Container Gardening Ideas

Earthenware containers suit Mediterranean-style gardens

Stone containers suit stone-clad cottages

Large, informal gardens can make use of concrete and stone urns

Metal containers suit formal, symmetrical gardens

Wooden containers suit modern fenced gardens

Herb containers or herb wheels for kitchen gardens

First decide on the style of your garden, the plants you want to display and the conditions they will enjoy. Will you be growing vegetables, herbs or flowering plants? Do you need to stack plants for more space? If so, will the weight be a problem? If growing herbs, are they near the kitchen for ease of harvesting? Can you easily water all the containers? Is there enough sunlight to the area or is it too shady? Ensure the containers are just a little too big for the intended plants to allow room for plant growth.

Choose the right soil for the plants you intend to grow, ensure there is sufficient drainage so plants don't become waterlogged. Feed your plants with the appropriate plant food, and ensure you water regularly, especially in the summer months, preferably in the morning before it is too hot, or in the evening when the sun is low. This ensures less water is lost through evaporation.

Here are a few pointers when growing herbs in containers:


• Choose containers which are larger than the herbs you intend to grow. Give your herbs a chance to grow!
• Harvest your herbs regularly to keep them producing fresh shoots.
• Don't grow what you don't use - grow to cook. Grow them where you can get to them - right near the house.
• Herbs need sunlight to grow - they dislike too much shade.
• If you plan to grow herbs on a patio plant as you would a central bed - tall plants in the middle, shorter ones to the edges.