Category: Getting Started in Container Gardening

In this article, we will be discussing how to grow the only shrub of the Sorbus family in containers. It may seem a bit strange to talk about Sorbus as a shrub, as we generally think about them as popular trees, where many varieties of Mountain Ash, Rowan and Whitebeams are grown. As in any genus, there is one odd man out and that is Sorbus reducta. It is a diminutive shrub that is great as part of a container display in your garden.

Sorbus reducta is a species of flowering shrub that belongs to the Rosaceae (Rose) family. It …

In this article, we will discuss how to grow the increasingly popular shrub of Nandina domestica in containers. Nandina is the only species of flowering plant that belong to the Berberidaceae (Barberry) family.

It is native to Eastern Africa from the Himalayas to Japan. The reason for its popularity is the colourful foliage it produces, which can be said to be unmatched in the shrub world. In spring new foliage emerges with a tinge of red that turns green as it matures. In autumn, this evergreen shrub will develop a flush of orange, so that it goes from red-tinged to …

In this article, we will discuss how to grow the flowering shrub of Caragana in containers. The only species you are likely to find is Caragana arborescens, which is a member of the legume family. It is native to Siberia and parts of China, Mongolia and Kazakhstan. In parts of the USA, it is considered an invasive species.

Caragana is not a popular plant, not because it has a reputation of being a difficult plant, but because the flowers are small and not so numerous. It should be grown more often because it grows naturally in a tough environment and …

In this article, we will discuss how to grow Arctostaphylos, an unusual member of the Ericaceae (the Heather) family, in containers. Arctostaphylos comes from the Greek words ‘Arkouda’ meaning ‘Bear’ and ‘Staphula’ meaning ‘Bunch of Grapes’. There are about 60 species of Arctostaphylos where some are prostrate shrubs whilst others are 6m tall trees.

These acid-loving plants make a great alternative to Callunas, Andromedas, Daboecias, Vaccinum and Gaultherias.  Most of the species are evergreen (there the only one deciduous species known) and have small, oval, 1 to 2cm long, green leaves that are arranged spiralled around the stems. In early …

In this article, we will discover how to grow the old-fashion but a firm favourite of Aquilegia in containers. As you can imagine this colourful cottage garden favourite makes an ideal plant to grow in containers, where it has the common name of either Granny’s Bonnet or Columbine. In general, they are easy to grow and naturalise as part of a container display.

The nectar-rich flowers are attractive to wildlife and so worth growing. It is a dainty perennial with grey-green ferny-like leaves and on top of these short-spurred flowers appear that come in shades of blue, white, yellow, purple …

In this article, we will discover how to grow Celosia in containers. Celosia is a small genus of ornamental and edible plants that belong to the Amaranthaceae (the Amaranth) family. The name comes about from the Greek word ‘Kafsi’ meaning ‘burning’ describing the appearance of the flower heads. The two most commonly seen in the garden are the plume variety, Celosia argentea or Celosia argentea var. cristata, whose crescent-shaped flowers are normally called the Cockscombs.

They are grown for the colourful and vivid flowers for colour indoors or as part of your summer container display. Although it is a tender …

In this article, we will discuss how the colour and theme you decorate your window boxes lend themselves to particularly planting schemes. In previous articles, I have discussed how to plant a gothic window box and a Victorian-style window box, but in this article, we will extend our designs.

For example, you can create a seaside theme by using seashell motifs painted at the side of the window box.

This suggests plants that are resistant to salty air and will look good in a container that is painted a light silvery-blue colour, In this theme, shrubs, herbs and grasses …

In this article, we will be discovering how to create exciting period-style window boxes that can brighten up any home. To some, traditional window boxes are a little bit boring and they want to have more elaborate and stunning designs in their window boxes.

It is very easy to achieve and you can have Gothic and Victorian-styled window boxes and in this article, you will find out how this can be done.

All you need to do is construct a window box to your own design and dimensions to fit over the plastic trough that will be used. This …

In this article, we will create a window box that acts as a wooden surround that will enclose a standard-sized plastic trough.  The aim is to have a wooden box that surrounds the plastic that can be adapted to your own personal preference.

In a previous article, I have discussed how to create a wooden container using tongue and groove cladding, but in this case, the tongue and groove cladding used will have a more detailed profile to give it more style. You have several choices as to what cladding you can use, but no matter what you go …