How to Jazz Up Container Gardens

Decorate Your Planters.

Container gardening is as much about taking care of plants as it is about showing off some creativity and flair. Arranging and embellishing terra-cotta pots in the patio, ceramic jars on the windowsill or decorative planters in the foyer, are as enjoyable as grooming the plants that grow in them. Here are some tips and ideas on how to jazz up your container garden.

Things You'll Need

• Ribbons
• Fabric
• Foil
• Paint
• Ornaments
• Assortment of planters and containers
• Battery-operated lights

Instructions

Decorate Your Planters

1. 

   Paint them. Whether your containers are clay, plastic, wood or metal, they can be spruced up with a little colorful splash of paint. Apply the appropriate paint type for long-lasting durability. There are stains for cement and clay pots, latex paints for plastic and wood, as well as waterproof products specifically used for metal surfaces. You can use stencils of your favorite designs, or just brush on the colors with your personal artistic panache.

2. 

   Wrap them in fabric, foil or paper. The choices for wrapping planters are endless: colored foil, gift wrapping paper, wall paper, shelf paper, felt, velvet, corduroy, lace, leather, satin, silk, hemp, rope, and anything else you can think of. You can tape, hot-glue or just tie the material onto the pot.

3. 

   Tie ribbons around them. One of the quickest and easiest ways to adorn a container garden is to use colorful ribbons. Wide bows in seasonal colors make a bold statement.

4. Stick ornaments on them. Collect your favorite decorative ornaments and have fun attaching them to the containers as accents. Use beads, beans or nuts. Try dried botanicals like leaves, flowers, roots and twigs.

5. 

   Decorate them with handcrafted decor stakes. These stakes are usually about three-inch-tall handcrafted wooden figures mounted on a stick that can be stuck into the container's soil. They give all-green foliage some color and interest.

Arrange Your Planters

1. 

   Group planters to create impact. Try grouping containers with similar shapes or planters of the same color. Whether the groupings contrast or complement your space, experiment with shape and color schemes that cater to your fancy.

2. Layer the planters for an amphitheater effect. Place small containers in front, tall and large containers in the back; or a large planter in the middle of a circular pattern with smaller containers on the outside edge. It helps if the plants in the containers don't overlap with each other in these arrangements.

3. Use portable lights. Handy, portable, battery-operated or solar lights in different sizes and shapes can be used to highlight container gardens. Whether they're inside the planters or in between the container garden arrangement, lights always add drama to the foliage.

Tips & Warnings

• Decorating planters is a good way to make dormant and non-flowering plants attractive, and otherwise drab container gardens colorful and interesting.

• Plant your planters with a plan. When planting your container garden, plan how you will showcase them when the foliage is fully grown or the flowers are in bloom. This is most important when growing bulbs in containers in the fall for indoor display in the spring, or when pruning roses in winter for your Easter parties. This will make arranging them very easy for your special events.

• Arrange your container garden to suit your guests, your decor theme, the occasion, or just your whim. And go ahead, rearrange as often as you like.

• Always remember that water will often get onto your container decor and ornaments.

• When attaching ornaments, avoid water-soluble glues and adhesives.

• If the containers are in a relatively humid location, avoid using decor that could attract or be damaged by mold and mildew.

• When using lights to accentuate a container garden, remember that not all lighting solutions are waterproof. Remove portable lights before watering the plants.

Resources

• Gardening-Guides.com: Container Gardens
• The Artistic Garden: Designing a Container Garden