Nancy J. Ondra , whose earlier book onfive - plant gardensreceived a positive limited review here , is at it again , this sentence with container garden ideas , each of which uses just five plants . Container Theme Gardens(Storey Publishing 2016 ) adopt a similar formatting , propose basic ideas for contrive container garden , then demonstrating ( 42 times ! ) way to apply five plants in beautiful container . The Good Book is enhanced by a playful and informative plan and photographs from noted garden photographer Rob Cardillo .
With more people garden on terraces and decks or turn over to container as accents in their perennial beds , Ondra ’s focus should be popular . She begins the rule book with nine reasons to weigh using containers , include having the ability to render ideal develop conditions , check belligerent plants and pamper small and precious plant , such as succulent or woodland wildflowers . Containers are also a dandy way to create and instant impingement or try something newfangled in the garden without committing too much blank space , money or time to the project .
Container Theme Gardenscovers the basics of container planting and upkeep . Ondra points out that while containers are miserable - maintenance , they are not no maintenance . They require water — often daily — and episodic pinching and pruning is the best mode to keep plants decent sized for their container .
Then , for each of the 42 containers , she not only tells you how and what to institute , but what to expect from spring through spill as the container plants turn , flush and fade . For someone new to container gardening ( or gardening period ) , this is worthful info .
Due to a household move , I will be mostly gardening in container this summer , so this book has great appeal . But it ’s hard to choose which containers to set ! I love the color purple in the garden and Ondra has a tall , spectacular container have ‘ Angelina Dark Purple ’ , ‘ Marine ’ bloodstone , Iranian shield , purple gist and Superbells ® Grape Punch . She also has palette in ashen and silver that would be strike . Of of course , I might overlook the hayfield in my current backyard , and Ondra offers a “ Mini - Meadow ” container filled with blanket flower , blaze lead , two kinds of grass and ‘ Prairie Splendor ’ purple coneflower . There are several herbaceous plant and veg containers , too , and all are appealing .
The playfulness of a account book like this is you do not have to follow the recipe exactly . For example , in the mini - meadow container , I would throw out the two grasses Ondra suggest for some of my favorite northern prairie grasses .
This is a book about ideas . How you use them is up to you . What plant will be in your container this yr ?
— Mary Lahr Schier
