Continuous Container Gardens: Swap In the Plants of the Season to Create Fresh Designs Year-Round

by Roanne Robbins, Sara Begg Townsend

Extend the life of your container garden beyond the summer months with an innovative system created by Sara Begg Townsend and Roanne Robbins. Beginning with a central woody plant, garden ornament, or eye-catching perennial, you’ll learn how to swap in seasonal plants for a dynamic display that looks great year-round. This inventive guide presents 48 tried-and-true designs that yield endless variations. No matter the season, your container garden will be glowing with bursts of color and varied textures that are in tune with nature. 

Genres: Gardening

272 pages, Paperback

First published February 26, 2011

Reviews

[Nershwin G. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful book to help think of containers as a continuous feeder for larger garden. And, in the other direction, taking up self-sown or expanding plants in the garden and using them in a container. Love that sense of ebb and flow.

[Amanda Bright · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not knocked out by this one. Some interesting ideas but for me nothing that impressive.

[Amy Yarrington · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pictures were very nice - I liked the closeups of each species. I got some nice ideas from reading this book and some introduction to new plant species, which is always good. However I was a bit bothered by the authors' tendency to plant something for one quarter of the year, then throw it away the next. (Yes, they say they "replant" the ones they remove, but really, who except a landscaper has the space to do that??) I definitely got the message that the containers they build are for well-to-do clients who can afford to have someone constantly swapping out the plants in them so that they always look good.

[yiming · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book title pretty much spells out what this book is about. For my purposes, I'm more looking to do container gardening on my patio, rather than create a showpiece container in a larger garden. It seems like this is more geared towards people who have a yard and space to have a traditional garden (one in the ground) and who want to create one or two fun, pretty containers full of beautiful plants. While I understand this type of gardening, it's not really for me. Simply viewing plants as ornamental misses the larger role plants play within our ecosystem, so that's why I can't totally get into this book. That said, it's well written and has useful gardening tips.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great ideas for year round container gardens (New England writers) Again I got this out of the Library, it is a new book. I jotted down a few ideas, but the plants used are expensive shrubs and trees that would need to be replanted into the yard in a year or two and I don't have room to be doing this.

[Elena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good ideas for year round containers as a focal point or accent. I was inspired by one series of ideas using a Japanese maple. I put it in a half wine barrel and changed the under plantings as the seasons pass. If you are a person who likes to decorate the inside of your house for different seasons, try this outdoor approach also.

[Mr. V. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great source of inspiration. Mostly pictures are valuable. Read about what catches your eye!