Even if your entire garden is in pots, you can still have a purposeful and beautiful design
For those of us who garden insmall spaces , container horticulture strikes an idealistic Libra between structure and flexibility . Potted plants can be rearrange asoften as necessary , which makes it well-fixed to accommodate new accession and to check that each flora gets the sunlight or tint it requires . liken to traditional in - ground beds , container garden also give us a moment more mastery over factor such as water , weeds , and pestilence . I ’ve spent the past few X creating designs for roof decks , balcony , court , and patios in San Francisco . Through this body of work I have light upon that the key tocontainer gardeningsuccess is always the same : finding a admixture of appealing flora that are well suitable to each garden ’s specific clime and short conditions . Using my home garden as a testing ground , I ’ve modernise some strategies that anyone can use to make lush urban oasis and cohesive container displays that rightfully stand out from the crowd .
Group plants to maximize their impact
My partner , Bryon , and I garden on a 500 - square - foot brick patio in the San Francisco neighborhood known as South of Market ( SOMA ) . The space is surrounded on three sides by building , and there is an open parking flock to the south . This entail that the patio gets full sun in summer and full shade in wintertime . While I appreciate and often plan minimalist gardens , my personal esthetic is maximalist . I require my outdoor space at home to count verdant , full , and packed with plant . Eventhough I ’ve been collect for decade , there are still newcultivars that I desire to trial to see which ones truly flourish in potbelly and put up with experimental condition such as seasonal shade or vivid Sunday . This invaluable firsthand experience helps me give the good advice on care and placement to my clients .
I also need my terrace to look like a true garden and perhaps make the phantasy that the plant are not all in pots . I accomplish this by thoughtfully grouping large , average , and small pots together . Drifts and sweep oar of compatible plant make a bigger impact , just as they would do in a traditional seam or border . Container gardening encourages fun and experimentation , and the best part is that you do n’t call for to extirpate everything each time you change your mind . Attimes I feel as if I ’m represent a very slow game of Tetris , moving pots around to fit out in raw acquisitions , repot the industrial plant that are flourishing into tumid containers , and removing fail experimentation .
Utilize Valuable Vertical Space and Tiny Pockets
Layering plant with a range of summit will add together property to any garden . Without dissimilar levels of foliage a figure will look flat — more like a potted patio than a real garden . medal , succulent , and ficuses ( Ficusspp . and cvs . , Zones 10–12 ) areideal for creating an upper story in an urban jungle -becausethey have finite origin systems and can prosper long - term in pots ( picture above ) . Some of these Junoesque specimen can accomplish heights of 10 to 15 foot , which is stark for give a garden room a sense of lucullan urban hobo camp enclosing .
Repeating ocular blueprint deplume the diverse plant palette together . Rosettes of leafage are a common theme that is picked up and repeated in every section of the garden , in many sizes and scales .
All watering is done by hand . Plants with similar moisture requirement are group together , and most plants take to be watered at least once a week . These regular check - ins provide opportunities for evaluating and repositioning plants as necessary .
I did not initially appreciate the concrete warehouse bulwark that adjoin our patio on the west side ( photograph above ) , but I soon grew to valuate the protection it offer from the harsh winds blowing off the Pacific . This simple industrial background also shows off the foliage of taller plants , which cast their beautiful shadows across it . An orchid ingathering mounted on a metal trellis add another stratum of effeminateness and horticultural interest , making the most of what would otherwise be unused vertical outer space .
After more than 20 eld of plotting , planning , and planting here , the ivory are all in property and so I ’ve been learning to appreciate smaller plants . lilliputian succulents , miniature orchids , and little air plant ( Tillandsiaspp . , Zones 10–12 , photo the right way ) can be primed into the small spaces to contribute grain and further dimension to a presentation . Any gardener will appreciate my desire to keep adding plants , and this is one simple room to do it .
Let the Conditions Lead the Way
San Francisco is known for its huge number of microclimates , but no matter where you are it is essential to find plant that will grow well in your garden ’s specific conditions . When I moved to this place , I gave away sunshine - loving grasses , shrubs , and salvias ( Salviaspp . and cvs . , Zones 3–9 ) to friends with more space and more consistent sunshine . The survivors frommy plant collection led the manner forth . Over the days Ihave proceed to build my collection of succulents and other works that are well adapted to the light and exposure they get in their particular niche of the garden .
Even within the same coinage , different cultivar may have a range of low-cal requirements , so I have been able to create continuity by using best-loved plant chemical group such as decoration , orchidaceous plant , succulent , and begonias ( Begoniaspp . and cvs . , Zones 9–11 ) throughout the space , arranged in strategic grouping found on their preferred spring up condition . I do all of my lacrimation by hired man , and I often arrange plant so that outpouring from one pot drain into another . The repeating rose window radiation pattern of bitter aloes ( Aloespp . and cvs . , Zones 9–11 ) , medal , and bromeliads lend additional cohesion to the overall design .
A well - design container group can translate almostany blank space , bringing beauty and a sense of privateness into an everyday environment . Be deliberate with your plant choices , but do n’t be afraid to experiment . The freedom to essay new things is one of the best percentage of container horticulture .
| Design Ideas |
Small details make all the difference in a maximalist urban oasis
To keep a container display look cohesive , it is helpful to establish primer rule to steer your aesthetic decisiveness . Here are some of Clarke ’s rules of thumb to create an attractive indoor urban hobo camp .
Clarke de Mornay is a designer and “ plant slinger ” at Flora Grubb Gardens in San Francisco .
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An elevated design draws on principles like balance, contrast, and rhythm. Whether plants are rooted in the ground or grown in pots, organizing them in well-planned groupings lends order and discipline to the arrangement.
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A perimeter wall serves as a blank canvas.Sheltered from wind and direct sunlight, a formerly featureless warehouse wall has become a display space for orchids, ferns, and other plants that appreciate shade and some supplemental misting.
Small plants with airy textures fill open space with style.As a plant collection grows, openings are harder to find. But smaller acquisitions, like this collection of air plants, can always be tucked in somewhere.
The tallest plants provide a functional canopy.Layers of foliage at every level give this garden a luxuriant, naturalistic effect in this urban jungle. The shady conditions in the lower tiers of planters are perfect for plants that would be at home growing on or near the forest floor in their native habitats.
Repeating visual patterns pull the diverse plant palette together.Rosettes of foliage are a common theme that is picked up and repeated in every section of the garden, in many sizes and scales.
All watering is done by hand.Plants with similar moisture requirements are grouped together, and most plants need to be watered at least once a week. These regular check-ins provide opportunities for evaluating and repositioning plants as necessary.
As in nature, every nook is occupied.Small plants are tucked into, under, and around larger containers, making efficient use of the available space.
Light-loving plants occupy the most-exposed spots.Cacti and succulents thrive with minimal water and as much sun as they can get, creating a mosaic of low-maintenance textures.
