Container Gardens

For good root growth in containers, plant in a soilless mixture, using one-half peat moss with a quarter each of perlite and vermiculite. Apply a soluble fertilizer every two weeks, check moisture daily, and make sure each container has a drainage hole.

Reprinted with Permission of Hearst Communications, Inc. Originally Published: Tips for Container Gardening

Colin McGuire

Pick a simple palette that works with the house colors and stick to it; repeat shapes, colors, and textures; mix plants with different characteristics.

Reprinted with Permission of Hearst Communications, Inc. Originally Published: Tips for Container Gardening

Erika McConnell

For a backyard entrance, choose plants that tolerate sun and shade to expand placement options around windows and doors.

Reprinted with Permission of Hearst Communications, Inc. Originally Published: Tips for Container Gardening

Donna Griffith

Melding the garden with the home establishes a dramatic and inviting entryway. Shorter shrubs should sit below the porch. Taller plants should line the walkway and draw the eye up toward the front door.

Reprinted with Permission of Hearst Communications, Inc. Originally Published: Tips for Container Gardening

Erika McConnell

Some plants trail, some reach for the sun, and some grow full. Know your flowers' growth habits before planting to achieve the exact look you want.

Reprinted with Permission of Hearst Communications, Inc. Originally Published: Tips for Container Gardening

William P. Steele

A wide variety of flower and leaf shapes -- some round, some trumpet-shaped, some scalloped -- heightens visual interest.

Reprinted with Permission of Hearst Communications, Inc. Originally Published: Tips for Container Gardening

Erika McConnell

If you live in a house with a soft color palette and a shrub-filled front yard, try using containers of tropical plants � such as exotic banana plants (Musa zebrina) � to add vertical points of interest.

Reprinted with Permission of Hearst Communications, Inc. Originally Published: Tips for Container Gardening

Erika McConnell

For small urns, choose one plant with distinctive leaves -- such as tropical plants with oversize leaves or succulents with thick leaves -- per container. This one-plant-per-pot arrangement shows off the flora's distinctive characteristics.

Reprinted with Permission of Hearst Communications, Inc. Originally Published: Tips for Container Gardening

Andre Baranowski

You can alter the persona of a plant by its container. Dress up a plain plant by putting it in an elegant urn, or show off a more elaborate plant by placing it in a simple pot.

Reprinted with Permission of Hearst Communications, Inc. Originally Published: Tips for Container Gardening

Colin McGuire

Succulents require infrequent watering, so pots can be placed in remote garden locations, while tropicals need irrigating more often and should be near a water source. Check the soil moisture daily for the first week after planting to determine how often to irrigate. Tropicals should be soaked so that as much as one-third of the water applied seeps from the bottom of the pot.

Reprinted with Permission of Hearst Communications, Inc. Originally Published: Tips for Container Gardening

Erika McConnell