DESIGN/BUILD IDEAS: The New Era of Container Gardening

Container gardening is emerging as a new trend in the green industry. In fact, according to the Wall Street Journal and the National Gardening Bureau, container gardening is the fastest growing category in the entire lawn and landscape market. However, container gardening isn’t new – people have been growing plants in containers for thousands of years. But what’s new is your clients’ rekindled passion in container gardening, and the many choices of containers, pottery and plants available today.

CONTAINER APPEAL. Gardening in containers has a lot going for it. One of its biggest advantages is that it allows people to bring plants and flowers into areas where they spend most of their outdoor time, and where they typically don’t have flower beds, such as patios, decks and near entranceways and pools. In other words, container gardens bring plants and flowers into outdoor living spaces. In addition, they are easy to move around if they get in the way – for example, when entertaining – they are fast to plant, and they are low maintenance. Their design can match a home’s décor and can be changed very quickly – much faster than replanting a flowerbed.

Another reason for container gardening’s popularity is that yards are getting smaller, and people often don’t have the space to create elaborate gardens.

But yards don’t have to be small to suit container gardens – container gardens fit into any situation. Large gardens offer even more opportunities to use containers. Not only can they decorate patios, decks and pool areas, but they could line walkways, decorate gazebos or break up a linear design – such as a long hedge or a bed with groundcover that might be lacking interest otherwise.

PLANT CHOICES. The supply of new container plants is nearly endless these days. Many of them come from around the world, and many are plants that aren’t new, but that you might not think of using them in containers. One idea is incorporating ornamental grasses and grass-like plants into planters. The choices are nearly endless, from those just a few inches tall to impressive specimen that are several feet tall. They also come in many different colors, so you’re likely to find a few favorites. Tall ornamental grasses are great in the center of containers, where they add needed height without being overpowering. They are also rich in texture and add movement as they sway in the slightest breeze. Some recent contractor favorites are purple fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum ‘Rubrum’ as well as its dwarf form), different sedges (Carex), Mexican feather grass (Stipa), and New Zealand flax (Phormium, which is technically not a grass, but still fits in this category).

Also trendy these days are perennials. Containers look best with great foliage plants, such as Heuchera, Hosta, Lamium or Ajuga. They are easy to care for and add color and texture.

CONTAINER DESIGN HOW-TO. For a well-balanced container garden design, use upright or taller growing plants, mounding or medium-height taller plants, and trailing elements. Working your way from the center to the rim, place the upright ones in the center, medium-height plants around them, and trailing elements along the edges. Or, if the planter is going to be placed against the wall or in a corner, work your way from back to front, starting with the tallest plants in the back and finishing with the trailing plants in front.

Other important elements to consider in container design are proportion and texture. Unless the container is a showpiece, aim for the plant portion to take up about 2/3 of the entire design and 1/3 for the visible part of the container, keeping in mind that trailing plants hide part of the container. But if the planter itself is a showpiece, you may use plants simply to accent the container.

Texture is important to create a natural looking design. Incorporate foliage plants for a design rich in texture, and work with different foliage and flower shapes and sizes. As a result, your design will look much more intriguing than a design with few varying textures.

Color, of course, is the element that usually catches the eye first. Choose colors based on a customer’s taste and the individual situation. Blue tones, for example, are very popular because they are so serene and calm. They’re great near a pool. Warm, bold colors, such as reds, oranges and yellows, are very temperamental and have high impact. Monochromatic designs are very elegant and trendy as well. Generally, the aspects that apply to using color in the landscape also apply to designing container gardens.

The author is president of Pen & Petal, a marketing firm servicing the green industry. She is also a speaker and author on container gardening, including her latest book, Contain Yourself - 101 Fresh Ideas for Fantastic Container Gardens. She can be reached at 760/451-2385 or at kerstin@penandpetal.com.