It’s time to think about designing outdoor spaces for your spring garden. So what’s on trend for 2015? Container gardens in all shapes and forms, sizes and colors. Putting together a container garden at home is easy to do, even if you’re short on time or gardening expertise.  You can pick up ready- to- display containers at your local Home Depot stores, located at 1801 Parker Rd., 1224 North Central  Expwy., and 6200 W. Park, and look for the HGTV HOME Plant Collection tag. 

Watch them Grow

Container-ready combos are beautiful, hardy and compatible in growth habit so they look fabulous all season long with proper care. Annuals combos go straight from the store to your favorite decorative container or hanging basket. When placed on your patio, porch or perch, you have an instant container garden. By transplanting the mixes into a larger container, you’re giving them room to spread out and grow. You’ll be amazed how the pretty mix you purchased in the spring grows into a knockout container garden in the summer and still retains its color and vigor into fall. If you’re going for a balanced look on patios or some color pop by the front door, simply buy two of the same mix.

On-Trend Container Choices for Spring 2015

The trend for containers this spring: Be creative and express your own personal style. Unusual containers will be especially popular in the Southwest this year. Think about using re-purposed or rustic pots that complement the look, textures and colors of the annuals combinations. Tall aluminum containers are on-trend this year along with ombre metal pots and painted ceramic, a nice DIY project. Consider unconventional choices for containers too – like painted watering cans or lava pots. The possibilities and finished looks are endless.

How Does Your Container Garden Grow?

Here’s the scoop on how to achieve a stylish container garden that looks great and lasts through the season.

• Choose the annuals combinations with the color schemes and plants you want at your local garden center and be sure to check out their container selection too.
• When you return home, transplant the mixes into the containers and maybe some hanging baskets too. Make sure there is a hole in the bottom of each container for drainage and add potting soil when you transplant the mixes.
• If you’re using a hanging basket, suspend it on a deck rail or pergola with a shepherd’s hook. Or better yet, hang it from a nearby tree branch.
• Think about creating a container garden with multiple pots on your porch, stoop or deck. Fill some of the pots with annual mixes and others with monoculture annuals like petunias, dahlias or geraniums.
• Ornamental grasses will be hot this spring in both the yard to replace sections of turf grass and potted in decorative containers.
• Water all your container plants thoroughly and often, fertilize with foliage or bloom food periodically and wait for the compliments!

Also consider drought tolerant perennials for the hot Southwest summer like pinks, blue African lilies, pampas grasses, wand flowers, coral bells, Shasta daisies, fountain grasses and beardtongue. To check out annuals and combinations from the HGTV HOME Plant Collection or to find The Home Depot or garden center closest to you, go to www.hgtvhomeplants.com.