Spring Fresh Gardens: Container Gardens 101
Spring Fresh Gardens: Container Gardens 101
What do you love most about Spring?
Is it porch swings and freshly cut roses? Or firing off the BBQ and putting on a favorite old straw hat?! We all have our favorite seasons but who can really resist the beauty that seems to pour out of each new bud and sprout. Nature seems to work the hardest in the springtime. So to celebrate, lets do a little gardening! Simple and pretty and best of all quick!
In case you were wondering, I happen to love gardens. Gardening and all the fun and creative things that involve plants and flowers, outside or inside, is a wonderful way to express your personal style.
A rustic basket makes the perfect container for an extra beautiful foxglove.
Match the plant selections to the container.
Consider size, the amount of sunshine and ease of watering when you select your plants. Nothing is worse than seeing your new container of flowers wilted and brown from too much sun and not enough water.
Its not just about color...but make color your priority.
Using containers and the flowers that fill them, in just a single color makes a big impact
Enhance Your Creativity
Group containers in niches and corners. Using similar shapes in various sizes and heights creates unity without compromising visual interest.
mix it up
I used all sorts of containers around our little ranch house in Ojai.
Metal buckets, old dolly cans and large terracotta pots fill the walkway and entrance with color and texture.
garden vertically
Bare walls can be a wonderful place for vertical garden containers. Train plants to grow up not out to achieve your desired result.
navigate the nursery
Found natural objects like rocks and driftwood make beautiful organic containers, especially when filled with succulents.
shop the flea market
A chair without a seat? No problem…just fill a pot and you have instant flea market style.
go for a hike or walk the beach
In this garden room in Santa Barbara I used large pots filled with flowers to break up the long stone walls and add pretty petals and blooms.
Think of containers as design elements
look for texture and variety
Baskets are a new favorite. Line them with thick plastic and add a few holes for drainage. Let the rustic charm of the wicker help you choose your flowering plants. I love the look of wildflowers in baskets
shop your local home depot!
Old wooden buckets or wine barrels make the best containers. Small trees and shrubs mixed with seasonal color look wonderful in these natural containers.
Create A Winding Path
I lined the walkway leading to the front door with old French pots and mixed in a few basic terra-cotta pots. Mixed together with similar flowers the path is loaded with splashes of color.
Just One
Who doesn’t love a big round boxwood in a pot. I love to mix these in everywhere. They can be moved around the yard when you need a change or ever brought inside for a bit, when the weather gets gloomy.
Simple and beautiful these rosemary topiaries look right at home with the old Italian pottery set a top the antique cupboard. Which ever container you choose… enjoy the process. It’s a great way to crate a bit of calm in a crazy hectic day.
If you love to garden and especially love the creativity of container gardens please stop by and visit these super talented bloggers. They all are sharing their personal style and container garden design strategies to make the most of beautiful private garden spaces.