It's Easy Being Green

These simple containers of ornamental cabbage and kale will carry you from fall into spring

- BY CAMERON BEALL

Brighten Up

To add a splash of color while maintaining a monochromatic look, Mark Thompson, (co-owner of Shoppe, a Birmingham garden store) incorporated a mix of purple-and-white pansies and violas, but any shades will do. Begin by breaking up the roots of two ‘Peacock White’ kale plants and pushing them into the soil at the center. Next, place creeping wire vines all the way around, tucking them in toward the outer edges. Fill in the remaining space with pansies and violas. “Use your pointer and index fingers to press each plant down into the soil really well so you get out all the air pockets,” he says. This helps with water flow, letting the roots absorb nutrients properly.