Container Garden Tips

Another perfect day. I wanted to post this or something similar last year and never got around to it. Here are some ideas for your container gardens. I call it one container with seven different looks. I hope this inspires you to try something different – break away from the same old thing.

Look #1
Perennials are not just for the garden. Choose perennials with great foliage such as hosta and coral-bells. The great looking foliage of some of the perennials will be an unexpected surprise in your containers. Nobody else on your block will think of this one.

Look #2
Who says green plants need to be left in the house. Bring them outdoors and mix them in with the rest of your plants. I love to mix ivies, pothos, philodendrons and bromeliads in with the plants that are meant to be outdoors. Just like look #1; this will wow your friends.

Look #3
Skip the flowers for this look. The list of plants with unique foliages and textures is endless. Try some of the various annual grasses; mix it up with the vinca vine, the potato vine, asparagus fern, etc. Layering the different textures of foliage plants will look great. I did this last year to the 6 planters in the front of my house and I can say that I never have received so many compliments on how they looked. Everyone loved it but yet no one noticed that the great look had no flowering annuals in it. Your planters will look stunning all season long

Look #4
Herbs don’t need to be just in an herb garden. Mix it up a bit. Plant some herb plants with the rest of your annuals in your containers. Your planters will be not only decorative but functional too. Herbs are also great to mix in with look #3.

Look #5
Add a shrub or evergreen. Use a unique shrub or evergreen to give the container garden a distinctive look. Small spruce plants or the fairly new Cut leaf Tiger Eyes Sumac (golden colored leaves) look great mixed in with other plants. Take the shrub or evergreen and plant it in your yard in early October – just in time to fill the planter with garden mums.

Look #6
Use one plant only. You don’t have to mix and match plants. Pick a plant, any plant and fill the container with it. This is great if you have several planters together. Fill each planter with one plant only. Pick a different plant for each of the containers.

Look #7
Create the monochromatic look – pick a color, any color and then choose all your plants in the same color range. This look will create a wow because of the impact it makes. Last year all may planters in the backyard (30 plus) were done in white color flowers. I loved the look. The white garden is also very trendy this year. This year all my backyard planters will be done in tangerine colors. If you go with tangerine be careful about not mixing in coral colors. Just remember pick a color and stick with it – layer the tones of this color together in one planter.

So, I hope that inspires you to think outside the box with your container gardens. Have some fun with it. Remember when planting containers; add some Osmocote slow release fertilizer and the Soil Moist. The Soil Moist helps retain moisture so you have to water less.

Make your day a good one.