skip to main content

Container Shrub Help

23 years ago

Hi,

I am new to gardening, so please bear with me.

We moved into a house with 2 cedar planters built into the back deck. I would like to plant a small shrub that will grow between 2 to 3 feet in these containers...something relatively easy and low-maintenance. I am hoping to be able to shape it slightly to give a clean-contemporary topiary kind of look.

Would boxwood work( I really like the look of it), or is there something better? I am in NY in zone 5.

Thank so much for any advice.

Sort by:Oldest

Comment (1)

medusa_
23 years ago
I'm not familiar with your zone, but round here the little alberta spuces are very popular for such things. They grow very slowly and are naturally pyramidal. But they like full sun or they go bald on the shaded sides. I would add, though, that along with the weeping cherry trees, these have been planted so much that they're pretty boring.
Related Professionals
Oxford Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · San Antonio Landscape Architects & Landscape Designers · Little Rock Landscape Contractors · Toms River Landscape Contractors · Jackson Landscape Contractors · Duluth Landscape Contractors · Poughkeepsie Landscape Contractors · Port Saint Lucie Architects & Building Designers · Pittsburg Architects & Building Designers · DeRidder Architects & Building Designers · Tulsa Architects & Building Designers · Myrtle Beach Architects & Building Designers · Grand Island Architects & Building Designers · Grand Junction Architects & Building Designers · Eureka Architects & Building Designers

Related Stories

GARDENING GUIDES How to Avoid Overcrowded, Overpruned Shrubs

By Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

Go for a more natural look that’s easier and less expensive to maintain by giving your plants the right amount of growing room

TREES How to Buy Healthy Trees and Shrubs

By Falon Mihalic

A healthy young plant with a strong form is more likely to do well in your yard. Here’s what to look for at the nursery

FARM YOUR YARD The 8 Tools That Help Bring the Farm to Your Table

By Abundant City

Vegetable gardeners get a big assist from these essential helpers

PETS 6 Ways to Help Your Dog and Landscape Play Nicely Together

By Marianne Lipanovich

Keep your prized plantings intact and your dog happy too, with this wisdom from an expert gardener and dog guardian

SHRUBS 5 Glorious Late-Season Shrubs

Spilling over with berries or bursting with blooms, these stunning underused shrubs keep the garden party going through fall

GARDENING GUIDES 8 Native Shrubs for Year-Round Bird Feeding

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

It’s not just about berries. These plants provide insects for birds and seasonal interest for gardeners

PLANTING IDEAS 5 Reasons to Bring Shrubs Into the Flower Garden

By Benjamin Vogt / Monarch Gardens

Mix up the garden experience and let the flowers and shrubs play together

GARDENING GUIDES How to Prune Your Flowering Shrubs for the Best Blooms

By Noelle Johnson Landscape Consulting

Less is often more when it comes to properly pruning flowering shrubs. Here’s what to do and why

LANDSCAPE DESIGN 5 Berry-licious Shrubs to Plant Now for Winter Interest

Showy color during snow season? You bet. These shrubs will wake up a garden with colorful berries when other plants are asleep

FALL GARDENING 9 Deer-Resistant Flowering Shrubs to Plant This Fall

These exquisite shrubs will attract your attention but won’t tempt the deer that roam your neighborhood at night

Sponsored