Seibert & Rice

Ken Druse is an award-winning author/photographer whose latest book, PLANTHROPOLOGY, was published in November (www.kendruse.com). His popular radio show and podcast, Ken Druse REAL DIRT, can be downloaded or listened to at www.realdirtradio.com, where subscriptions are available to his newsletter.

Finding the right spot for a substantial garden ornament can be a daunting landscape challenge. Imagine being given a seven-foot tall marble sculpture of Diana – goddess of the hunt? That sounds unlikely, and I would make the necessary adjustments to accept such a serious work of art. The best-case scenario is to plan for a major piece before it is acquired, otherwise, the garden will be heading for a major makeover.

A bench seems like a safe and easy element to incorporate into an existing scene. But even though you may see just the right spot for a comfortable seat, you have to consider not only the view of the bench, but the view from the bench, as well, which may lead to more landscape adjustments.

Perhaps the most “flexible” garden ornament is a handsome container. Containers can be sculpture, but are so much easier to design with or around. In order for a container to genuinely contribute to a garden scene it has to have a certain presence: be well designed, handsome, made of a complementary material, be in a good color, and perhaps most important of all, is scale. There really isn’t any such thing as too large a container, although too small is often a problem, not only for the garden vision, but also for maintaining plantings.

Planting the container is the bonus that makes them integrate naturally into the garden scene. In spring, it might be flowering bulbs. In summer, there are annuals and gigantic tender perennials like cannas, bananas and dahlias to close the season with a vibrant crescendo of color. In winter, mirror image containers could flank the front door for a holiday homecoming. Hardy plants like dwarf fruit trees can live year-round in unbreakable containers, or just let an empty weather-resistant terra-cotta pot be the focal point of the kitchen window view – waiting to be decorated with a gentle dusting of snow.

A planted pot already performs multi-purposes as an ornament and a horticultural element, but containers can serve in other ways, for example guiding visitors in the right direction by marking the entrance to the path. Large containers may seem fairly permanent, but they still can be moved if filled with a lightweight growing-medium or between seasons when they are empty.

For beauty, adaptability, changeability, and economy, the ideal container can be a versatile and beautiful addition to any landscape. And best of all, unlike a giant stone sculpture, a perfect pot is always a perfect fit.


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