Organic Gardening Tips and Methods Container Gardening (Pot Gardening) Part One Section Two Siting Containers; Planted containers can be used simply as isolated features, but are often most effective in the garden when used as an integral part of a wider design. In the formal garden for example, containers can provide accents that reinforce a sense of geometry, similarly looser arrangements can underline the more subtle rhythms of a more naturalistic theme. The position of containers should be based on practical as well as aesthetic conditions, container-grown plants need frequent watering in summer, so easy access to a water supply is vital, especially in sunny sites where plants may need attention at least once daily during spells of hot, dry weather. It is worth bearing in mind too, that thieves target gardens as well as houses, and a valuable urn or antique jar is safer placed in full view of the house rather than in a more secluded position and may be best fixed or bolted to the ground. Defining Accents; Placing containers to create a succession of accents is a useful technique for delineating areas of the garden or marking boundaries, at its simplest, a row of containers may mark a boundary, perhaps in conjunction with a wall or fence, (try lining pots along the base of a fence or along the top of a wall, provided they are secure and will not topple, or even suspend them from it), the effect can be achieved at little cost, perhaps with brightly painted, recycled tins planted with long-flowering and colourful pelargoniums. Containers can also be used to define compartments within a garden, for example; when set singly or in clusters at the corners of a rectangular paved area. Container accents are invaluable for enhancing other features, a squared arrangement around a circular pool, for example, forms a very effective contrast, alternatively place pots in the curved quadrants to emphasize the line of the pools edge, accents such as this can fulfil a dual role, they can define a shape while also softening a hard outline, this is especially useful in integrating the severe geometry of a rectangular pool into the wider garden, containers arranged around the pool echo its shape, yet, if filled with loose arrangements of plants, they often soften the effect. It is best to set containers back from the waters edge so that they not a hazard, and to reduce the risk of dead leaves and flowers fouling the water. Containers as Focal Points; The main lines of a small, modern garden in a formal style rarely terminate in a natural view of a landscape or an architectural landmark, but even on a small scale, a vista that does not lead to a natural conclusion can seem unsatisfying. Features that are traditionally introduced to terminate vistas include trees and statuary, but on a smaller scale an urn or a large pot or tub can fulfil the role equally well, such focal points give an almost instant effect and in comparison with statuary are generally much less costly, even an empty container can make an effective eye-catcher, provided that the scale is right, but when planted with an upright plant or group of plants surrounded by a fringe of trailers, the design then becomes far more attractive. There is no simple rule of thumb for ensuring the correct scale, it is often most satisfactory to do it by-eye, make a preliminary test by positioning a cane where the container is to stand, and then check its position from various points along the vista. In some cases, it may be necessary to raise the container on a plinth to achieve the desired effect, this can be a ready-made architectural plinth or can be improvised, for example; with a stack of unmortared bricks, or wooden blocks, depending on the desired style. In garden compartments, a central focal point is usually a good idea, a planted container is often a much cheaper option than a statue, sundial, or fountain. A formal herb garden divided into quarters, for example, may include a central paved or gravelled area; an ideal spot for a large pot planted with an architectural specimen such as angelica (Angelica archangelica). Alternatively, to maximize the growing area, the container could stand on a plinth in the middle of the bed, but ensure that access for watering and maintenance is provided for, perhaps by means of stepping stones. Containers may also be used as focal points to direct the eye through the garden, for example, by placing a large pot at a turning point on a path, or to act as a distant feature that leads the observer on to another view or vista. In gardens where one mass of planting deliberately masks another, the unexpected has special value, a carefully placed container can introduce such an element of surprise, and an empty container of architectural quality erect or on its side can be just as effective as one full of plants. Emphatic Arrangements; Containers, especially if arranged in pairs, are an ideal way of marking a transition in the garden. This can be as simple and low-key as one-step change of level, for example by using clipped balls of box (Buxus sempervirens) in terracotta pots to flank the step, emphasize the change and warn people against tripping on the step. Grander flights of steps can be treated in a more lavish way , with paired containers the top and base and others at different landings, to create a dramatic and appealing setting. But when using containers on steps in this way, they must be carefully placed so as not to present a hazard in any way. Paired containers can also play a supporting role to another feature such as a garden bench that may not have sufficient impact to terminate a vista by itself, setting matched containers on either side strengthens the central feature, which assumes greater visual weight. For strictly formal long-term designs, pots could be planted with a topiary to ring the seasonal changes, a spring display of tulips could be followed by/with summer bedding plants that will bloom continuously for several months. Paired containers can lend particular emphasis when positioned to form an avenue, this formal pattern can work well on a relatively small scale, even in confined/small spaces, the effect can be monumental , for example; when a citrus tree (or any fruiting tree) in large terracotta pots or urns are placed in bays along a broad walk. On a more modest scale, pots of evergreens or seasonal flowers can be introduced to mark the main axis of a tiny garden. Containers in Borders; Containerized plants, when rising above plantings in open ground, can be used to create contrast or to reinforce a colour theme in the beds and borders, for example; violet-purple flowers like heliotrope (Heliotropium arborescens) or petunias could oppose a border theme of oranges, creams, and yellows. Alternatively, subtle harmonies can be created such as the pale-pink of the double tulip Angelique in pots beside beds of wall flowers such as; Erysimum cheiri Fair Lady Series, in shades of pink, yellow, and cream. Container grown plants are particularly valuable when the garden is relatively empty, winter-flowering pansies such as Viola x wittrockiana Universal Series, brighten up dull areas (and dull days) for many weeks in winter and early spring and can gradually be supplemented with a succession of bulbs such as daffodils and tulips. In the autumn garden, container-grown shrubby plants such as Argyranthemum, Fuchsias, and Phygelius will perform well until the first frosts. Another approach is to boost beds and borders with pot-grown plants plunged in to the ground, this is a particularly good and useful way to fill gaps in a border when the foliage of summer perennials such as the Oriental poppies (Papaver orientale cultivars), has died back, it can also be used to supplement the display when newly planted perennials and shrubs have yet to attain their full size in a bed. Note; All information given complies/coincides with the guidelines of; The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS).....
Posted on: Fri, 12 Sep 2014 20:50:15 +0000
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