Isabelle Palmer - Modern container gardening : how to create a stylish small-space garden anywhere

My Gardening Journey

It all started with one pot on a balcony; soon there were ten, and then 30! From a simple desire to make the most of my small outdoor space, Id soon created a container garden where I could sit and enjoy plants in the city.

So, whats this book about? Well, its aimed first and foremost at helping you to begin a container garden from scratch, albeit in just one pot or a collection of planters. You may know very little about gardening and have no idea where to begin so it sets out to teach you the basics. I hope it will also provide you with inspiration and ideas for your containers, whether you are a complete novice or a seasoned gardener.

If you are lacking in gardening experience, then my best advice is to start small with just a few containers of low-maintenance plants that are easy to care for. Once you understand that plants are just living things which require water, food and light, some care and attention, and the right location in which to thrive, Im sure you will be bitten by the gardening bug. Armed with more horticultural knowledge, you can then expand your retinue, space permitting, with plants that you love and which will fill you with a sense of pride and enjoyment. To me thats gardening in a nutshell.

As much as possible, Ive tried to avoid bamboozling you with Latin terminology for the names of plants, which I think can make some people afraid of gardening. They also make gardening seem far more complicated than it actually is. Due to the complexities of the world of botany, plants are known by their Latin names, with common names often varying from country to country, and often region to region within those countries. For this reason, Ive provided the Latin names of the plants in each of the projects, to ensure you can track down the right ones. Throughout the rest of the book, Ive used the plants most familiar or popular common names as appropriate. Feel free to Google the plants it only takes a second and youll often find yourself discovering other cultivars and varieties that really appeal to you and inspire ideas for new planters.

Perhaps one of the most important aspects of container gardening is that you can grow plants in seemingly impossible places. You are also not committed to a whole garden, whether you have one or not, and you can take your plants with you if you move. I have had many specimens come along for the ride with me all over London and have not had to say goodbye to my favourites, which gives me all the more reason to have a garden in containers.

I have tried to include ideas for planters that will appeal to a wide variety of tastes, including a cool, sophisticated display of shade-loving plants in a pair of concrete containers, a collection of pretty, cottage-garden flowers in large planters, and some climber-clad trellis in a large copper trough thats perfect for brightening up a courtyard. Where practical, Ive organised the projects according to their main season of interest, although obviously there will be some overlap between seasons, as well as differences depending on where in the world youre gardening. For example, although the initial flush of colour and drama in a particular container may be over by the end of summer, youll find that some of the plants will continue to put on a fabulous display beyond this time, and so extending the season of interest.

My goal in writing this book is to equip you with the basics for growing plants in containers so you will hopefully understand a little more about gardening and how to navigate some unfamiliar horticultural terminology (there is a ). That knowledge may grow in time, or maybe it wont. However, that doesnt matter because, for me, gardening is not about learning information to take an exam; its about fulfilment and enjoyment.

In short, Ive tried to create the book that I wish Id had years ago when I first started out in container gardening. I hope you enjoy the journey as much as I have.

Isabelle

How to Use This Book

My aim with this book is to provide an all-round, easy-to-understand guide to container gardening, whether you are a complete novice or have some gardening experience.

To start you off, Ive included a helpful how-to guide that covers the basics. There you will find advice on the type of equipment youll need, on choosing containers, and on selecting plants. I also guide you through working out the growing conditions in your outdoor space so you can be sure of selecting plants that are likely to thrive and therefore sustain your success and confidence! There is useful information on planting mediums to ensure your new plants get off to the best start. Once you have the foundations in place the right container, the best potting mix, and the most suitable plants for your growing conditions youll be well on your way to keeping your plants fit and healthy.

I have covered the most basic starting points, including how to read a plant label and how to work out what direction your site faces in. These are questions that I was baffled by at the start, so I wanted to explain these here. To ensure continued success, the how-to section also gives instructions about preparing your containers and plants before planting, along with step-by-step sequences that demonstrate the best techniques for potting up.

Once youve planted your containers with gorgeous planting schemes, it would be a shame for all your hard work to go to waste through inadequate care and maintenance, so I guide you through this, too, providing advice on watering and feeding; keeping plants neat and tidy; and how to deal with the pests, diseases and disorders that all gardeners inevitably face at some stage. Ill point out here, however, that of all the maintenance tasks required for successful container gardening, the single most important thing you can do for your plants is to water them regularly and consistently. Along with feeding, this is the key to flourishing container plants they are utterly dependent on you for their moisture and nutrient needs, so please take the time to read this practical section carefully.

The projects are organised by season spring or late spring and early summer, for example. Then, to keep things simple, I have devised a set of symbols that appear with each project. You can discover what these . Each project is given a difficulty rating; youll find that most are easy and suitable for the complete novice. If you are unsure, start with a single container with a few annual plants that you love and build up from there to more complex projects containing permanent plantings of shrubs and climbers, for example. The symbols are also used to highlight the best aspect for each project (that is, whether the plants listed require full sun or partial shade), as well as an indication of their watering and feeding requirements. They also give a rough guide to the containers main season of interest, but I should point out that this will vary according to where in the world you are gardening you may find the plants flower for longer or shorter periods in your area, depending on local conditions, so please bear this in mind.