Glorious Gardens: 5 Distinctive Looks Using 1 Simple Container

By Sharon White | Photography by SKEEBO REICHERT

What’s your style when it comes to gardening? Do you prefer a natural or a more manicured look? Do you want edible plants, handy on your porch, or a carefree garden that requires little maintenance? Kay Lynch, owner of Earthscapes Garden and Home Center in Temple, says there are an infinite number of ways to customize a container and infuse personality into your plantings.

Kay’s advice: “Seek guidance from knowledgeable gardeners to assure your success—then use your imagination to design your own look.” Here, Kay uses one understated planter to create five unique arrangements.

Classic: Climbing English Ivy, Pansies and Asparagus Fern provide a timeless look. (A birdhouse adds whimsy.)

Texas: May Night Salvia, Dusty Miller, Agave ‘Splendida’ and Wooly Stemodia give this container a true Southwest feel.

Tropical: ‘Red Emerald’ Chinese Evergreen, variegated ‘Needlepoint’ Ivy and ‘N Joy’ Pothos Ivy. (Note how ‘Red Emerald’ provides color with its foliage.)

Edible: Lettuce, Oregano, Rosemary, Cabbage, Thyme, Mint and Dwarf Persimmon offer an attractive and  appetizing planter.

Desert: A variety of bristly, sculptural cacti and succulents create a unique look while requiring very little water (Haworthia, Barrel Cactus, Echeveria and Sansevieria).

Planning Your Pot

To create a designer look for your container, use a technique that includes three varieties of plants:

• Thrillers are the stars of your arrangement. They’re usually tall and sculptural and oftentimes are placed in the center of the pot.
• Fillers are textural plants that surround the thriller.
• Spillers are planted closest to the edge of the container where they can “spill out” and soften the view of the sides of the pot.

Kay’s Tips for Container Success

1. Pot plants together that have similar water, soil and sunlight requirements.
2. Use potshards to loosely cover the hole in the bottom of your container, so water drains more slowly and soil doesn’t wash away.
3. Add color, whimsy and personality to your pots using novelty items like ceramic or metal squirrels, frogs or birdhouses.
4. Remember, blooming flowers aren’t the only elements that infuse color into your container. Adding plants with bright foliage will also do the trick.
5. Don’t have enough filler plants for your container? Cover the soil with stones or colored glass until plants have matured and filled out the pot.
6. If you need a tall “thriller,” create height using a wooden or metal trellis with climbing ivy, roses or vines.
7. Always use high-quality potting soils and controlled-release fertilizers.
   — EarthscapesInTemple.com