Create an Exotic Garden in Your Favorite Container

Bring a bit of the desert, tropics or evergreen forest to your backyard. Container plantings allow you to push the limits of your growing environment.

Succulents are all the rage. Their subtle colors, bold texture and attractive forms add interest to any balcony or deck. Their drought tolerance means a bit less watering.

Pot up a couple cannas, an ornamental banana and elephant ears to create a bit of the tropics in your backyard. Mix in a few impatiens, verbena and sweet potato vines for added color.

Or create a water garden in a pot. Use some upright water plants like iris or sedge, add a few colorful fillers like bloody dock or water lilies and complete with a trailer like golden moneywort. Add a few mosquito dunks or flakes to prevent mosquito larvae from developing in the water.

No matter what size your landscape, you can add an evergreen forest to your yard. Simply plant a few miniature conifers in a shallow container or trough garden.

A bit more information: Stack your containers for added height and interest. Build your stacked container garden in a planting bed, at the edge of the drive or on your patio or deck. Select sturdy containers and rest the edges of one pot on the corners of two or three pots below. Stagger for maximum planting space and visual appeal. Use plants suited to the growing conditions repeating colors and texture to provide unity throughout the planting. Use tall plants in the upper most pot for added vertical interest. Include trailers spilling over the container edges to help soften the containers’ edges.