Container gardens

In many, often urban, situations, container gardens are the most practical way of growing plants. The designers in this new category have created miniature, themed show gardens in their 4m x 3m courtyards, with artefacts, murals, sculptures and water as well as an array of different containers. Sara Edwards’ repurposed Intermediate Bulk Containers (normally used commercially for bulk substances) in The IBC Pocket Forest (shown) provide an affordable and eye-catching way of growing trees and large shrubs. Ellie Edkins has chosen corrugated steel for her industrial-look, curved planters and filled them with lush, green plants in her tranquil garden. John McPherson has raided his home and garden to create an eclectic, vibrant look in his Pop Street Garden, while Mika Misawa has used a mix of containers, boulders and gravel to create her minimalist space. The scallop-shaped containers made from recycled oak tree trunks in Anna Dabrowska-Jaudi’s garden lend a sculptural element to the space. They are filled with flowers that create light and movement, such as Oenothera lindheimeri ‘Whirling Butterflies’ and Verbena hastata ‘White Spires’.