Collected & Contained

From her home in Massachusetts, design instructor Rochelle Greayer shares how to create showstopping gardens using clusters of strategically planted containers.

- by MIKE IRVINE

Sure, a pair of potted plants can provide a sweet seasonal boost to a backyard. But Rochelle Greayer encourages gardeners to go all in on container plantings, assembling them in large groupings that are like entire gardens themselves. Big clusters of containers not only make a visual splash, but they also let you flex your green thumb “without the pressure of an in-ground garden,” says Greayer, design instructor and editor of The American Gardener magazine. Here are lessons from the vignettes she’s created in her Massachusetts garden.

Play with contrast

“Texture is the magic trick,” Greayer says. “If a garden looks good ina black-and-white photo, you’re onto something.” The arrangement, left, is a case in point: While it has a cohesive pink-and-green palette, the real story is one of interesting shapes and textures. The contrasts between plants like leafy ‘Dark Ruffles’ coleus, strappy New Zealand flax, and pom-pom-shape dahlias let each player in the scene stand out.