Designing with containers
By: Garden Gate staff
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Design with containers
Create extra texture and color on a patio or around the garden — just add containers! They’re easy to move around, too, so you can use them to change up the look of an area each season.
The type of container you choose depends on your garden’s style. Basic terra-cotta works for casual spaces while the more ornate styles have a formal feel. Here, glazed pots reflect the dappled light in this shady getaway.
The key to fitting them onto this small patio is to not use too many. One large pot off to the side, where it won’t interrupt the flow of traffic, is better than lots of little ones sitting here and there. And on a practical note, a bigger container holds more potting mix, so it won’t dry out as quickly — meaning less watering for you!
Keep clicking to find out more about designing with containers.
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Keep it simple
A container is a great way to mark this patio’s entrance. Use one large plant or several smaller ones of the same type instead of a mixed container planting. The single flower color and shape of Sunpatiens® Compact White (Impatiens hybrid) shows up well against this busy foliage backdrop and has a big impact.
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Small is beautiful
Tuck a couple of colorful foliage plants, such as this creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea’) and plectranthus (Plectranthus hybrid) into a small container for portable color. When you’re entertaining, set it at the edge of the patio for more table space. Then move it back when it’s just you enjoying the view.
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Colorful shrubs
Annuals aren’t the only plants you can grow in containers. Flowering shrubs, such as this hydrangea (Hydrangea hybrid), add beauty all season. And setting the pot on a couple of bricks raises it above its surroundings, like this clump of hosta (Hosta hybrid) foliage.
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