How to arrange your pots
For a lush, cool leafy look at the base, nothing beats caladium bulbs, which produce abundant leaves in shades of all green, or green jazzed up with pink dots or splotches, white or magenta borders or flushes, or other exotic colourations. For vertical softening, add a backdrop of wooden or metal latticework (even string) to support climbing vines such as Mandevilla, moon flowers, clematis or morning glories.
5. Don't forget to water
1. All containers must have drainage holes; and 2. be sure to water container plantings regularly, even daily, especially during heat waves. Container plants drink lots and often.
6. Everywhere you look is an ideal spot for a container
Once you start playing with container plantings, you'll find places for them -- everywhere. Tuck them right into your garden -- plop them among the ferns and Hostas (actually Hostas are great container plants), anywhere that needs some filling in, or a jolt of moveable colour.
By moving pots around, you can grow sun-lovers in the sun -- then move them to shady spots to enjoy their bloom period.
Group pots on front steps, add them to deck railings, along paths, they work absolutely everywhere. Put them on balconies, in the woods, just outside the garage door, amid rose bushes, by the mailbox.
7. Cool containers
Be sure to check out the new fiberglass, resin and synthetic containers now on the market. Many are astonishingly lightweight, can overwinter outdoors without cracking and are often fashioned after rare old estate containers in stunning designs of pseudo-stone, moulded cement, terracotta, even cast iron. Today's containers may be the best looking ones you'll ever own.
The days are getting longer. Summer is on its way, and all across Canada, garden containers are beckoning to be filled.
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