The first thing you’ll need is an idea of what you want to accomplish with your container garden. For instance, if you want to simply spruce up a drab area of your back porch then you will probably want to use some colorful pots. Or, if you want an elegant border to a pathway, then you may want to consider using several pots of the same design and material to create a unified look.

A good way to start is by researching different pot shapes and colors. If you have an artistic side, you can certainly sketch out some ideas before actually buying any pots that you may not use. Take into consideration any shade or direct sunlight that the area get and how long it lasts during the day. This will definitely determine what types of plants will work or not work.

If you have an area that needs more interest, you can always group your pots. An easy way to do this is to use three pots. Usually one large garden pot, a medium sized pot and then a smaller pot (or even two or more depending on the area). You don’t have to use the same colors but you should be aware of how pots look next to each other. You don’t want them to clash.

Now, what kind of plants are you going to plant. You can group several plants into each pot but you should always group them according to how much sunlight and water they require. Just like the pot sizes, you can put a tall plant, mid-size plant and then some small filler plants or even trailing plants in the larger pot. The smaller sized pots can only hold one or maybe two plants each.

So, as you can see, starting your own container garden really isn’t that hard. And, in a short time, you can have the beginning of a beautiful garden in virtually any space in your yard.

First, I think its best to start off small and work your way up. I’m not just talking about the plants, I’m talking about the pots. You may want to move your plants around (which is a big advantage of container gardening) and if you have a big pot that is already heavy, add a bunch of soil and water, and you’ll have quite a hard time relocating it anywhere.

Look for pots that have water drainage holes in the bottom. Most have at least one good size hole. Follow the watering requirements that come with the plant. When you are watering, you should stop when you see the water coming out the bottom. Also, keep in mind that clay pots that aren’t coated on the inside will soak up quite a bit of water from the potting soil.

When choosing plants, try not to over stuff the pot with too many plants. Its important, however, to group plants that require the same sun, water and soil conditions or you’ll have many problems trying to keep them all alive.

Don’t be afraid to experiment. If you go through a few plants until you achieve your desired outcome, its well worth it. Not only is container gardening fun, but it also provides a beautiful environment for any drab space.

This video shows you what to look for when choosing a clay pot for your own container garden.