Many people who love to grow plants and flowers must compromise their yearnings if they have limited yard space or live in an apartment building. However, container gardening has become a popular option for those with limited gardening space and has evolved into a form of landscape art.
With proper placement, containers can produce instant color and interest in a yard or garden. Ordinary plant materials can take on a whole new look, drawing attention to plant colors, textures and forms.
By following basic design principles, even a beginning gardener can create and manage beautiful containers.  
The most important overall principle of design is unity. It gives the sense that all parts are working together to achieve a common result. Consider these other design principles when planting in containers.
  
  • Focal point is the immediate point of attention. Balance is achieved by creating a focal point below the tallest plant in a container. Use contrasting colors, textures or shapes that call attention to a specific point.

 

  • Balance gives a sense of equilibrium or stability and is achieved either symmetrically or asymmetrically. Create symmetrical or formal balance by arranging elements equally on either side of a central axis so there are mirror images. Achieve asymmetrical or informal balance by placing objects of varying visual weight around a pivotal point.

 

  • Shape is the plant’s overall appearance. Some plants have a spiky appearance, others are mounded. Individual components of plants may also have a shape or form, such as a trumpet-shaped flower or an arrow-shaped leaf. Use a variety of foliage and flower shapes and sizes to create interesting contrasts.

 

  • Texture refers to the tactile sense of plants. Coarse, medium and fine-textured plants complement each other. Use at least three contrasting foliage textures in a container to create interest.

 

  • Proportion is the relative size and form of plants in a container as well as the relationship of plants to the container. Generally, larger and/or more plants are used in large containers, while less or smaller plants are used in small containers. As a rule, the height of the tallest plant should not exceed one to two times the height of the container, excluding pedestals and “airy” sprigs.

 

Producing an attractive composition requires both contrast and harmony between elements of texture, shape, form and color. A sense of unity is created when there is a balance between harmony and contrast — too much harmony is boring, while too much contrast is chaotic.
 

By: Loralie Cox - Mar. 28, 2007