Marcel Wanders redesigned a tree swing as a planting container, below left, with ivy climbing up the ropes.
When planting container-grown perennials, don't coddle the root balls: work roots apart with your hands, or cut upward with a knife about a third from the bottom in three places.
"Think outside of the pot," says Johnston, who enjoys planting container gardens in every different shape and size.
Place a larger drainage tray beneath the planting container to keep the plants well-watered at all times.
Ms. Cole owns Potted Gardens, a Manhattan shop specializing in offbeat planted containers.
To exhibit as many different cactuses and succulents as possible in an artistic composition, he designed special plant containers and platforms.
I grew houseplants in a tenement in Providence, R.I., planted containers on a SoHo rooftop and dug rubble behind a Brooklyn brownstone.
"Plants and flowers enhance the quality of the air," said David Lerdell, a spokesman for the company, but some people don't like the look of ordinary plant containers.
Next, he visited the Smog Shoppe, an event space where the walls were covered with Woolly Pockets, soft felt plant containers made from recycled plastic bottles.
In the garden they are seats, tables, barbecues, umbrellas, plant containers, supports, and guards, as well as lights and light systems.
