What comes first in creating a container garden – the pots or the plants? That all depends on where you’re at in your container gardening quest. If you’re just starting out, getting to know the different types of garden containers available is a great start.
Take your imagination for a ride with this bicycle built for two…potted plants. (When well-prepared, your garden container options are practically limitless.)
Photo Credit: ©2000 Dolezal Publishing/Doug Dealey
Unless they’re specifically made as planting pots, metal containers typically need drainage holes added and should be treated to prevent corrosion, as well as cleaned to avoid soil, disease and root problems.
Photo Credit: ©2000 Dolezal Publishing/Tim Butler
Treat your wooden containers with a preservative if you don’t want original colors to fade. (It all depends on the look you’re going for.)
Photo Credit: ©2000 Dolezal Publishing/Doug Dealey
With plant selection, the shape of a plant often determines the best shape for its container. The cone-shaped tree and clipped shrub on the right would work best in narrow, cylindrical pots, while the two shorter ones would benefit from small, squat containers that match their growth habits.
Photo Credit: ©2000 Dolezal Publishing/Kyle Chesser
Always check a plant’s root systems before you buy it. Plants with overcrowded roots may never fully recover or perform well in your container garden.
Photo Credit: ©2000 Dolezal Publishing/Kyle Chesser
If a plant looks good on sight – with strong stems, bright flowers and buds – that’s a prime indication that its overall health is good.
Photo Credit: ©2000 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard
Visit any nursery or garden center, salvage yard or garage sale, and you’ll get a sense of just how many containers and potential planters there are out there. By the most liberal definition, a “garden pot” is anything that’ll hold enough soil and provide adequate drainage to support the health and growth of a given plant. Under that directive, everything from a clay container to a truck tire is a fair candidate.
If you’ve fallen in love with a particular plant before you know what to do with it, its mature size and care requirements will dictate the type of garden container that’ll best support it. Conversely, if you’ve found “the perfect container” first, its construction and capabilities will suggest the types of plants that’ll do well inside it.
One important factor to keep in mind when picking containers for your garden is location. For example, if you’re gardening on a raised wood deck or rooftop terrace, you need to consider the total weight of each planted container – soil, pot, plants and water – to avoid overloading (and possibly damaging) the structure. Additionally, the very shape of each garden container can be suggestive of its planting use: Tapered containers are easier to lift and carry, while large and square vessels offer better support for plants with extensive root systems.
Within these boundaries you’ve got a wide range of style options, which mostly comes down to a matter of personal taste. While it’s wise to reject a container that’s poorly suited to planting, don’t rule one out based on looks. The shape, size, material, texture, imperfections, degree of wear, placement – even the plants chosen for it – can transform what otherwise might be considered an eccentric pot into an intriguing and beautiful garden container.
Consider the quality and durability of your potential planter, too. An old wood-framed footlocker can be an interesting selection, but its life as a garden container depends on how well you can protect it from decay by properly lining the inside and raising it off the ground. And an inexpensive plastic pot may seem like a great idea…if it can survive a winter cold snap and wind gusts.
What a container is made of says a lot about its durability. Many pots are made from natural materials like wood, terra-cotta or stone, complementing the natural beauty of a garden.
Terra-cotta
Unglazed terra-cotta is perhaps the most recognizable garden vessel. Relatively tough, these clay pots are light enough to move by hand and relatively inexpensive. Unglazed clay is porous: It soaks up water and allows it to evaporate quickly through the pot, taking nutrients with it. To help combat this, soak unglazed pots in water for a few hours just before planting to hydrate the clay, and use heavy potting mixes with a small percentage of perlite and vermiculite.
You can always choose glazed terra-cotta (or waterproof the pots yourself) to cut down on respiration, but excessive watering and potential for fungal growth then become the chief concerns. The glaze may also flake off in cold weather, although terra-cotta pots (and other ceramics) should be brought inside during cold winters anyway.
Wood
A natural insulator, wood protects roots from the cold. Even though it’s porous, wood retains moisture better than unglazed terra-cotta, and it balances moisture and air without allowing the soil to dry out too quickly. Unfortunately, wood is susceptible to rot. To slow that process, make sure your wood containers drain properly. Direct water away from the planter and raise it about an inch off the ground.
Stone and Concrete
These heavy containers are best-suited for planting at ground-level. The material is durable, provides above-average insulation and is adequately porous for nearly any plant or soil combination. Moss and lichen growing on the outside of these containers can add an attractive, weathered patina. The downside is stone and concrete may cause overly alkaline conditions. A limestone pot, for instance, can poison acid-loving plants. A popular remedy is to empty the pot, rinse it often, and let it weather in the rain until residual alkalinity has leached out.
Synthetics
Plastic garden containers are lightweight, durable, less-expensive alternatives that hold moisture and adequately drain water for almost any plant. Commonly molded to imitate terra-cotta, plastic maintains the look of new, unglazed clay for years while withstanding wear. Those reinforced with or made from fiberglass are frost-resistant. In addition, synthetic containers can be assembled with integral watering systems, including drip irrigation.
Of course, it’s plant selection that really transforms an empty garden container from “humdrum” to “wow!” And that transition starts with healthy plants.
In most cases, roots hold the key to plant health. A root-bound plant is easy to distinguish: Examine the bottom of the pot and drain holes for matted roots – and don’t be shy about gently removing a plant from its nursery container before buying it. (For bare-root plants, look for a healthy green tone, sturdy texture and adequate root separation.)
Aboveground stems should be firm and easily bounce back if drawn down for inspection. The plant’s overall form should be well-rounded, and leaves healthy. Foliage and flowers should be pest-free and show no signs of rust, mildew or other illness.
Beyond health issues, a plant’s shape and proportions (as it relates to its container, other potted plants and its surroundings) are other design issues to consider when making your plant selection and creating an attractive garden container. Experiment with various plant forms – from conical trees and dome-shaped annuals to asymmetrical shrubs and trailing plants. Set the proportional base for your garden by starting with a dominant or common plant shape, then add contrasting and complementary forms and outlines to provide interest. (It can take time develop the right mix, but the nice thing about planters is you can play with them until you get the look you want.)
When it comes down to it, it doesn’t really matter what comes first: picking the container or plant selection. The key is to choose the best garden container that you can afford for the plants growing inside it – then let the pairing speak for itself.
