First things first when talking about container gardens is to answer the burning question many people might have: what exactly is a container garden? It is, quite simply, a garden where your plants are in pots, planters, repurposed sinks, apple crates, old wine boxes or other forms of container, rather than planted into the ground. There are myriad reasons why you might choose to plant a container garden. As Harriet Rycroft explains in her book ‘Bloom’, one of these reasons is how mobile the pots are, making them the perfect solution to a rental garden where you can’t plant anything more permanent. Another benefit is that a container garden doesn’t rely on healthy ground soil, meaning you can still plant a beautiful garden even if you have inherited acres of patio or simply depleted soil. Containers can also be used in clever ways, whether to frame a view, doorway, cordon off a seating area or to indicate no-go areas such as parking spaces.
There are ecological benefits too: each different container offers an opportunity for biodiversity. You can plant a range of different plants which attract an equally diverse selection of wildlife. Being able to move the pots allows you a little more freedom with what you plant, since you can ensure the plant receives the ideal conditions for growing. If that is maximum sun exposure, you can position the pot accordingly, likewise shade or shelter are easy to come by if your plant is portable.
What’s more, there is a sense of relief at knowing you can’t be caught out by one of the many problems that can occur as a result of deeply planted flowers and trees, such as those whose roots can cause problems for insurance by interfering with drains and damp-proofing.
When it comes to starting your container garden, the RHS has plenty of useful advice on how to get going. The bottom is that there are no rules to container gardening – just grow what you like in any container and away you go. However, by reading on you will see that some of the best examples incorporate a range of containers of various sizes, shapes and heights. This helps to create visual interest, a diverse ecosystem and a bountiful display. Group the pots for a best effect.
Take the ideas from the House & Garden archive below as your inspiration and get creative with container gardening.