Creative Container Garden Design - Getting Started

A great way to get the ideas for your container garden flowing is to sit down with pen and paper. Draw a layout/placement of your container garden. Draw an arrangement of planters and think about size, height and color. Next, envision the types of plants you would like to see in these planters in the arrangement you have drawn.

1. Draw your container garden space: how much floor space and how much vertical space, such as walls, railings or fences is available? If your site includes a balcony or porch, is weight a consideration? Think about the different views you have of your container garden space, from inside your home, from your yard, from the street. What would you like to see from each view? Foliage and greenery-colorful flowers. Do you have a view you would like to screen out? Is creating privacy a goal?

2. Identify the growing conditions of your site: Is it shady and protected or sunny all day long? If you have a variety of light conditions, mark your diagram accordingly. Is your site exposed to wind or heavy rain? Make a note and plan for stable planters with strong, wind-resistant plants.

3. Choose a container garden style or theme: Before you find yourself standing in the nursery and completely overwhelmed by a large variety of beautiful plants, have your garden style or theme decided and bring your garden plan with you. Container garden styles can be based on a specific combination of plant colors, or a single color, or a type of plant, for example, annuals, herbs or shrubs or a single favorite plant such as geranium or lavender.
A container garden theme might also be based on the planter material, for example all metal planters, or wooden planters. Do you like a formal, neat and 'cintrolled' looking container garden, or do you like a less tidy, more natural character to your garden planters? It's a great idea to have a browse through a few container gardening books or magazines to discover what appeals to you.

4. Now consider the plants for your container garden: Stand back and imagine your container garden plants after a month, two months ... their eventual height, shape and growth habit. How full do you want your container garden to be. What height would be pleasing in your site. Consider plants exhibits three forms: upright, broad or trailing.
Start with a focal point, perhaps a tall, bold plant - then plant your containers around this centerpiece. Or you could focus attention on a trailing form and plan around that ...
A common approach is to combine the three forms, upright, broad and trailing, in one pot. Start with a tall, upright plant, such as spiky New Zealand flax or a fancy-leaved canna lily. Add one or two broad, mid-height plants such as heliotrope, coleus, African Daisies (Osteospermum) or dwarf dahlias. Then select a trailing form such as ivy geranium, bacopa or lobelia.
Indicate where your plants will be located in your garden space on your diagram, make a note of the color of flowers and foliage and take this drawing with you to your nursery. Plan several trips through the growing season to find plants to freshen and at interest to your garden planters.

5. Include something for all the senses: In addition to being a visual pleasure, your container garden can provide enjoyment in so many ways. Fragrant flowers, shrubs and vines can make a visit to your garden, small or large, a great sensory experience. The gentle rustling of tall grasses on your balcony with a warm summer breeze can soothe tired nerves. The sound of hummingbirds making a quick visit to your hanging baskets will be a thrill-both the sound and the sight! And the pleasures of a herb or vegetable container garden, or edible flowers (grown from seed ) in a floral display, extend all the way into the kitchen.

Creative Container Garden Design

Grouping of Containers

Grouping containers together creates good visual impact. Always group them in uneven numbers, i.e. 3, 5 or 7. Create a pleasing effect by grouping small, medium and large containers together.

Focal Point
• Do not create too many focal points when you design gardens. This creates too many distractions and disrupts the flow of the garden. Use one large container, or a specific group of containers to keep a person’s focus.

• Containers add variety and interest to the garden and form part of the harmonious whole. They should not dominate the landscape, but contribute to the overall effect.

• Complimentary objects, like balls, can add additional interest to your container garden design. These objects will not have any plants in them, but their shapes enhance the visual effect of containers. These objects can have the same color, texture and finish as your containers, or they can be a complimentary colour.

Container Garden Design
• Design elements ... colour, texture and proportion don’t exist in isolation. They all work together when you are planning your container. This is what gives your planter its visual personality.

• Remember that the container plantings must also contribute to the larger garden around it.

• The plants and container must complement each other, just as a cooking pot and lid go together. For example; if you select a tall container, you need to plant a tall thin plant in it.

• Round smooth leaves look good in curvaceous containers. Short square containers match short plants with fountain like leaves. They are also suitable for short, low growing plants....etc.

• Select plants that are compatible in terms of light, water, growth and the conditions in the chosen site. Don’t mix a shade and water lover like plant with a dry and sunny plant....and some plants need a pot of their own.

• Pay attention to watering. For containers in a sunny, hot or windy area, watering twice a day might be necessary. A plant that has outgrown its pot will also need more frequent watering.

Some Ideas for Mother's Day Gifts

Five - Handbag hangers are very stylish. You can get them with a built in mirror, cosmetic cases,as a key chain and even your favorite design logo. Handbag hangers also make great gifts for any holiday or as a business gift for your female clients.

Four - Handbag hangers keep your handbag nearby, in an outdoor or busy restaurant -- a handbag hanger is much safer than hanging your purse on the back of your chair where someone walking by can easily grab it and keep walking.

Three - Handbag hangers make for great conversation. They are still fairly new in the market and they reflect your style.

Two - Handbag Hangers keep your handbag OFF the floor, clean and germ free! Think about the germs that are on the floor of public areas such as restaurants, bathrooms, nail salons, etc,

One - And why wouldn't you want to protect your investment and keep the leather of your purse clean ...

More Easter Ideas

To start have a nice arrangement or an Easter egg tree as your centerpiece - then under it place the “parting gifts” for your guests. I like to have personalized tags on each one - usually I laminate a “holiday” picture of Charlie on it with a small note to each person or family - this year Charlie is wearing bunny ears...

Simple Easter Ideas

Simple extras to make your Easter extra special this year!

Trends We Love for 2010 and Trends We Would Love To Go

Trends We Love

Trends are often considered the pieces you buy one year and throw out the next, when they're no longer gracing the pages of your favorite  magazine.
However, not every trend is fleeting. A few years ago, going green was hailed as one of the hottest trends. Now it is becoming a standard throughout the design industry.

A list of 10 trends for 2010 that have some staying power ...

Palette
Regarding colour - turquoise is the colour for 2010, but shades of purple will continue into 2010. In particular, purple and gray, yellow and gray and matte shiny gray together, are great combinations. Clearly "Gray is the new beige," and we anticipate rich and unexpected combinations like gray and teal, or magenta or tangerine.

Bolder design decisions
In the last year, people were looking to be calmed and comforted by interiors....this year, a  sense of optimism will translate into sparkle, glamour and lots of risk-taking in design.

Forget faux
In 2010, we want to see a movement toward the natural patina of woods, metals and other materials. We don't even mind a water mark or a hint of rust. After all, those imperfections may be the result of generations of wear and come with a good story or two.

Artisanal goods
Just as artisanal foods have taken off, expect the same for home furnishings and accessories. Artisanal work will continue to be strong......even modernists will want to see natural materials or the work of the craftsman brought into their home in some way.

Texture
Texture will be big in 2010. We are spending a lot of time researching new natural materials and unusual techniques with a lot of rich, textural interest... products include a woven natural bamboo headboard, a crocheted floor cushion, recycled glass candleholders and storage made of kooboo.

The well-traveled look
The Sundance Channel series "Man Shops Globe" follows Anthropologie buyer-at-large Keith Johnson as he visits country after country, looking for special pieces and inspiration for the company's 135 stores worldwide. Whether you're scouring or browsing shops during a quick weekend getaway, incorporating souvenirs in a space can give it a bit of personality.

Mix it up
In general, I see a trend to a carefully edited 'anything goes' approach.Going forward in 2010, it's all about the mix and how you combine individual, disparate elements. The right classic 19th century piece will mix with certain vintage finds from the '70s and '80s and with pieces designed this year.  Graphic modern print textiles work with traditional chairs and sofas.

Old is new again
Antiques and vintage pieces add soul to any space...and these types of items are plentiful in today's markets, so our clients are able to invest in key pieces for their home.

Wallpapered ceilings
Wallpaper is huge this year ... and believe it or not - look for wallpapered ceilings as an increasingly popular option for creating visual impact in a room.

Trends We'd Love To See Go
The essence of interior design will always be about people and how they live - personal taste and decor that meets your needs are always in style ...
That said, there are some trends we've come across in the past few years that we wish hadn't been so widely adopted.

•  Flat-screen TVs mounted so high above the fireplace mantel, you get a neck cramp before the first commercial break.

•  Home makeover shows that set unrealistic expectations about decorating a space. There are usually scores of people

   working behind the scenes whom you never see on screen. Plus, we're firm believers that good design takes time.
•  Shallow sink basins that result in water splashing everywhere.
•  Outfitting a room top to bottom with reproduction designer furniture. We've seen too many homes filled with so much

    Eames, Bertoia and Saarinen with no personal touch or reflection of ones own style ...
•  Watch any house-hunting program on HGTV and, chances are, granite countertops are on the buyer's wish list. But

    with so many options now available - including recycled paper and glass products - our wish for 2010 is for anyone

    embarking on a remodel to think beyond the granite and stainless steel combination.

Color Trends for 2010

Turquoise

Color trends are the result of much observation of our surrounding natural world as well as the influences that will impact our world in the future.These factors include socioeconomic issues, technology, lifestyles and play styles, diversions, entertainment, and most importantly, the needs, moods, fantasies and aspirations of consumers.
 
Turquoise ... combining the serene qualities of blue and the invigorating aspects of green, Turquoise inspires thoughts of soothing, tropical waters and a comforting escape from the everyday troubles of the world, while at the same time restoring our sense of well-being.
 
Whether envisioned as a tranquil ocean surrounding a tropical island or a protective stone warding off evil spirits, Turquoise is a color that most people respond to positively. It is universally flattering, has appeal for men and women, and translates easily to fashion and interiors. With both warm and cool undertones, Turquoise pairs nicely with any other color in the spectrum. Turquoise adds a splash of excitement to neutrals and browns, complements reds and pinks, creates a classic maritime look with deep blues, livens up all other greens, and is especially trend-setting with yellow-greens.

Here are  three color themes that have been predicted for 2010:

One - "genesis" which is all about real colors found in the natural world. From green to yellow, the greyscale continues. Carbon color footprints. New beige and white. Monochromes in colored and earthen neutrals. Beautiful hues of browns, creams, greens, reds...think sand, flowers, grasses, root vegetables. Colors include: wild mushroom, forest moss, yellow finch, frostline, granite.

Two - "the new luxury" which is more about values and less about wealth. Sophisticated deep and rich tones. Bold translucency and art-inspired brights contrast against beige grounds. Gold, bronze, copper. Sustainable color choices accented with luxurious chromas of organic brights....think eco-chic. Colors include: sandlot gray, granite, wild orchid, caponata, summer plum, gold.

Three - "ingenuity" which is considered more out of the box and fun. Unexpected and free. Sporty hues and glimmers of metallics. Playful color tones. Prismatic color, ombre effects. Bold and vibrant yellows, blues, oranges...think freedom of expression and right-brain thinking. Colors include: seaweed, midnight navy, salsa, fairview taupe, bronze.