DIY
Container Gardening

One Container, Four Seasons

Want a container with year-around beauty and seasonal flexibility that will get attention in your neighborhood?
You can have it when you choose a slow-growing vertical shrub, like North Pole™ Arborvitae, shown here, and change out your annual underplantings to match the season. Or double the attention by flanking your front door or garage entrance with a pair of the same containers.
Just follow these step-by-step instructions.

DIRECTIONS:

  • Select a container that is impervious to water, such as glazed pottery or concrete. Do not use terra cotta. Be sure the container you choose has a drainage hole or drill one yourself.
  • Purchase a columnar shrub, sized to your container yet small enough to allow for underplanting. Good options include SUNJOY® Gold Pillar Berberis, SKY POINTER™ Ilex, FINE LINE® Rhamnus, and the Proven Winners® line of Arborvitae.
  • Fill your container with a good potting soil and plant the shrub in the center (if your container will be against a wall, plant the shrub in the rear center).
  • Underplant the shrub by the season.
Printable Instructions PDF