Choosing Containers for Your Garden

Before buying containers, work out what sizes you'll need, how they'll look, what plants you want to grow and how much time you have for watering.

Excerpted from Simple Steps: Containers for Patios
Filed under: Container Gardening, Gardening

Wall Pots and Windowboxes

Advantages: Look in Mediterranean courtyards and you will see trailing pelargoniums, herbs and other colorful plants in an incredible range of containers, nailed to the walls. They increase the scale of the garden, creating vertical planting space in small plots. Windowboxes also help to frame windows, and bring the garden up close to those inside the house.

Disadvantages: As with all small containers in full sun, they need frequent drinks in hot weather. When watered, the soil becomes surprisingly heavy, so wall pots and windowboxes must be fixed securely with nails or screws. Beware of water dripping down walls; marks may stain unless they are wiped away promptly.

Hanging Baskets

Advantages: You can squeeze a surprisingly large number of plants into hanging baskets, creating varied, layered displays with strong presence. The baskets can be subtle or magnificent, and used individually or in groups. The plants are also easily replaced each season for continuous, colorful displays. The baskets themselves can add fun anywhere from shoulder level to above head height, and there are many different types to choose from.

Disadvantages: Baskets need to be securely attached to the wall with brackets since they are heavy, especially when wet, and can cause damage or injury if they come crashing down. Check that no one is going to bump into them, and that they can be watered easily with a can or special hose extension.