Container gardens are versatile, only limited by your imagination!

The placement of a container garden in your landscape adds interest, texture and a focal point like nothing else. From the texture of the container, to the plant selection, it creates a spectacular centerpiece for your gardens, patio or for the front of your home.

Each application adds value to your landscape through its placement in your garden.

The look you want to achieve, formal, informal or somewhere in between, can be adapted to suit your personal style. Just about anything can be used to create a container garden, from an old boot or wash tub, to a decorative urn. Whatever your imagination can dream may be transformed into a unique container garden.

What to plant in a container garden

Plant anything from a small tree or shrubs to annuals and perennials.

Mixing them creates an interesting look, with texture and color.

Not all containers need color from flowers; textures from different plants such as grasses, coleus, hosta with different shades of grey, blue, greens and red from their foliage can be a spectacular look as well. (I displayed some ideas in the picture below).

When choosing plants for your container gardens, there are some things to keep in mind: think balance, color, overall look and location of the sun and wind. Colors and size are up to your taste and liking.  A large urn or pot can handle small shrubs and trees, like boxwood, hydrangea, spirea crab trees or evergreens. With smaller containers you can include, sedum or succulents as the lower plants around the edge to hang down the side, and coral bell, campanula and dianthus along with a host of other perennials to mix with your favorite annuals for color. Plant choices are limitless- a small tree or shrubs, annuals and perennials- all can be mixed and planted in your container garden.

Where to place a container garden

For a traditional look, you may choose to place two large urns on either side of a door or in front of a stoop. For an informal look, a single large urn placed out in a bed as a focal point with an amazing arrangement creates a breathtaking look.  In the back of the house, using the backdrop of the lawn or gardens, add a large pot or urn on a pedestal and fill it with stunning plants to make an impressive statement off the patio or deck.

The rules for container gardens are, there aren’t any!

Happy gardening!