The Urban Permaculture Farm Magazine

Assembling a group of plants to design a container garden is perhaps one of the most fun gardening activities. The possibilities are only limited by imagination, and perhaps by the local garden center’s diversity of plant material. Containers help transform empty spaces into garden rooms, providing a green respite just outside the back door. The variety of containers available at local garden centers has increased in recent years. Colors, materials, and styles exist to fill every design aesthetic.
Start out by choosing your container, as this will dictate the size, quantity, and type of plant material you choose. Big containers accommodate larger plants than small containers. Each plant chosen fulfills a purpose in the container. Some are thrillers (the feature plant), some are fillers (to fill in the spaces between the thrillers and spillers), and some are spillers (to spill over the sides of the container). I start by picking one plant as the featured plant, usually the largest in the container when all have grown to their full potential.

Once the container and feature plant are chosen, one can then window shop the garden center searching for interesting plants to add to the mix. Themes like colors and textures are common. Contrasting textures or similar? Color similarities or opposites? The statement made is unique to each gardener’s individual taste and design aesthetic. Contrasting colors and textures can be very complimentary. The best containers I see each year are at public gardens like Chanticleer Garden or The Scott Arboretum at Swarthmore College in SE PA. Talk about eye candy! 50 gallon containers exploding with growth, color, and texture.

Once you have all your plants picked out, it is time to plant. A word to the wise when filling large containers with potting soil. Using trash to fill the bottom half of the container is not desirable for long term root growth. To make large containers lighter, proven products like better than rocks, or pot inserts designed to fit snugly in the lower portion of the container help reduce the volume of soil needed. However, it is a trade off, the less soil used means less water available to thirsty plant roots. Next, use a high-quality potting soil. Organic Mechanics Container Blend is designed for containers 5 gallons to 100 gallons.

Fill the container with soil, until you can place the de-potted feature plant in the middle, with its original soil level one inch below the top of the container. The one inch of space is for future watering. Add more soil to support the feature plant upright in the container. Keep adding until the next size root ball can be de-potted and placed into the container at the same level as the feature plant root ball. Add more soil to support that layer, and continue this process until the smallest plants are added. Make sure potting soil has filled spaces in-between root balls and along the sides of the container. Get out the hose to water, then step back and admire your work!

It is that easy. You can do it. Get out there, get your hands dirty, and enjoy your garden!