Foliage is often an afterthought when planning your summer containers, second in importance to the size or color of flowers. Flowers, as nice as they are, come and go, but foliage carries on the show. Foliage planters are much more versatile because they can tolerate less ideal conditions.
Here are a few things to keep in mind when you are creating a foliage container.
You need to know what works well in the area where you are placing the planter. Make sure you pick plants that have similar requirements for sun, water, and soil. Traditional gardening rules suggest that when you use plants with colorful foliage, you need to use them sparingly. But the key to using colorful foliage is to use plants in groups with other plants that have a similar color in their leaves. This echoing effect, repeating a similar color in different plants, can be used to good effect even when the plants have colors that are loud. Another important tip is to use plants with contrasting leaf colors, shapes, and texture to make an interesting combination. Avoid using leaves of the same size and texture next to each other. You want to create contrast so coarse leaves will seem coarser and finer textures will seem finer. Following these tips will guarantee you a foliage container that is both colorful and dramatic.
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Materials:
Suitable Container
Potting soil for containers/
Fertilizer
Assorted foliage plants
Tools:
Watering can
Hand trowel
Directions:
1. Prepare container making sure you have proper drainage (several holes in the bottom).
2. Fill the pot with a container soil mix, to keep it light.
3. Arrange plants, and plant.
4. Water in plants and fertilize.
5. In order to assure even growth, you must rotate your pot occasionally.