Container Gardening Ideas

Start with the perfect container and make it your focal point. Sometimes the gardening part is secondary. Have you ever noticed an amazing ceramic pot, hanging basket or whimsical vessel that you just had to purchase? Maybe you saw a spectacular concrete window box on your lunch break today.

There are more choices available now than ever before. Although they're great practical choices, you don't have to settle for the standard terracotta pot or whiskey barrel planter anymore. Take a look through your favorite gardening magazine for inspiration. There are incredible works of art available, just waiting to be filled with soil and your favorite plants. I've seen old leather work boots filled with succulents, watering cans planted with flowers and bronze or copper urns that would hold their own without a single plant. Even if you have a brown thumb-you can practice crop rotation and still have a beautiful display. Find your own personal style and run with it.

There's nothing like hanging baskets of Ferns decorating a wrap around porch. Try baskets of sunny annual flowers near your entryway. If you can't find a suitable place to hang your baskets, purchase a shepherd's hook to place in the yard. They come in singles, doubles and triples. They're a simple, inexpensive way to create an exciting focal point anywhere you like.