There are plenty of options when it comes to container styles, no matter how you may want to express yourself.
Great plant choices include perennials For a hot sunny location I have used ribbon grass
‘Phalaris arundinacea’, something I certainly wouldn’t want in my garden beds because it is very invasive and can spread quickly but stays controlled in a pot as long as the roots are not sneaking out through the drain- age holes. Team up with trailing portulaca, petunias, and ornamental cabbage. For instant height, colour and texture why not try a small shrub? Barberry looks fantastic and can also tolerate a hot sunny location. Pair with a variety of sedums. For shady locations try a variety of hostas. They are
instant fillers and look beautiful with tuberous begonia and impatiens. Even a honeysuckle vine could be used with an obelisk to add height to the container or be allowed to trail over the edge of the pot to become a spiller. Evergreens can also be fillers providing colour and texture. Upright junipers or cedars add height while low growing spreading junipers can act as spill- ers. Ensure that you are selecting plants with the same
light and moisture requirements. Remember right plant – right place. Even if the plants you select are zone 2 or 3 there’s very little chance of their survival through a winter if kept in the container. Instead, transplant them in late fall into a shrub bed or vegetable garden. Tropicals
Every year I move my indoor palms, fig tree,
bougainvillea, cacti, and kaffer lime tree to the great outdoors. It is critical to acclimate or gradually intro- duce them into their new environment. It’s amazing how much growth occurs during their days outdoors. Once the season is coming to a close they will need to be moved back inside prior to heavy frosts. I have discovered that if I move the plants into a protected outdoor area – under the eaves on the south side of the house for example – and cover them with an old sheet, temperatures around -5C will kill most insects elimi- nating the need to spray with insecticide. I think the best thing about container gardening
is it provides an inclusive opportunity for those who may not have the space or physical abilities to maintain a full landscape. It gives everyone the chance to have their hands in the soil, bring out their inner artist, and grow something they can be proud of. Colleen Watson is a certified prairie horticultural-
ist specializing in landscape design and owner of Watson Designs in Landscaping–Planting your dreams and indi- vidual style into every original design. www.watsonde-
signs.ca. .
www.localgardener.net
Lean grasses, spikes or other thrillers in this pot adds some winter interest to the backyard.
Summer 2014 • 21
The tall structural “thriller” adds drama to this pot.
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