As a master gardener for Hennepin County, I volunteer for a lot of garden-related projects like helping little kids plant trees at their schools and landscaping homes built by Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity. I love these kinds of hands-on jobs.

Occasionally, though, I work the information booth at a local garden center and, honestly, I shouldn’t do that because I don’t like it. I don’t like it because I always come home feeling like I just spent the day perpetuating the idea that there’s a “right” way to do things that are supposed to be fun like buying pots and filling them with plants that you like.

Every time I volunteer at a garden center the question I’m asked most often is, “What should I put in a pot that’s this big?” (Picture hands held out to make a circular shape of one size or another.) And I want to say, “How should I know? It’s your pot, not mine.” But that just sounds snotty and that’s not how I mean it. What I mean is more along the lines of, “Just because I’m wearing this goofy apron and badge doesn’t mean I know better than you what should go in your pots.” After all, you’re the one who’ll be looking at what’s in the pot all season.

Yes, of course, there are some tips that come in handy when designing containers and I’ll get to those in a minute. But I think what makes an attractive container is mostly a matter of personal taste, like art, music, and clothes. They may be all the rage, but I don’t buy those low-slung pants because I’m pretty sure the world doesn’t want to see the upper third of my butt every time I sit down. And I don’t fill my pots with geraniums, spikes, and vinca vines even though that combination is so ubiquitous you’d think some bossy container czar decreed we must all replicate that look. (No offense intended to geranium, spike, and vinca fans. They’re just not my thing.)

And that, thankfully, brings me back to my point. If you’d like to create a container garden, you’re plenty qualified for the job. All you need to know are a few simple tips. As always, when choosing plants you’ll need to consider your location. How much sun will your containers get if you group them by your front door, on the back deck, or along the driveway? Remember, when a plant tag says “full sun” that plant needs about five or six hours of uninterrupted sun to thrive. (Two hours in the morning and three in the afternoon is not the same thing.)

Next, don’t think too hard about the tired old rule that pots should have something tall, a trailing plant, and some mid-height filler plants. Variation in height makes any container or garden more interesting. But letting that dictate what you choose can send you straight into the Bermuda Triangle of geraniums, spikes, and vincas. (Don’t hate me. I’ll make fun of something else next time.) What you’re really striving for is balance. You want to balance the look of the plants in the pot so all the tall things don’t wind up on one side and the short things on the other. You’re also looking to balance the size of the pot with what’s inside it. A teensy pot is going to look silly with a big, honking canna lily sticking out of it.

And while you’re picking out plants, think about bloom times. Using plant tags as your guide, try to group plants in pots that will flower at different times. That way, you’ll always have something colorful admist the green.

If you’re planning on having several pots in the same area, you might want to try going with one color scheme—lime greens and whites, blues and yellows. think about going with one color scheme—lime greens and whites, blues and yellows. Give the grouping a showy focal point by including one larger pot that features something unusual like a Tiger Eyes sumac or small citrus tree.

Try out your ideas while you’re at the garden center by choosing several plants you like and then cramming them all together in the cart, on the ground, or in a pot you brought from home. Rearrange. Then re-rearrange. Do the colors contrast well with each other? Do you have that balance you’re after? Does everything require the same amount of sunlight? Are you thinking, “Hey, this looks great; who cares what that master gardener over there thinks?” Excellent. The next time we meet at a garden center we can just chat about plants we love.

Meleah Maynard is a Master Gardener and freelance writer, living in Linden Hills. If you’ve got a gardening question you’d like her to address in her column, you can email it to meleah@everydaygardener.com.

As a master gardener for Hennepin County, I volunteer for a lot of garden-related projects like helping little kids plant trees at their schools and landscaping homes built by Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity. I love these kinds of hands-on jobs.
Occasionally, though, I work the information booth at a local garden center and, honestly, I shouldn’t do that because I don’t like it. I don’t like it because I always come home feeling like I just spent the day perpetuating the idea that there’s a “right” way to do things that are supposed to be fun like buying pots and filling them with plants that you like.
Every time I volunteer at a garden center the question I’m asked most often is, “What should I put in a pot that’s this big?” (Picture hands held out to make a circular shape of one size or another.) And I want to say, “How should I know? It’s your pot, not mine.” But that just sounds snotty and that’s not how I mean it. What I mean is more along the lines of, “Just because I’m wearing this goofy apron and badge doesn’t mean I know better than you what should go in your pots.”
Yes, of course, there are some tips that come in handy when designing containers and I’ll get to those in a minute. But I think what makes an attractive container is mostly a matter of personal taste, like art, music, and clothes. They may be all the rage, but I don’t buy those low-slung pants because I’m pretty sure the world doesn’t want to see the upper third of my butt every time I sit down. And I don’t fill my pots with geraniums, spikes, and vinca vines even though that combination is so ubiquitous you’d think some bossy container czar decreed we must all replicate that look. (No offense intended to geranium, spike, and vinca fans. They’re just not my thing.)
And that, thankfully, brings me back to my point. If you’d like to create a container garden, you’re plenty qualified for the job. All you need to know are a few simple tips. As always, when choosing plants you’ll need to consider your location. How much sun will your containers get if you group them by your front door, on the back deck, or along the driveway? Remember, when a plant tag says “full sun” that plant needs about five or six hours of sun to thrive. Otherwise it’ll get all floppy and won’t have many flowers.
Next, don’t think too hard about the tired old rule that pots should have something tall, a trailing plant, and some mid-height filler plants. Variation in height is important in any container or garden. But letting that dictate what you choose can send you straight into the Bermuda Triangle of geraniums, spikes, and vincas. (Don’t hate me. I’ll make fun of something else next time.) What you’re really striving for is balance. You want to balance the look of the plants in the pot so all the tall things don’t wind up on one side and the short things on the other. You’re also looking to balance the size of the pot with what’s inside it. A teensy pot is going to look silly with a big, honking canna lily sticking out of it.
If you’re planning on having several pots in the same area, think about going with one color scheme—lime greens and whites, blues and yellows. Give the grouping a showy focal point by including one larger pot that features something unusual like a Tiger eye sumac or small citrus tree.
Try out your ideas while you’re at the garden center by choosing several plants you like and then cramming them all together in the cart, on the ground, or in a pot you brought from home. Rearrange. Rearrange. Do the colors contrast well with each other? Do you have that balance you’re after? Does everything require the same amount of sunlight? Are you thinking, “Hey, this looks great; who cares what that master gardener over there thinks?” Excellent. The next time we meet at a garden center we can just chat.