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 61 5/24/17 11:04 AM

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chapter 2

Designing and Planting

Your Containers

Now that the foundation of your container garden

is in order, it’s time for the most fun aspect of

container gardening: plant selection and design.

This is where you can express yourself through

color, form, and texture, and where you can make

colorful combinations to wow the eye or stick

with monochromatic combos for high-impact

plantings. With a little finesse, your container

garden becomes a place to exhibit flair along with

providing utility and productivity (especially if

you’re growing veggies!).

This chapter dives head-first into container

design by first discussing useful tips for combining

different plant structures and sizes together into

asingle planting. You’ll learn how to organize

a variety of different plants into a cohesive

arrangement using a few standard design formulas.

Next, the chapter will introduce you to some

of the best plants for container gardening.

With tables and lists full of varieties tailored to

container culture and varied growing conditions,

you’ll be armed with everything you need to

design and plant flower, veggie, fruit, herb, and

foliage containers. The chapter concludes with a

gallery of foolproof container photos and “recipes”

you can copy plant-for-plant or modify for your

own needs.

CONTAINER DESIGN 101

Much like decorating your home, good container

design is a matter of personal aesthetics. There

will be color combinations that appeal to you and

others that won’t. The trick is to find what you

love. But good design clearly extends way beyond

color choice. It’s also about partnering foliage and

floral forms and textures in a pleasing manner,

Good container design involves partnering di

erent

plant structures, sizes, and colors with the container

itself to create a cohesive arrangement.

Containers with edible plants, such as fruits,

vegetables, and herbs, should also be designed

in a pleasing manner.

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