Just like traditional gardens, container gardens come in all shapes, sizes, colours, and themes. There is such a wide range of styles, materials, and shapes of pots available to completely customize your container garden.

You accomplish simply by selecting a container that fits your landscaping décor and a type of flower that matches your personality, you can completely change the feeling of your yard and home. These different types of containers all require different types of care, but they are all unique and decorative in their own way. Some of the types of containers used are:

Clay Pots

Clay pots are great for the everyday landscape. They come in a variety of sizes, from small and appropriate for a window sill to a behemoth clay pot that can fit a small tree.

Clay pots are typically neutral in color meaning they go with anything, however with clay pots some precautions need to be made. Because they have a tendency to crack, clay pots do best in the shade to prevent them from drying out. Also, you’ll need to ensure the clay pot is frost proof to ensure it holds up during the winter months.

As you can see from the image clay pots can be painted, just watch you don’t use toxic paints that could leech into the dirt and flowers.

Wooden Planters

Wooden logs being fit to make a planter are an eco-friendly way to bring the rustic feel of a log cabin into your yard. These are great for more exotic plants that would typically be found in wooded areas.

Not only that, but these planters tend to run larger making them ideal for housing both bigger or a large quantity of smaller plants. The one downside to wooden planters is that the dirt has a tendency to fall out of the spaces between the logs. To avoid this, simply line the planter with a thin sheet of plastic to keep what needs to be contained, in the container.

Stone Containers

Potting your plants in stone is an elegant way to dress up your landscaping. Although stone containers have a tendency to look morose if not done properly, you can brighten them up with some brightly coloured flowers or some “cuter” flowers such as daisies or carnations.

Like with the other two, there are some downsides to using stone as these containers are usually heavy, meaning you most likely will need to ensure you’re happy with their final place before you start using them.

It’s not uncommon for people to cement them in place to avoid having them stolen.

Wall Pots or Windowsill Holders

These smaller containers can liven up a wall or window ledge very easily and brighten up the area around the home. As you can see people love to take pictures of them if they’re done nicely. My aunt was so into geraniums.

These small boxes or pots are ideal to show off a wide variety of flowers and plants. Just remember to water these frequently because they typically are located in an area that doesn’t receive much water.

Also, secure them well because once the soil does get wet, it can get heavy and weigh the pots down.

Hanging Baskets

Hanging baskets are a fun accessory to add to any porch, gazebo, or other outdoor structure. They are extremely versatile and can be placed at shoulder height or even higher.

You can also change out the different flowers in the baskets to keep them blooming all year long. Just make sure to hang them where no one will hit their head. By choosing any of these containers, or combining several different ones, you can ensure your landscaping reflects you.

Have fun and remember gardening is a form of expression. Show off to your neighbours and the world how beautiful your home and yard can be.

Allison Brenner is a copywriter at an online career school. For more information visit PCDI’s landscape design school.

• How to Start Home Gardening Without a Backyard

Tagged with: clay pots • hanging baskets • stone containers • wall pots • windowsill planters • wooden planters

Filed under: container gardening • gardening • home gardening

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