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The Growing Interest In Container Gardening

Whether the container garden consists of a single tub or window box, a set of matched urns, or many modular units grouped in various ways, the container is an integral part of the decorative design. It should, of course, be pleasing to the eye, but not so striking that it becomes the main object of interest at the expense of its plants. Its design - line, size, shape, color, texture - should be in harmony with both plants and setting. It should have an air of "belonging," not of having been placed willy-nilly simply because a plant needed something to grow in.

Tall, tapering plants often look well in tall containers. Round, bushy plants are suitable for squat, square containers. Horizontal lines or bands around a container will make it seem lower, and vertical lines the reverse. Sometimes architectural style dictates the design of a container, sometimes an outstanding container will lead you to create or locate a setting for it. The theme can be antique or contemporary, simple or ornate, rural or urban.

And containers should, of course, be culturally practical. They should provide sufficient root space and adequate drainage facilities. They should be sturdy enough to hold the weight of moist soil, and lasting enough (rust- and rot-resistant) to hold together despite the weathering of sun, rain, and wind. They should have a wide base so they won't blow or tip over. Good design is decorative, functional, and culturally practical.

Ready-Made Containers

Fast-growing interest in container gardening has encouraged manufacturers to increase the variety of available boxes, tubs, urns, and other movable planters and to give them more interesting design. The familiar hexagonal or octagonal redwood tub is available in a number of different sizes and proportions, and with rolling platforms that make moving it easier. Planter boxes are no longer just boxes; they come in a selection of sizes and shapes. Artistic new stone and ceramic urns are joining the well-known classics. Planters are available in many different materials, including new plastics with lasting weather-resistance.

The creative container gardener will also consider some of the less usual possibilities just like doing a tropical garden design and the huge urns made by winding sisal rope around a skeleton frame. Dealers in Japanese and other antiques offer beautiful old stone or metal containers. Contemporary ceramic artists are turning out handsome new designs. At country auctions you can pick up antiquities like copper wash boilers, iron kettles, stoneware pickle crocks, even wheelbarrows. The possibilities are limited only by your budget and the time you can devote to shopping.

Try a pair of matching urns, tubs, or boxes on either side of the front door, with vines climbing a trellis or the wall and meeting at the top to form a frame. Try one urn with a specimen shrub and vines at the base. One container, two, or three can be arranged at the edge of patio or terrace to bring yard and garden into closer harmony. Use one or several, with vines on trellises, as a screen or divider between two outdoor areas. Find just the right design to suit a garden bench or arch, or to line up along the edge of steps, or beside a large window.