Container gardening has several benefits - containers can be moved, they come in a range of materials and colours and they can be used to grow almost any plants you like. They can even be used to control rampant invaders like 'Brown Turkey' figs in the garden.

The first thing to do is plan the garden- this way you will get a good idea of the size and number of containers which you will need. Think about the shape the containers will make either together or in a display. Think about form, height and then the types of plant you will have in them (if they are going to be planted).
Once you have planned the garden, consider the following.

1) Weight- this can be important if your container garden is going to be on a roof garden, on a deck or if you are going to be man-handling the containers yourself. Don't worry too much if you cannot use stone - there are many materials like hyper tofu and coloured polystyrene now which look and feel like stone but come at a fraction of the weight.

2) Drainage - if you are going to have plants in your containers then drainage is a must - make sure the drainage holes are large enough to allow free drainage but not too large so the growing medium escapes too. They should not be so small they get clogged up either.

3) Colour and finish- this is important so the containers fit your design ideas and garden theme.

4) height and width - when including containers in a design they will be an important part of your masses so make sure that you choose ones which , either on their own or together, form the right shape and outline to enhance your design.

Don't forget you do not have to have plants in your containers. Containers themselves can make a real contribution to the garden design in term of colour, finish and materials. They can be used to accessorise and stamp the owner's personality on the garden design.

Containers do not have to be standard shop bought ones either - old baths, bottles, pots and barrows can be used to make viable containers so long as the rules are adhered to which allow plants to thrive - they must provide growing medium (nutrition), water and drainage and light.

Use containers to create displays and shapes together and also use bright ones to lighten dark corners. Add variegated leaves to bring color into shady spots and also you can paint the containers.
Containers offer a relatively cheap way to allow children to stamp personalities on the design - a few pots painted with bright colours by the family can make people feel quite proprietorial and take responsibility for them.

Containers are very flexible and can be moved according to season or to change your view. They can be used to create pathways or block paths to make direction in the site.
Overall, chosen carefully, containers make a good choice for the garden.

They can be sed to grow fruit and vegetables in where space is limited and if you choose a dwarf tree you will get the pleasures from bark, flowers and fruit.

Even a few containers will extend the growing area in the garden, the plants you can grow and don't forget you can also move them to bring plants into better areas such as sheltered spots, or to encourage flowering or fruiting.

Irrigation can be a major obstacle to container gardening but you can install simple irrigation systems which use a timer or are attached to the tap and all you have to do is turn them on (and off).

Containers are versatile, easy and make any area of the garden somewhere special.

Learn more about this author, Sammy Stein.
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