You went out and bought a stunning pair of pots that match your scheme perfectly. Then, you get home and put them to the side to use some day.
That some day is today.
Containers are great because you can put them just about anywhere you want a pop of colour (from either the pot or the plant), a touch of height, or just something there. You can cluster them together or spread them apart. Finding the spot to put them is easy, but what do you put in the containers? Containers are a work of art. Here are 5 tips you can lean on to create the perfect container garden.
- Create a mini garden with variety using “thrillers” for height and variation, “fillers” to fill the space around your centrepiece, and “spillers” to have plants gracefully cascading down the side of your container. Combining all three in the same container will be both beautiful and dramatic.
- Echo the colours from your “thriller” piece in the other plants that surround it to make a stunning and cohesive look.
- Mix flowers and foliage for a great mix of texture and colour.
- Don’t shy away from a conversation starter — after all, you want people to admire your work!
- Perform maintenance on your little garden regularly with feeding, watering, and pruning your plants to keep the plant looking it’s best.
While these will help you create dramatic effects with flowers, foliage, and edibles, you don’t have to rely solely on this formula. Take a look at the selection of styles below and let your imagination wander a bit.
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- Cilantro, Parsley, and Chives Garden
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- Shiny, dark ajuga planted with cyclamen and a bristly little conifer, with one of the bronze carexes at the foot of the pot. (from Plant Talk with Valerie Easton)
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- Perky tomatoes in simple pots can brighten any window — especially when you can just reach out and grab one.
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- Magnolia, Spider Plant & Caladiums, found in Southern Living Magazine
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- Cleverly stacked pots can make an amazing dramatic effect — and make people stop in wonder.
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- Small spaces can be used with great effect. Just grab a gutter, screw it to a wall, and get to planting.
Remember, let your personality speak for you. Simple and chic? Edible and near to hand? Dramatic and shocking? All of the above? Have fun with your new containers, as well as the plants you put in them. There are many plants that will fit both your personality and purpose as well as the sunlight and containers.
A key feature not to over look is drainage.
One thing that gets overlooked by new gardeners is drainage. If you picked a container that doesn’t have holes in it, drill them. If you did, just make sure you put the pots on a surface that will get good drainage, up on bricks, or use “pot feet” to raise the container off the ground a little.
Keep these things in mind, and you’ll be well on your way to a beautiful container garden as soon as you decide what plants to put into your new pots.
Show off your containers with the SUF community so we can ooh and ahh over them! Just upload your favourite creations and add your comments below.
