HOW THIS YEAR'S CONTAINERS CAME TOGETHER

As promised, last weekend I banged out all the container planting (save for three small containers on the front steps that I usually plant with whatever I have leftover). 

I like to show the starting point for my containers because they are all a little sparse. I think people who are new to creating container designs are disappointed if they don't look full and lush right from the get-go because that's what they see. But the average gardener doesn't have access to huge annuals. Plants are smaller and may not even have a flower on them yet. I always have to squint a little to imagine what it's going look like in a few weeks.

But that's the joy of annual containers: They start looking great quickly. In fact the challenge with containers is often keeping them from looking junglelike midway through the season (as evidenced by some of my containers in years past). 

Here's how everything turned out. I didn't include the window box in this post as I feel that deserves its own post. I also made a video of how they all came together that you can watch here or at the bottom of the post.

DECK CONTAINERS

I put less in these containers than in the past and I think that's for the best. Frankly I think I was cramming too much in there and everything was a little hampered in its growth. Everything I've been told about the Cuphea suggests that hummingbirds go nuts for that plant so I thought I'd try to encourage them to come in close. So far no sightings, but it's pretty small still.

• Mandevilla • Lemon Coral sedum • Superbena Dark Blue • Cuphea Vermillionaire

GARAGE 'TROUGH'

This is a close copy of what I did here last year, but I liked it so much I didn't want to change it too much. I did have to replace the clematis as the others didn't make it through the winter. If I lose these again I will rethink using clematis as the climbers in this pot because obviously replacing them every year is not a great option.

• Dichondra Silver Falls • Infinity White impatiens • Plectranthus Silver Shield

DRIVEWAY CONTAINERS

These pots are new this year. You may recall the pots were cheap finds at the Restoration Outlet that I stained over the winter. I'm really happy to report that the stain is holding up great and I'm loving having these. For a long time I've felt that we were missing something near the entrance of the house.

I wanted to keep these simple. Between the circle garden, the annual planting along the house, the window box and everything else going on over there, it's a riot of  color and I thought something a little simpler might be nice.

The centerpiece is a white rose that I planted bare root several weeks ago. It won't get big this year, but I hope we get to see a few blooms at least. In the meantime, the "skirt" of gray and blue around it will be the star this year.

• 'Windermere' rose • Licorice plant • Lobelia Laguna Compact Blue with Eye

GARDEN URN

I must be on a gray kick this year because there is a lot of gray foliage showing up in my containers. I loved the 'Elegant Feather' I used in a few containers last year, but I also love cardoons. They get huge (even though they are tiny when planted), so they'll fill up most of this container, but I added in a few Superbells to make a "skirt" and I threw in some Verbena bonareinsis seedlings as well. They are tiny and I don't know how they'll fair but there's no harm in trying. If they grow, they'll get tall and provide some much-needed height there.

• Cardoon • Superbells Blue Moon Punch

• Verbena bonareinsis

FRONT DOOR POT

The container by the front door (which we made, by the way) got a similar treatment. It's always a big of a leap of faith putting such a small plant as the cardoon in as the centerpiece, but I've had great luck with them before. In fact I worry it may cover the Gaura, but I'll just play it by ear if that happens.

• Cardoon • Dichondra Silver Falls • Supertunia Bordeaux • Gaura Karalee Petite Pink • Ipomoea Sweet Caroline Bewitched After Dark • Verbena seedlings


Here's how they all came together.

You can be sure I'll keep you updated on how everything is looking as the season progresses. In the meantime, how are your container plantings looking?

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GREAT CONTAINERS AT ANY PRICE

Yesterday I wrote about the factors to consider when choosing a container. You can read it here, but I broke it down to four factors:

1. Size (err on the side of bigger)
2. Style (what suits your house, garden and personal preferences)
3. Material (will you leave it out all year or have to move it)
4. Price

Now I'm going to share some sources for containers that I've found in my rather exhaustive searches. There are three sources that I'm not going to get into: shopping locally, which is really the best option because you tell so much more about a container you can see in person, and building your own, like I did here. I also think that vintage or repurposed containers are very cool, but I think that's one of those things you have to be on the lookout for at thrift stores or garage sales.

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$ BUDGET FRIENDLY

Amazon has some good looking planters for prices that won't completely break the bank, but it takes a little looking. Gardener's Supply also has some nice options, but look for their occasional coupons and sales to bring the price down more. Also consider checking non-traditional stores such as feed mills.

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Big box stores are worth checking too, but again, you really have to pick carefully. The dimensions listed on some planters are often way off (especially on Target's site; what is up with that?) and you're right to be concerned about longevity with some of these. But if you're not ready for a lifetime commitment to a container, this can be a great way to go.

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$$ MODERATELY PRICED

The next level of expense are planters that I've mostly found at stores more traditionally associated with furniture. Although I've not seen all of these in person, the ones I have seen have been of good quality and I'm certain they would survive for a few years at least. Crate and Barrel and West Elm tend to have designs that are little more modern, whereas Ballard Designs has more traditional planters. Grandin Road (sort of a less expensive version of Frontgate) has some nice options as well.

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$$$ INVESTMENT GRADE

Once you're ready to spend enough money to quality as an investment, you should be expecting planters that are extremely high quality, will last for many years and will hurt a little when you place that order. But if you know what you need and you're not planning on moving anytime soon, they can be a good place to look. Restoration Hardware has nailed some great designs in recent year. Their prices can be shocking but my tip is to stalk the RH Outlet store near you. The people there are very nice and unless they are very busy will tell you exactly what they have in stock when you call. Frontgate also has some excellent designs, although I've never seen them in person, in general their products seem to be of good quality. There are also planter-specific companies including Hooks & Lattice and Campania International that have some very nice options in this higher price range.

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$$$$ LOTTERY WINNER/HEIRLOOM QUALITY

This top tier is reserved for very, very special locations or for planters you want to pass down to your kids. It probably goes without saying, but if you are seriously considering dropping this kind of money on a planter, be very sure it's what you want and what will work for many years to come. And that's not to say that I wouldn't want everyone of these in a heartbeat. It should come as no surprise that my first place to look for these dream containers is the amazing Branch Studio, the structure design side of Deborah Silver's business but amazing vintage objects, traditional designs and internationally crafted beauties fall under this category as well.

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