix and though I realise that 5:1:1 is largely used for short term plantings I had hoped to plant all of the above in that mix simply because I have all of the components/materials to hand.

There are various houseplants that I intend to purchase over the next few months and those will likely be planted in the gritty mix when I can source what I need for it.

Is this ok?