Maybe you have a deficiency of garden area, maybe you are looking for a splash of color or perhaps you are trying to define a space, whatever the motivation, containerized plantings may be the solution.
The color, style, material and size options are endless which can make the design process fun. However, with options come the opportunity to fail, and with containerized gardening there are a lot of failures. Let’s avoid that.
Success comes by following a few simple steps-
First, select a plant that is drought tolerant (you are kidding yourself if you think you are going to remember to water it twice a week). The plant should also be content in the sun, wind, cold or salt exposure you are providing. Size should be considered as well, will the mature size be appropriate for the container?
Next, think about the container itself. Natural clay pots absorb a lot of water, so use succulents or other extremely drought tolerant plants. Glazed pots are durable and can offer incredible color and design options. Always oversize the pot, this will give the plant plenty of space to grow and store water. The added weight also keeps the plant from blowing over. Lastly consider the shape. Pots that have an opening that is smaller than the overall diameter of the pot are attractive but make plant removal very difficult as the root will have become larger than the opening. Lastly and most importantly, prepare the pot for planting. Start with filling the pot 1/4 with course stone, then cover the stone with a permeable non biodegradable material like weed matting, this will prevent the pot from getting clogged and ultimately becoming waterlogged. Then fill the pot with your favorite potting soil. That’s it!
Here are a few of my favorite plants and pots-
ALOCASIA
BROMELIADS AND PENCIL CACTUS
MIKE FLAUGH landscape architect 
