CONTAINER COTTAGE GARDENS
by Carole Schwalm
The more you feed the earth, the more the garden nourishes you.

There are as many plants that that thrive in containers as there are in the types of containers. They do not have to match! And you can recreate a cottage-type garden with plants in containers using several groupings of plants that are different height, and colors that will make a big impact, even in a small space.

Create a Vignette

Start with one container that has a dominant plant or one that is taller. Your choice may be a tree, or taller ornamental grasses. (You can add lower growing flowers to this container to fill it in). You can also add hanging plants to your vignette. (A Mexican Orange Bush is an evergreen shrub, with white flowers that bloom from spring to fall. Will grow to 5’ in a container).

Add two more containers for either side of the larger. Here you can also play with heights, by placing the containers on bricks or overturned pots – just be sure that they are sitting safely so they do not overturn on a windy day.

As your plants mature they begin to look like the just happen to be there.

But Wait, There’s More …

You may want to get more creative, and why not? Add more containers of flowers! Move them around, being sure that you take their needs into consideration. The latter is something you have to do anyway, as sunlight changes through the season.

You can be creative with the containers and decorate with stencils, painting like gilding, or an imitation patina.

A note: Be sure to put plants that need the same conditions in a container. In other words don’t try to marry a dry shade-loving plant with one that needs full Sun and lots of water in the same pot.