Think you need a lot of space to create a beautiful display of your favourite plants? Think again. You don't even need an actual garden. From a small patio to a top-floor balcony, container gardening is a great way to indulge your green fingers without the need for acres of land.
Flexibility is the key advantage when it comes to using pots to house your favourite species. You can give yourself as much of a challenge as you want, from choosing one individual architectural shrub that adds a touch of green to your outdoor space without needing much care, to creating a more complex grouping that mimics a traditional mature border.
Container gardens also provide an element of instant gratification, and can be easily moved about, giving you a whole new look with very little effort. Plus, the fact that your plants aren’t going directly into the ground means you don’t have to worry about soil types in the same way as you would with fixed borders – you can even have a combination of soil types in different pots, allowing you to make use of a greater variety of species.
Things to remember
Pots do bring their own challenges, though. Because of the smaller amount of soil surrounding the roots of a pot plant, compared to those planted in a bed, they will need more-frequent watering. During a hot period, you could find yourself getting the hose or the watering can out every day – not ideal if you’re away a lot, for example. Also, because pots give plants a finite amount of space, you may also find yourself having to repot on a fairly regular basis, especially with fast-growing varieties.
There are also cost implications associated with buying the pots themselves, which can be expensive. But there are ways around this if you’re willing to think creatively about the types of containers you can house plants in, and as with any form of gardening, the finished results can make the money and time you invest well worth it.
Choosing your plants
When it comes to the species that go into your container garden, there are so many choices, from trees to bulbs, shrubs to herbs. Think about the space you have to fill and the overall effect you’re hoping to achieve, then begin “moodboarding” ideas. Whether you prefer ripping pages out of magazines or creating a Pinterest board, this is an essential preparation stage.
If you’re creating a grouping, it’s good to include different heights of plant to create visual interest, and get a mix of upright, broad and trailing varieties. Having said that, a row of identical shrubs can create an impressively formal installation that really suits your taste and your outside space, so don’t be too constrained by convention.
Likewise, you can choose to combine different textures and colours (both foliage and flower, remembering that this can change throughout the year) or keep them fairly similar, depending on your preferences. For example, you could opt for a soothing white-and-green colour scheme or jazz things up with a rainbow palette. Equally, you might decide on a grouping of similar-looking grasses to create a peaceful, unified effect, or contrast a spiky aloe vera or mother-in-law’s tongue with softer geraniums.
Not that you always need to group plants – something like an architectural shrub or tree might be shown off to best effect when positioned on its own. From bougainvillea to olives to frangipani, the trick is to get a pot big enough for the root ball, and make sure you have enough space for the branches to spread out properly. Garden-centre experts should be happy to advise you on the best option for your chosen species.
Choosing your pots
With a container garden, the containers themselves are almost as important as the plants you put in them, so make sure to spend as much time on this aspect of your moodboard as anything else. In many ways, your final choices will come down to style and taste. Large square metallic pots are ideal for a modern look, while a selection of wooden barrels will create a more rustic feel.
Don’t forget that you can upcycle just about anything into a pot, from an old ceramic bath to a selection of Wellington boots, a galvanised bucket or a kitchen colander. The key is to ensure that whatever you choose contains drainage holes (or can have holes drilled into them), so that you don’t end up with waterlogged soil, which will damage your plants every bit as much as under-watering.
Size-wise, for individual plants, choose pots that are about two inches deeper and wider than the ones they were bought in. If you’re grouping a number of plants in one pot, consider the final height and width each one will grow to (you’ll find this information on the label), and space them out accordingly. You can always fill any gaps with cheap and cheerful annuals until the others bulk out.
Creating a great grouping
Your final task is to create an attractive arrangement from the selection of plants and pots that you’ve made. Luckily, arranging pots is much easier than arranging a bed, as you can just keep shifting them around until you get it right, without having to constantly dig plants up and relocate them. Just be careful of your back when lifting the bigger, heavier pots.
Remember the classic design rule that uneven numbers make for more attractive groupings, and don’t be afraid to experiment and see what works. For example, you may need to put some of your pots on stands to raise the height slightly and ensure they can be seen. You could even make a feature of height differences – an old stepladder smothered in pots on different rungs (especially ones filled with trailing plants) can look particularly effective.
Once you’re happy with your container garden, all you need to do is keep up with the watering and enjoy. And if you get bored of it? Well, it’s really not that hard to swap out a few pots or just rearrange them, and create a whole new container garden in a single afternoon.
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