Grasmere specializes in container gardens fashioned in true continental tradition. The desire to cultivate plants up close in hanging or container gardens dates far back into time. It was in fashion with the Greek and the Roman Empire, yet it was King Nebuchadnezzar whose rule (600 BC) spawned one of the Seven Wonders of the world, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. They were not suspended but rather magnificent container gardens flowing from a terraced hill and included full-size trees planted on cultivated banks of earth raised on stone vaults in a corner of the palace complex of Nebuchadnezzar.

Container gardening appeared with vigor and verve in our days by the plant-madness and the inventiveness of Queen Victoria's England. The dainty and imaginative Victorian wire containers and wire étagères are still a darling staple of our gardens today.

From early spring through summer, we bring in the best quality annuals and perennials that New England has to offer and fly in some flowering topiaries from the West Coast as well. Our focus is beautiful container gardens, and our plant material selection is particularly based on container application. Window boxes, wrought iron planters, high-quality resin containers and wire hanging baskets are designed planted to become a gracious profusion of bloom throughout the summer.

Over the years, our customers have been returning, every spring, to have their containers transformed again or to purchase a new addition to their garden from the shop. Their growing popularity has a very good reason. Container gardens allow us to have blooms, perennials and herbs in a limited space. Window boxes and hanging baskets allow us to appreciate a garden at eye level, to extend the garden visually far beyond what solely ground plantings can achieve, and to create focal points from the inside looking out. It brings the garden a bit closer to our favorite interior nooks and crannies. They are also ideal for people who have difficulty bending over a flower bed or maneuvering around a large garden, for those who live in apartments and city high rises, containers add instant color to a plain patio, and to under  trees where perennial beds could not thrive.

Now, where do we start ?

Size is one of the most important considerations when planting in a pot. Generally, the larger the container the less watering it will require, a big consideration if you travel a lot and are not able to water every day. Any garden, be it a container garden or a garden consisting of flower beds, does need attention and care. The concept of the no maintenance garden does not truly exist in the reality of the New England summers. Containers should be large enough to give plants plenty of root space for healthy growth. Window boxes should be at least 9-10 inches deep and 9-10 inches wide. Let the width of your windows gauge the width of the window boxes you select. The sizes or shapes of other containers are best chosen by the variety or size of plants you want to grow in them. Larger pots, though, are also heavier to move around so if you like to re-arrange your patio during the summer you might consider a lighter weight alternative in fiberglass or resin. Be sure to have sufficient holes for drainage added to the bottom so the roots don't sit in water (read further in "Plant Care").

Consider the scale of the space when choosing containers. Small balconies would quickly be filled up with a few pots. On the other hand a large patio needs some substantial pots to help balance the size. Groupings of smaller pots can fill larger areas but remember that they will need more watering to look their best. Varying the size and material of the pots can add interest to the area but too many different styles and textures can be just look like a jumble. Choosing a style, material, or color to form the overall impression and then mixing in other types will create a theme to build on. For instance use many clay pots but mix the designs (cherubs, garlands, geometric patterns etc.) and sizes. Selecting containers in similar hues, varying materials and styles will keep the continuity of the potted garden, while remaining interesting and fresh.

The texture of the walls, fences, furniture, and ground can help you decide how best to choose your pots. If you have rattan furniture and brightly colored fabrics you might consider painted or natural baskets for a European-style country look.. Brick, flagstone or gravel patios and walkways show well with substantial clay or concrete urns and pots. A wooden deck can be charming with aged copper, terra-cotta and wooden planter boxes and containers.

The Butterfly Garden.

If the balcony faces south, choose plants that will tolerate a lot of sun or be prepared for drooping, unhappy burned out potted gardens. Look for annuals ( i.e. verbenas, heliotropes, marguerites) that thrive in sunny conditions. On the other hand, recognize how shady a patio under the oak tree really gets and look for annuals like lobelia, citron coleus, fuchsias, or sweet potato vine. If the plant you choose is well suited to the amount of light your area receives, and is dead-headed and fertilized regularly, it will reward you with plenty of blooms and fresh foliage. If you're potting up perennials, there are many types that have varieties that suit any condition. There are so many clematis available that will grow in a large pot and overwinter. Some are perfect on a northern wall, like Nelly Moser that tends to fade badly in bright sunlight and is much happy on a shady wall. There are even some roses that will grow and product prolific blooms in a shady condition. Try Zephyrine Drouhin but be sure to give it a large pot for overwintering.

    One of the beauties of containers is the instant punch of color they provide to bare spaces. Color design is an art form but you can still master it even if you don't have the eye of a Monet. Choose complimentary colors and hues, or keep to a primarily monochromatic color range with just a few color accents. Blues, pinks and purples make nice combinations as do bright yellows, oranges and reds. Adding some deeper colors creates more three-dimensionality in a container garden, experiment with the darkest blues or purples you can find, or marry citron greens with dark burgundy foliages and see how exciting these juxtapositions can be.  Many gardeners will play with color, adding a bright red to a pink mixture but exercise restraint when doing this, as it's easy to get a jumble of colors that wearies the eye. White is an excellent choice for many color combinations: it softens the bright colors, adds  contrast, blends different colors to create a pleasing overall effect. White stands out at night. If you use your patio for relaxing in the moonlight, create an evening garden by adding plantings with white blooms and light, silvery leaves for a natural evening glow. The nice thing about containers is that every year your garden can be different, muted pastels one year, bright Mediterranean splashes another. You can also create areas of different color if you like them all but avoid mixing everything together. A pink corner, yellow and white balcony box, red and purple collection can trick the eye into thinking that there the area is larger since so much is going on. This works best if the patio or balcony has some kind of path of hidden area so that when you turn a corner or move through a space a different color combination introduces a new experience. Continuity of color can be very relaxing and soothing. Using a pink palette with different combinations can pull a disjointed space together. With containers you can easily experiment with color and get just the right combination that suits you best.

If you would like to work a little more in-depth with color, then follow me through this link to our color wheel page.

    If you are dealing with a spacious area, one pot on its own can look pretty lonely and have too small an effect on the view. Groupings of pots, on the other hand, can create the impression of a lush garden. Several pots lining the steps of decks soften the edges and adds three-dimensionality to the area. Defining an edge or taking the sharpness off of a corner of a building or fence is easily achieved with the placement of a good sized potted plant. Tall pots, wide baskets and planters can be arranged to fill an entire corner of a deck providing dense coverage so that you have to get very close to even realize the plants are growing in pots. Containers bulging out from balcony walls can create instant paths on an otherwise linear deck, leading from a sitting area to a dining spot.

At the end of a path or in the elbow of a curved walkway, potted bloomers and shrubs serve as focal points, lending sculptural interest and a dash of wit (for added height, containers may be set on bricks camouflaged with ground cover or cascading plants). In island beds, a single antique urn becomes an eye-catching centerpiece; smaller pots and recycled containers, on the other hand, look best displayed in groups, near the base of an outdoor staircase, for example.

Don't forget about height in your arrangement. One suggestion is to use a taller perennial or trellised climbing vine as taller focal points. You can't always move pots around later, so try placing plants while still in their growers pots in your container and playing with color combinations and designs until you hit upon one that makes your place extra special. 

Joyful Planting !

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