Container Gardening Complete

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

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

700309 - ContainerGardens_001-272_FINAL.indd 89 5/24/17 11:08 AM

88 chapter 2

New Zealand flax

(Phormium tenax)

Mandevilla (Mandevilla hybrids)Bougainvillea (Bougainvillea spp.)Variegated croton (Codiaeum

variegatum)

Iochroma (Iochroma

‘Royal Queen’™)

Ti plant (Cordyline

fruticosa cultivar)

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Small Trees and Shrubs

Consider including small trees and shrubs in your

plans if you want to add shade and structure to

your container plantings. A containerized tree

or shrub on a small balcony, patio, or deck adds

height and visually expands the space while

providing shade and cover.

The best trees and shrubs for container culture

are those with a smaller stature. Unless you have

an extremely large container, skip trying to grow

trees that grow much bigger than 15 or 20 feet in

height. And remember that when winter arrives,

most containerized trees and shrubs need a little

root insulation, especially if you live where winter

temperatures drop below freezing on a regular

basis. I’ll cover this type of root insulation in

Chapter 5, too, but another option is to remove

the tree or shrub from its pot and plant it in the

ground at the end of the growing season to ensure

it survives the winter.

Because trees and shrubs are such large

design elements, they are best used in a featured

specimen design style.

The following chart features ten favorite

selections that thrive in containers. Some bloom,

while others are appreciated primarily for their

foliage, but all add height and structure to your

container garden.

Small-statured or slow-growing evergreen trees and

shrubs make great container plants. Just be sure to

use a large enough container to accommodate the

root mass.

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