A 3-Step Guide to Making a Container Garden

by Emily Topinka | Apr 2019

Lynn Messman of Gardens by Lynn Minnetonka decorates a container garden. Photos: Joel Schnell

This article originally appeared as part of the story How Does Your Garden Grow in the April 2019 issue. Should you put annuals or perennials in your container garden? Click here to find out.

Lynn Messman of Gardens by Lynn demonstrates some easy tips to assemble your own container garden:

1. Choose a container: Size will depend on what you’d like to plant, but type can range from plastic to ceramic to lined baskets like this one.

Step one: choose a container.
2. Arrange the plants: Messman suggests a dominant center plant (or two), then contrasting smaller surrounding folliage and flowers.

Step two: arrange the plants.
3. Finishing touches: For some container gardens it can be fun to add decorative elements. Try a little arbor like this pussy-willow one, and a statuette (hello, spring bunnies!).