Use Containers to Add Whimsy to Your Landscape

Whenever I am driving around, I am constantly looking at other people's yards. I like to see what they are growing and how they landscape. (I think this is just a common trait among gardeners. We are always looking for ideas for our own gardens.) Recently my husband and I drove by a house whose occupants not only loved to garden but also had a sense of humor. Hung on the privacy fence separating their property from the one next door were several "containers," which illustrated perfectly how containers can be used to bring some whimsy into the landscape.

The owner of the property was apparently cleaning out her closet, as evident by her choice of planters. There was a pair of knee-high black leather boots with trailing plants growing from the tops. On the opposite end from the boots were a couple of purses from which more trailing plants were growing. Between the purses and the boots was a pair of jeans. Plants grew from the waistband and pockets and also from a hole in one of the legs. What really struck my husband and I as particularly funny was what was used as a planter above the jeans. Hanging there, stuffed full of petunias, was a bra. (I'm guessing at least a D cup.) The overall effect was not in the least tacky. Instead the brightly colored annuals chosen caught your eye and the unique "containers" just made you smile at the whimsy.

Now you might not want to hang your bra on your fence; however, this gardener does show how any common household item can be used in container gardening for a fanciful, quirky look. My husband is a plumber and keeps threatening to plant up an old toilet, for example. I do draw the line; however, another gardener did just that. In one yard I passed one day, I saw a toilet sitting in the front yard full of petunias. The petunias were so thick that you really did not notice at first glance that they were planted in a toilet. (I am still not letting my husband put a toilet in our yard.) I do think that old claw foot bathtubs make great planters, though.

Other items can be chosen for containers, too. I have, for instance, a large plastic green watering can with a split bottom. Every year I plant some type of flowering annual in it. (This year I planted sweet pea seeds, which are starting to germinate quite well.) You can use old pots and pans or any containers from your kitchen. A fellow vendor at the Johnson City Farmers Market [see my article on Farmers Markets] makes up container gardens in old white pots like my grandmother used to use. I have also seen people use cups and saucers, old coffee pots, and other crockery. One gardener I know uses all types of old metal breadboxes, while another likes old mailboxes. You are only limited by your imagination.

Of course, when you decide to choose different types of containers for your garden, you will want to stay true to the overall theme of your garden. My garden, for example, is more of a cottage garden. This means that I probably will not be sticking something very modern and abstract in it. However, a pair of old boots filled with lovage might not be such a bad idea. (Lovage was used at one time to get rid of foot odor.) Even formal gardens can handle a little whimsy. (I have always thought that a tiny fairy hidden among the plants is a great addition to formal gardens.) Every garden needs a little whimsy, a little something fanciful, something to make you smile as you pass by. Just use your imagination.