Garden and Landscape Design Container Gardens

I live in Salem Oregon. Last year I bought 6 Emerald Green arborvitae and planted them each in 5 gallon black plastic nursery pots. I used good soil and compost. They are lined up along the edge of my patio, facing west. The patio has an overhang, and there is a large tree to the south that is near the patio. The arborvitae get sun all day once the sun is overhead. This year, they look healthy, with new growth on the tips. Problem: the tops are flopping over to one side, toward the west. Why is this? Should I turn the pots around to get the tops to go straight? Is it because I have them in pots? (I can't put them in the ground- I live in a condo and we can't plant trees or shrubs).

I recently moved to a condo and would like to expand my container garden. Will tomatoes and any flowers grow on an east facing veranda?

I have a dilemma—I can’t find flowers for our two planters that are in full shade. Making it more difficult, we live in the desert, so it’s hot during the day and cold at night. Do you know of container plants that will survive in these conditions?

I have several small trees and evergreens growing in large plastic pots on my patio.  What should I do with them for the winter?

I live in Lansing, MI and am wondering how I can protect my container plantings-such as lilies, bleeding heart and astilbe during our cold winter weather?

I am new to container gardening. I just bought several big pots that I want to fill with annuals. I don’t know where to begin. Can you give me a few pointers?

Planting an early spring container

Tips for easy containers

What are your thoughts on fertilizing flower beds? My gardener says it's not necessary and took college courses to back her recommendations.  Why then do they sell fertilizer and people use it?  I'm really confused about this.

I love having potted hostas in my garden, but then what should I do with them in winter? I am in zone 6 and too tight with my money to just throw them out in winter.

I live just outside Chicago. In late spring/early fall I had 
purchased two hydrangea bushes and planted them into two separate pots. 
They are fairly large pots. I did not know at the time that they were 
bushes. The plants grew beautifully in the pots all summer and were very 
decorative. How can I store them for the winter, so that I can once again have them in pots for the spring/summer of next year? Do I need to prune/cut back the plants, and how 
much? The plants are 
blue/purple in color and have full heads of blooms.

I enjoy growing tomatoes and herbs in pots on my deck during the summer. The location is convenient and I have almost no problems with "critters" munching on my plants. I use 5 gal. pots - one for each tomato plant. I mix several herbs in one large pot. The wooden deck gets very hot sun in the afternoon. I wonder if I could also grow a mix of lettuces in one or more 5 gal. pots on the deck. Would a 5 gal pot be big enough for a Mesclun mix? Would it be too hot for lettuce in the full sun on the deck?

I am trying to overwinter one of my outdoor container gardens indoors. It is filled with sweet potato vines and geraniums. The plants do not look so good. Should I fertilize?

I grew a variety of perennials in containers this summer. I would like to keep them for next year. Will they survive the winter in the container or do they need special care?

I grew two Gaura and one perennial lobelia plants in a 1/2 oak whiskey barrel. I assume that the plants will not survive a zone 5 winter in the barrel. So how do I handle them for winter?

How often should one put new soil on potted plants or replace the soil altogether?

I don't have much room in my yard, but I would like to plant some rhubarb from my parents home. Can you grow rhubarb in a container? If so, how should I plant it?

In your book, there's a mention of using Russian Sage as a vertical interest in containers. Can they stay in the containers throughout the winter, or do they need to be a) brought in or b) planted in ground before frost?