Containers have always been an interest of mine because of their diversity and visual impact.  They are a garden in themselves and can provide a visual focal point in areas where it may not be easy to achieve otherwise.

I like to use large containers as they can function as a focal point in the garden or an accent piece.  If you are going to use containers, go with a large substantial piece.  They may be heavy but you will gain in many ways.  First of all, they will not dry out as quickly as smaller containers.  Nor will they become lost in the landscape.  Objects tend to look smaller outside.  The scale outside is different than indoors.  That is because the sky which acts as the “ceiling” is much farther away and the “walls” are further out.  A bunch of small containers tend to look cluttered and visually get lost.  Besides, it is so much easier to tend to one large container than to several small pots.

5' Tall Container

In this photo, the blue container is 5′ tall.  Talk about impact!  It literally draws your eye to it.  The blue color helps as well.  To capitalize on the color, I selected plants with the same color of blue.  In this case, Plumbago auriculata, which is an annual in zone 7/8.   The lime green of the sweet potato vine is a great contrast to the blue.

These miniature gardens provide a way to create great arrangements because of their constrained size.  You can easily create impact of color because it takes fewer plants to fill the space even though you will be using large containers.

Low Bowl Containers

Take a look at these low bowl containers.  The pots are overflowing with color.  In this arrangement, the main color is purple with silver as an accent.  These containers are positioned on a wall so even though they are low bowls, they are positioned close to eye level.

As with any garden, water and feeding is a necessity for its success.  I highly recommend using irrigation drip lines to water your containers especially during the hot summer months.  Provide fertilizer as well as this will make your plants healthy and provide you with many blooms.