February Tips for Container Gardening

We love container gardens. Love them! Nothing says welcome like a piece of pottery bursting with colorful booms and interesting foliage. Placed by your front door, the curb appeal of your home instantly improves by leaps and bounds. Container gardens also give you an opportunity to show off your creativity.

February is a great month to start planning the look container gardens can add to your overall landscape and design of your home.

Here are some things to keep in mind when deciding on a direction:

Decide on your style. Modern? Country? Whimsical? Traditional?

Choose your containers. It's important your containers match or compliment one another. Too much variety will take away from your plants and create a chaotic look.

Determine the locations. Will they be in shade? In full sun? A mix, depending on the time of the day?

Select your plants. Choose things that bloom, things with leaf interest, assorted textures, a variety of heights and growth styles, things with interesting scents. A herb added to a container of annual color gives purpose to your container, as well as beauty. Make sure the plant matches the placement of the pot. Pay attention to sun exposure.

Color. This is important. Choosing a color scheme will ensure your containers give your yard a cohesive look and are attractive from a distance.

When choosing a color scheme, use the color wheel. For more info on using the color wheel CLICK HERE.

Listed below are some of the basic color wheel principles:

COLOR SCHEMES

Triadic Colors

red, yellow, blue

orange, purple, green

blue violet, red orange, yellow green

Complementary Colors

red, green

yellow, purple

hot, cool

dark, light

Analogous Colors

two, three or four colors next to each other on the color wheel

Monochromatic Colors

various shades and variations of one hue

Hot or Cool Colors

all warm colors or all cool colors

Neutrals

focusing on texture and variations of dark and light rather than color

Container gardening is a fun, easy way to get involved with plants and a great way to develop or continue a love of plants and flowers.