Thinking inside the box

There is a tendency to think of container gardens in terms of colorful fuchsias hanging under eaves, half-barrels burgeoning with tea roses and lobelia, tucked into a patio corner, or window boxes bursting with blooms. A degree of art and planning was involved in creating them, with color, form, texture and size working together to make, one hopes, a pleasant garden in the container.

Houseplants, on the other hand, are typically displayed in single pots on a table or lining a windowsill. Imagination and artistry are left out-of-doors.

There is no reason, however, not to bring some of the creativity of the garden into the house. Our houseplants, after all, are garden plants somewhere in the world, and, like our own garden varieties, display attractively when combined in containers, creating the effect of an indoor garden.

Begin your garden by finding a suitable container. Rusty old milk cans and feed buckets are wonderful on the deck, but are messy for interior décor. Not only is something more sophisticated desirable, but the container must be large enough to house several plants and, at the same time, small enough to fit in its allotted space on windowsill or table. Ready-made planters are available, of course, but, in the spirit of creativity, many household items will serve delightfully.

Unused teapots, old pottery jars, and watering cans are charming and have plenty of root space for multiple specimens, but the constricted top makes plant selection a challenge. Baskets can be found in any size to suit the available space, and are serviceable containers when lined with plastic. Kettles and coffee pots are especially nice when planted with edibles, and, for an elegant touch, use a clear glass pitcher, bowl, or trifle dish. Large coffee cans, painted in bright colors, will accommodate more than one plant, and fit nicely on windowsills, while five-gallon popcorn tins, which can also be painted, serve as respectable floor containers.

Once having chosen a suitable container for the garden, one must find something to grow in it, and the right combination is essential. Three plants are often as much as a modest container will hold, so let us explore ideas for threesomes.

For color, one flowering, one burgundy-leafed and one deep green plant will work together. Formwise, one plant could be upright, one mounded and one spreading or hanging. And one plant each with spiked leaves, heart-shaped leaves and fern-like leaves would provide texture.

Size can be somewhat constricted by space, but the illusion of varying sizes can be gotten by grouping plants with large leaves (4 to 6 inches), tri-lobed leaves and miniature leaves (half-inch inch or less).

As is obvious, some ingenuity will be required to put all of the above threesomes in a single pot of just three plants, but a little imagination will produce numerous possibilities that will work.

Consider these three plants: The first is a drooping plant with 4-inch egg-shaped leaves that are dullish mottled green on top and cherry-red on the undersides. The second plant is upright with long, shiny-green sword-like leaves, and it bears bright orange flowers twice yearly. The third plant forms a ball of miniature chartreuse leaves on furry stems. Voila! Variation requirements in color, form, texture and size all having been met, one has a perfect threesome!

Lighting is, perhaps, the most problematic consideration in a household without atrium or sunroom, as the brighter light near the windows is soon filled. Again, creativity helps. Once flowering, plants can be kept out of bright light for two to four weeks without harm. A container placed across the room from a window will benefit from sitting in front of a mirror, and the majority of houseplants will respond favorably to any close light, such as a desk lamp, especially with a full spectrum bulb. Trade locations of planters occasionally, giving each of them their turn at the window, and rotate plants in front of the window twice weekly.

Now that the decorator container, filled with perfect plant material, is located correctly, there remains only to enjoy one’s indoor garden. While the fuchsias and tea roses lie dormant in the garage, and the window boxes are blanketed with snow, indoor container gardens remain lush, green and flowering. They provide warm color in the chill of winter, cool green in summer’s heat, and a solace to the soul in every season. The next time you think of container gardens, think indoors.

Hally Truelove is a Master Gardener and plants woman who lives and gardens in Wasilla with her two daughters, a handful of cats, a bunch of bunnies, some guinea pigs, a dog and a frog. Contact her at 376-0909.