| Planter boxes are wonderful for giving form and | | | | planters are long, repeat one of the plants for |
| emphasis to your garden. Many modern houses | | | | unity and harmony. Usually some trailing plants are |
| are frequently designed with built-in planters, and | | | | needed along the edge to soften it. |
| traditional houses have them at entranceways, on | | | | Permanent planter boxes require trees and shrubs |
| terraces, and beside garages. Planters come in a | | | | for year-round effect. Except in the very large |
| variety of durable materials for outdoors, such as | | | | planters attached to big buildings, use small or |
| concrete, wood, brick or stone. | | | | dwarf types. |
| There are two types-the permanent planter box | | | | Among trees for colder climates, consider |
| attached to the house and the movable one | | | | Japanese maple and its varieties, ornamental |
| bought or built to suit a particular need. Some | | | | magnolias, flowering cherries, including the weeping |
| gardeners maintain several for replacement as | | | | forms, Tatarian maple, flowering dogwood, |
| plants pass their prime. Planters are rectangular, | | | | birches, dwarf forms of Scotch, red, and |
| square, oblong, triangular, hexagonal, circular, or | | | | Japanese black pines, upright arborvitaes and |
| free form. Like pots and tubs, their value is largely | | | | junipers and fastigiate trees, as the upright |
| architectural. | | | | European hornbeam or linden. The flowering crabs |
| Permanent Planter Boxes | | | | are superb, especially the white-flowering Sargent, |
| Stationary planters outdoors must be planned | | | | which remains low and spreading. |
| with care. Those attached to entranceways or | | | | Among evergreen and deciduous shrubs, there |
| the front of a house should be designed in proper | | | | are the Japanese yews, spreading and ground |
| scale and proportion, and with good drainage | | | | cover types of junipers, dwarf arborvitae, |
| facilities at the start, for unlike the portable type, | | | | shrubby evergreen euonymus, skimmia, cherry |
| they cannot be moved or easily replaced. | | | | laurel, mahonias, leucothoe, dwarf Hinoki cypress, |
| It is important not to place them over ledges or | | | | the convex-leaved and other hollies, camellias, |
| other obstructions through which water cannot | | | | azaleas, dwarf rhododendrons, fothergilla, |
| easily pass. Usually these planters are open to the | | | | flowering quinces, heathers, and the mugo pine. |
| ground. If the soil is clay, some should be | | | | Several specimens of trees or shrubs make a |
| removed and replaced with a layer of stones or | | | | pleasing combination with one type of ground |
| cinders to insure drainage. | | | | cover or trailer, like dwarf Japanese yew with |
| Movable Planter Boxes | | | | English ivy, Korean boxwood with myrtle, or |
| Mobile planters can be carried, pushed, or wheeled | | | | dwarf Hinoki cypress with pachysandra. |
| to various positions. Desirable construction | | | | Planters also need flowers for color. You can start |
| materials include wood-with redwood, cedar and | | | | with spring bulbs, like daffodils and tulips, continue |
| cypress heading the list-metals, fiberglass, plastic | | | | with annuals, and finish the season with |
| and various synthetic products. Whatever you | | | | chrysanthemums. For a pleasing edging, there is |
| buy, make yourself or have made, be certain | | | | the permanent English ivy. Except for small |
| beforehand that you know what the material | | | | planters, flowering plants are best combined with |
| looks like, how it behaves under your weather | | | | shrubs. For planters that are three feet or longer, |
| conditions and how durable it is. A greater | | | | petunias and geraniums, though colorful, are not |
| investment in the beginning will pay off in the end. | | | | tall enough. |
| Choosing The Plants | | | | Planter boxes can give excellent architectural |
| When selecting the plant material, give thought to | | | | character and focus to open spaces. They soften |
| scale. In large planter boxes, trees and shrubs, | | | | the hard edges of buildings and bring color and |
| including needle and broad-leaved evergreens, | | | | textural variation to what otherwise might be a |
| should be grown. With annuals, rely on tall kinds, | | | | dull and unattractive area. |
| like cosmos, African marigolds and cleome. If | | | | |