If you like the idea of a garden but do not have the time or the inclination to care for a complete plot then think about creating a container garden. This will take little time or effort and can result in a spectacular display. The photos of the thirteen summer container gardens have been submitted by readers of the Houzz website. The containers are described in an article by Annie Thornton which I found on the Houzz website.

Houzz gardeners love their summer container gardens, as seen by the nearly 100 Comments on a recent Houzz ideabook. But more than the plants, it?s the experience everyone loves so much. ?The act of gardening is a peaceful and gratifying experience,? says Zara Bogaski, who shared photos of her porch for this story. ?It?s much easier and less time-consuming than larger scale gardening,? she says of container gardens. Let?s take a look at 13 of our favorite reader gardens from this summer.

1. Piece of fantasy. Oftentimes containers takes a supporting role to a showstopping plant arrangement. In this calming container vignette uploaded by Houzz user imho22, both work in complete harmony. Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa macra ?Aureola?, USDA zones 5 to 9; find your zone) sprouts from the top of the cast-stone planter, which imho22 calls Zelda after the video game character. It sways in the breeze like strands of hair. To protect the plants from western Pennsylvania?s cold winters, imho22 covers them in a thick layer of shredded leaves.

Container: Faccia large planter, Campania

Kim Gamel

2. Shade-loving blues. These two containers get only two to four hours of sun in the morning and are filled primarily with part-shade- to shade-loving annuals of silver, purple, blue and white. ?When doing a limited color palette, I will really put the focus on texture,? says designer Kim Gamel.
The front container features more purple and blue plants, including lobelia, verbena, petunia, euphorbia and alyssum. Gamel used more white plants in the back, including tuberous begonia, calibrachoa, gaura, euphorbia, helichrysum and a variegated fern.

3. Barnyard salvage. Succulents make wonderful year-round container plants, and they especially showcase their heat-loving qualities in summer. In this photo uploaded by Houzz user ginarogers, sprawling succulents grow in and through an old chicken feeder. The feeder rests nicely on the brick ledge, and the drought-tolerant plants can easily grow in the container?s limited soil space.
 

Kim Gamel

4. Star of the show with supporting cast. In this container in Ladue, Missouri, also by Kim Gamel, the majority of the plants highlight the tall, central Canna ?Pink Sunburst?. ?I love this plant because of the striped color of its leaves, ranging from green to yellow to orange,? Gamel says.
In addition to the canna, redvein dock (Rumex sanguineus), Little Ruby alternanthera (Alternanthera dentata ?LRU30?), helichrysum, tuberous begonia and coleus round out this rich, layered container that sits outside the back door of Gamel?s home.