I’ve been thinking a lot about garden accessories lately, especially pottery. The term accessories seems to trivialize these items, though, while I’m thinking of them as the backbone of a design.
A typical strategy for planting is to work big to small, often starting with the trees, then the shrubs, and so on. In this approach, a large evergreen is often an anchoring piece, with shrubs creating outlines, and special plants with unique features serving as accents. The drawback in this plan is that unfortunately, sometimes plants fail, and that’s where man-made objects offer something unique.
Pottery is a simple and affordable way to bring made objects into your garden.
It’s not unusual to see large objects like a sculpture or pergola featured in a design, but more humble and accessible objects like planters have much to offer, as well. Depending on size and form, they can fill a myriad of roles and generally occupy space in a useful way.
What can containers do for the garden?
- Allow you to express your personal style;
- Provide structure year round, i.e. a reliable form that won’t let you down when aphids or powdery mildew show up;
- Elevate a simple plant into a specimen;
- Serve as a focal point, a repeated motif, or a big jumble of planted exuberance.
If you have the opportunity (we can find one!), don’t hesitate to invest in pieces that will help define your landscape for years to come. Not sure where to start? I can help.
