Container Gardens Done Right: Make Your Garden Look Polished and Planned

By Nara Schoenberg Print Article

(MCT)In theory, containers overflowing with flowers, herbs, grasses and vegetables can transform balconies and porches into green and leafy garden retreats.

In reality, the effect is often closer to Patio dotted with random plants.

We asked Fern Richardson, author of the new book, Small-Space Container Gardens: Transform Your Balcony, Porch or Patio With Fruits, Flowers, Foliage & Herbs (Timber Press), how to bridge the gap. Her book offers suggestions ranging from upcycling and plant repetitions to spray-painting mismatched containers.

It seems like it would be hard or it would look tacky, but spray paint and a stencil kit is a really cool way to add continuity, Richardson says.

Among your other options:

Try plant patterns. Add unity to your collection by putting the same plant in a series of pots.

It doesnt even have to be one of the main plants, Richardson says. It can just be one of the small annuals that you change out every season. Putting the same little violas through the whole grouping can make them look like they belong together and you planned it even if you didnt.

Zinnias would also work for this purpose, or marigolds.

Upcycle. Ransack the recycling bin, garage and kitchen for cool containers that will add interest and novelty to your collection. Richardsons book includes a charming mini-barbecue project, but she also sees potential in red wagons, colanders, birdbaths and soda cans especially if the barbecue has been used, you probably want to clean it pretty thoroughly. There could be charcoal glued on, she says. But you know, a lot of times metal is a pretty nonreactive material as far as leaching stuff into the soil. If youre worried about it, you can always put in a plastic nursery pot and hide it down in the soil and plant all your plants directly in the nursery pot, so that way you get the fun look of upcycling something without the concern of What the heck is in this thing?

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Container Gardens Done Right: Make Your Garden Look Polished and Planned