Container Gardening

Gardening in pots offers the unique opportunity to really highlight plants habit, structure, texture and colour in a way that the garden bed does not allow.  The marriage between container and contents should brings more worth than their individual value.  Function and form should be a partnership, so make sure plants do the job they are supposed to do by choosing the right plant for the position, watering regularly and always using Australian premium standard potting mix.

Getting some style fundamentals are important.  

• Scale and proportion is key.  Normally a pot will have a tall, central plant.  A good rule of thumb is that the plant should be about one to one and a half times the height of the container. 
• Avoiding tall plantings with pots with narrow bases will stop your planters having a top heaving look, and stop them from toppling over in windy positions. 
• If the pot has a narrow base, generally a cascading plant will suit it better. 
• Combo planting can also be very effective, but contrast leaf textures for greatest impact, for example, ornamental grasses paired with trailing succulents can look terrific and be very low maintenance.
• Use repetition and symmetry; pairs flanking doorways, matching pots up stairs and so on will add impact.
• Grouping can also be a great way of highlighting the different styles of pots and their various heights.

By Meredith Kirton