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.