In addition to the obvious benefit of adding color or fragrance to any environment, potted plants can be helpful in other more utilitarian ways as well. They can be used singly or in groups depending on their purpose and the space available.
Use Container-grown Plants as Screens
If there is an unattractive element in the outdoor landscape, such as an old tool shed, an enclosure for garbage cans, or a compost heap, it will disappear behind a bank of lush plants. The back row, nearest the area to be screened, can feature tall, leafy plants such as schefflera, croton or one of the ficus varieties with plants of graduating heights grouped in front. Use a mix of foliage and flowers for variety.
Control Traffic With Potted Plants
Use plant groupings to direct foot traffic through the garden or patio area. A cluster of medium-to-tall plants in the center of a sidewalk will create an inoffensive barrier to keep guests from venturing any farther in that direction. Placing a variety of low-to-medium-height plants along the edges of a path or walkway will guide visitors in the way that they should go without the use of signposts or other graphic markers. Adding fragrant plants to this arrangement will add another dimension to the stroll and make it even more pleasant for visitors.
Group Plants to Create a Focal Point
Flowering plants in pots are excellent for creating focal points where none exist and adding splashes of color to a bland background. This system is especially useful for patios or balconies which get either too much or too little sun. Pots of flowers or greenery can be rotated in and out of the area before their particular light requirements are irreparably breached. This is a quick and easy way to have color through every season. Use old lawn furniture, concrete blocks, or bricks to elevate specimen plants. Old garden tools, even rusty ones, add charm to the vignette.
Grow an Herb Garden in Pots
Everyone, even apartment dwellers, should have an herb garden. A few clay pots will produce more herbs than the average cook can use, so the entire neighborhood will benefit. If there is a sunny window sill, or a spot on the balcony or patio, thyme, oregano, and rosemary will grow abundantly and permeate the air with their spicy scents. Nothing is better than fresh herbs to cook with, and with the garden just steps away, there is no excuse not to have them every day.
Margo Steele - Margo Steele has many interests and writes about all of them - at one time or another.
