Container Gardening Complete

Job:06-700309 Title: CPS - Container Gardening Complete

700309 - ContainerGardens_001-272_FINAL.indd 68 6/5/17 2:50 PM
Job:06-700309 Title: CPS - Container Gardening Complete
Job:06-700309 Title: CPS - Container Gardening Complete

700309 - ContainerGardens_001-272_FINAL.indd 69 6/5/17 2:50 PM

68 chapter 2

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700309 - ContainerGardens_001-272_FINAL.indd 68 5/24/17 1:07 PM

Designing and Planting Your Containers 69

This “icing” layer is comprised of low and

cascading plants that form a ring around the base

of the featured star and flow over the edge of the

container. The best plants for this layer have a fine

texture, whether they’re foliage-based or flowering.

I like to use plants with a light, frothy texture

around the bold plant that takes center stage.

Monoculture Style

This style of container planting involves using just

a single plant to fill a container. Whether it’s one

plant, or three to five plants of the same variety,

the container is filled with only one species.

I love using this style with groups of containers

of differing heights: each container is filled with

a different plant, but all the plants complement

each other, offering a singular or complementary

color theme, a balance of textures, or some other

unifying element. I think the monoculture style

works particularly well when you have three or

more sizes of the exact same container. Each

container houses a different plant, but together,

they make a cohesive collection

When using monoculture style for your

container plantings, pay careful attention to the

height of the plant you’re using. It becomes very

noticeable if the pot-to-plant proportion is off

because everything in the pot will have the exact

same height.

Pot-hugging Style

The final container garden design style takes the

rule of thirds and good pot-to-plant proportion and

tosses them both out the window. Pot-hugging style

involves using only extremely low or cascading

plants in a container. Though it isn’t for everyone,

this design technique makes for some visually

stunning displays. Perhaps it’s a big bowl of moss;

a tall, rectangular planter filled with creeping

The plant material in this collection of monoculture

containers is fairly common, but when several pots are

grouped together in this way, the resulting design is

very attractive.

Pot-hugging plantings, such as this container of low-

growing succulents, make a very striking display.

ivy; or a planter box filled with ground-covering

succulents—whatever plant and container choice

you make, the idea is for the plants to sit tight

against the container. With pot-hugging designs,

the entire container becomes the focal point, and

people take notice because it’s uncommon.

As you design and build your containers

every year, remember that these are just starting

recipes. With a little experience, you can build

on these design techniques and adjust them to

your taste. Good container garden design is a

mixture of elements, and none are to be taken too

seriously. Don’t let the pressures of proper design

ruin the fun.

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