Plants may grow upright, or have a mounding, weeping or trailing habit. Or something else. Along with a plant's basic form, gardeners should consider its ultimate height and spread.
Once a plant’s growth characteristics are known, the gardener can match it with a container. These come in all shapes and sizes, from tall to flat, rounded to vase-shaped.
For single plants or the dominant plant in a design, the general rule is that the plant should be about twice the height of the container, and 1.5 times the width. This is not a hard and fast rule, and many arrangements, especially where more than one plant is utilized, will deviate from the above. Gardeners should proceed cautiously, and trust their own sense of design.
Typical Plant Form and Container Shape Combinations
Some plant forms just seem naturally complimentary with certain container shapes. Some of these combinations are
- Tall containers stand out, and go well with clipped, formal, topiary plant forms. Trailing plants also fit well with tall containers, as the container’s height allows the trailing plant plenty of vertical room to shine. Tall containers can lift fragrant plants closer for better appreciation.
- Rectangular containers, like window boxes and troughs, lend themselves to symmetrical planting, whether balanced formally or informally.
- Oval or round pots create an informal mood, and look good from most any angle.
- Flat, shallow pots or trays lend themselves to viewing from above. Locate them close to the viewer, maybe on pot display stands or a shelves. Use plants that don’t need much potting medium and look good when seen from a bird’s-eye view.
- Typical terracotta pots are Fan-shaped. Use spreading plants that continue the lines of the container vertically.
- Bell-shaped containers are perfect for mound forming plants (to give height) combined with trailing plants (for softening).
- Architectural containers and plants go together naturally. Plant single architectural form plants in modern metal or sharp-edged containers, and use as accents.
- Eclectic containers (also called “freestyle”) can be almost anything, like old wheelbarrows, cans, or baskets, and go well with a variety of planting styles.
To ensure compatibility, container gardeners should try to match plants to appropriate containers while still at the nursery. There, they can physically experiment with various combinations before deciding.
A Plant's Mature Form
With immature plants, it’s sometimes hard to visualize how the plant will look within a chosen container. To get a clearer picture of the ultimate combination, try sketching the plant’s mature form combined with the form of the container.
Of course, contrasting the form and texture of a plant with that of a container may look good, also. Experiment until the arrangement works. A plant’s eventual form should be in harmony with both the container and the area where it will be used.
Combining plant forms with compatible container shapes is an important design tenet, and will go a long way in ensuring an aesthetic fit in the total container garden composition.
Sources:
- The Container Gardener's Bible, by Joanna K. Harrison and Miranda Smith; 2009, Rodale Inc.
- Successful Container Gardening, by Joseph R. Provey; 2010, Creative Homeowner
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