I just read an incredibly inspiring book by Danish gardener Claus Dalby, and it completely changed the way I see my outdoor space. In this video, I’m sharing 3 garden design concepts I learned from his container gardening philosophy — plus the 3 plants I’m using to bring that vision to life right here in my Kentucky garden.
If you’re looking for container gardening ideas, small patio garden inspiration, or tips for designing a cohesive and colorful garden display, this video is for you!
⏱️ Timestamps / Chapters
00:00 – Intro: Why this book changed my garden vision
02:23 – Design Tip #1: One plant per container
03:39 – Design Tip #2: Start with a color palette
04:25 – Design Tip #3: Make your containers match your vision
05:53 – Plant #1: Selaginella apoda (meadow spike moss)
06:31 – Plant #2: Heuchera ‘Peppermint Spice’
07:07 – Plant #3: Sedum ‘Blue Cushion’
07:40 – Where I’m planning to start my container display
08:15 – 💡 Budget tip: $2 IKEA containers
Whether you’re working with a balcony, a porch, or a full backyard, these simple but powerful ideas can help you transform your space using containers — no matter where you live.
🌼 In this video:
– My top 3 container design takeaways from Claus Dalby
– Why “one plant per pot” is a game changer
– How to choose plants based on color palette
– The 3 plants I’m using to kick off my new patio garden display
💬 Have you been inspired by a book or gardener lately?
Tell me in the comments — I’d love to hear what sparked your creativity!
📚 Featured Book:
Claus Dalby: Containers in the Garden (not sponsored – just loved it!)
Claus Dalby’s YouTube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/@UChDVH1sptkpxl_XMoWZe5RQ
Images used in the video from Wiki Commons:
Heather
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/25/Calluna_vulgaris_IMG_4181_ersvika.JPG
Thanks for watching.
🌿 Blog: https://gardenmoxie.com/
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📩 sue@gardenmoxie.com
#ContainerGardening #ClausDalby #GardenDesign #PatioGardening #SmallSpaceGardening #KentuckyGardening #PerennialPlants #FoliagePlants #BackyardInspiration #GardeningForBeginners #gardening #gardenideas
In this video, I’m going to share three design
tips that I walked away with from this book, as well as three plants that I’m dying
to try. So, if you’ve ever looked at your outdoor space and thought, “I want something
more beautiful, but I’m not really sure where to start,” this video might be helpful.
I just finished one of the most inspiring gardening books I’ve read in a long time. The
book is called Containers in the Garden, and it was written by the Danish gardener Claus Dalby.
Now, Claus doesn’t need an introduction from me his work is absolutely amazing, and he’s written
many, many books. The fantastic thing about this book is that it s written in English.
Hi, I’m Sue from Garden Moxie. Welcome to my patio. I just recently moved to Kentucky;
I originally gardened in Michigan. I’m just at the beginning of re-imagining this outdoor space,
but it’s already starting to feel like mine. And this book made me realize that even here on my
simple Kentucky patio, with the right styling, I can create an amazing space. So I’m taking the
new design lessons that I’ve learned from this book and applying them to my new Kentucky garden.
Claus Dalby is a beloved Danish gardener, author, and TV personality. He’s known for his
beautiful, romantic approach to gardening. He’s often referred to as a Scandinavian
Martha Stewart. He s famous for creating lush, colorful flower displays particularly with tulips,
dahlias, and container gardens and he has an eye for detail and a real passion for bringing beauty
into everyday life. He shares his gardening wisdom through books, social media, and television,
making it accessible and incredibly inspiring. What really sets Claus apart is his warm,
down-to-earth style. His own garden in Denmark is a floral paradise, and he s always
inviting people in through his videos, photos, and stories. He shows us that gardening is as much
about joy and creativity as it is about plants. Reading Claus s book completely shifted
how I think about container gardening. There were three design ideas that
really stood out to me in this book. The first design concept is the idea of using
one specific plant per container. This might seem like a simple design element, but it s very
powerful. It allows you to keep a display moving through the entire garden season because you can
easily swap out plants once they start to fade. Let me give you a simple example. If you
picked a color scheme for your container display let s say pink and gray you could start
early in the spring with containers filled with pink tulips. Once those tulips faded, you could
replace them with pink pansies or other early bloomers like geraniums or cranesbill. Moving
into summer, you could swap in pink lupines. Then later in the season, pink dahlias. And into
fall and early winter, chrysanthemums or heather. So this concept of one
plant per container is super powerful. It gives you flexibility and a way to
keep the garden looking intentional all year long. The second design concept from the book is all
about planning your color palette first. Before you buy a single plant, think about the tones you
want to work with. Are you drawn to soft pastels, deep burgundies, fresh greens? Do you want
something vivid or something subtle and romantic? Then choose plants that support that vision.
Claus uses everything from bulbs and perennials to foliage plants and small shrubs. He
creates an incredible mix of containers that feels dynamic and cohesive. It
s the color planning that elevates the design from ordinary to extraordinary.
The third design idea I took away from the book is to also think about the containers themselves
how their color, shape, and material interact with the plants and with each other. All of
these elements together make the display feel harmonious. You can just look at the cover of the
book to see this in action the colors go together, and all the containers are similar, in
this case, a variety of terracotta pots. It s subtle, but it makes a huge difference.
What I enjoyed most about the book was the level of detail Claus included for the plants he uses
in his displays. He tells you the exact variety, which gave me a way to look them up, find where to
buy them, or at least find something similar. He s incredibly creative very much an artist and that
shows in his plant selection and color curation. There were three plants that really stood
out to me in the book because I saw them used across different color schemes. I wanted to
share them with you, because I think they could be really useful in our own container displays.
The first plant is Selaginella apoda, also known as meadow spike moss. It s often treated as a
tropical or shade plant, and I found a source for it at Plant Delights Nursery. Their description
made me laugh they said it gets no respect because it has no flowers, no leaves, and not much
in the way of roots. But visually, it looks like a soft, vibrant bowl of moss, and I think
that texture could be amazing in a container. The second plant is a Heuchera called Peppermint
Spice. It s all about the foliage with this one a really beautiful mix of pink and silver
tones. I found it on the Bluestone Perennials website, although it seems to be sold out right
now. I’m hoping to find it at a local nursery, because it s definitely on my wish list.
And the third plant is a Sedum called Blue Cushion, which is part of the Proven Winners
line. Just look at the foliage it has this gorgeous steel-blue color. According to the book,
it performs really well in containers, and I think it would add great contrast and structure.
Now, looking at my own patio, I realized there s a perfect spot here to stage a container
display. I want to pick a color combination that can evolve through the seasons starting with
bulbs like daffodils in spring, then layering in summer plants and foliage. This little patio
wall gives me a chance to build up layers of containers and really try out these design ideas.
One question I often get is: where can you find larger containers that don t cost a fortune? It
s a challenge, for sure. But I wanted to show you one budget-friendly option I m trying. These are
just simple plastic wastebaskets from IKEA. They re not huge, but they re medium-sized
and only cost $2 each. I m going to drill holes in the bottom for drainage and
use them as containers. They re affordable, they look clean and modern, and I can reuse
them when we move to our permanent home. So if you have any great tips on container
gardening or if there s a plant that s worked really well for you in containers I d love to hear about it. Please leave
a comment and let s share ideas. Thanks so much for being here. That s it for
this video and I ll see you in the next one.
49 Comments
🌿 Thanks so much for watching! I just finished reading a book about container garden written by Claus Dalby that gave me a whole new way of looking at container gardening — especially around color schemes, soil, and styling one plant per pot. This is one of my favorite books I've read in a while. He provides so much information about the varieties of plants that he grows in containers. I've gotten a few questions about where to find affordable containers. I found an inexpensive container at IKEA ($1.99) that you can see at timestamp 8:40.
💬 I’d love to hear from you:
👉 What’s one plant you love to use in containers?
👉 Have you tried styling your garden with a specific color palette?
Let’s share ideas in the comments — Thanks so much for being here and happy gardening!
Everything is looking so good. Claus is one of my favorites also, & I do have that book. BTW, I found Selaginella at Walmart a few years ago, in a 6" pot for $5. Dollar Tree has some good tall black plastic pots, probably in the trash can section, & I am loving their larger size, as yours are. For bowl-shaped pots, which my hostas & ferns love, HC Companies produces an affordable series of 18" & 22" sizes. Each time I need more of these I check target, amazon, & home depot for the best price because the prices fluctuate. Mine are still sturdy & looking good after quite a few years. Thanks for your marvelous videos.
Great idea using the IKEA waste baskets as containers, I would never have thought of that one. You can create a fab display my simply using exactly the same container in large numbers, especially if your going to add one variety of plant in each one. Looking forward to see what you plant. I also use black plastic pots, although one day when I win the lottery I will be replacing them all with stone urns 😉
Ha! I have that book on my stack of gardening books. His garden is gorgeous!❤
I planted one plant per container this season, and it is very pleasant. ❤
I love Claus Dalby’s artistry in the gardens and it’s unfortunate that we don’t see newer videos this year. I love that book! I have also been influenced by yYou Tuber , Kate @Hello Garden , who is a landscape designer and has influenced me in using perennials in my pots. I’m currently enjoying a striatum cranebill geranium that has blueish green leaves with tiny pale pink flowers that help punctuate the other pot of pink dahlias and another pot of coneflower with pelargonium. Moving pots around it’s like changing one’s outfit for the day or occasion! 🥰🌸🇨🇦
Serums are always a winner in containers, as are grasses.
I always worry about the plastic in the outdoor UV as some of mine over a summer just crumble and crack, does anyone know which plastic symbols #’s work outside ?
If you can’t find the heucharas you were showing us, the ones I have purchased (Proven Winners brand) so far are Dolce silver gum drop, and Dolce spearmint. However, I found they sell very quickly in the spring ( Zone5) . 😊 I have also incorporated the Boston painted fern in my containers.
Sue, I have Green Spice Heuchea which looks very similar to Peppermint Spice but I'm not sure it's available now. I've had it for at least 20 years and it's moved homes and been divided from time to time.
I love this book.🌷
If you can hear even one sentence from the book Flawless Things, it's profit for you.
I have an area of container garden that I use for nursing along perennials that I start from seed for the first season. I intermix them with some annuals because they don’t put on much display that first year. I found when I planted perennials out I the landscape as seedling that they struggled.
As far as reasonable containers I love Home Goods or Marshall’s.
I love Claus Dalby too! I do have his book and enjoy it!
Sue! Great to see you posted again. Your new patio looks great; the dark foliage against the house is gorgeous! ❤ Pots are one way I coexist with moles. I also enjoy trios of pots at 3 heights. Hostas are quite full and even simple Impatiens etc all look elegant when their size exceeds the diameter of the pot. White flowering annuals & variegated Hosta – placed farther out in the landscape glow in the morning, afternoon & evening as they reflect light in their part-shade positions. One type of plant, one flower color – really pops & is simply elegant – often the favorite of my visitors. Happy to see your featured author likes it too. Greetings from your fan in Virginia Beach, VA. 🎉
I have that book, love it!
As you know, all my plants are still in containers from moving too, and we are planning to move one more time back to rual Monroe. Again, I used those, what I call, big toy or garage storage buckets. The ones with the rope handles. I got black ones from Home Depot for less than $10 ea and drilled holes in bottom. They are aprox 24" tall and wide. I have my Bobo, limelight and firelight hydrangeas In them. I also have Blue Muffin and winterberry shrubs in them. I also have a few dogwood shrubs in 30-gallon grow bags and other smaller perennials in 10-gallon grow bags. I used a lightweight potting mix so they are not too heavy to move. All are doing well.
Claus has impeccable taste and is truly someone who can touch any plant and turn it to gold! Thank you Sue for sharing your ideas 🙏🌸🌸🌸
Drill some on the back sides so if you place it on the ground, it will still drain bending from the sides where they are not seen and you will no longer need to worry about whether or not the pots will drain if placed on the ground. I do one inch above the bottom of the pot and drill two holes, then place the pot. You can add a coffee filter if you don’t want soil on the ground but it will likely not be seen.
Wonderful video Sue! I love Claus Dalby's YouTube videos so now I'm intrigued by his book – thank you for sharing that. I love the shape of the Ikea wastebaskets – that's out of the box thinking. I'm looking forward to see where you go with this.🥰
I have been eagerly awaiting your new videos!! I understand that you’re in process and working through design options, but it it’s been difficult waiting to hear your update. Your explanations and thoughtful planning, along with your warmth make you one of my most favorite bloggers!! Thank you and best wishes as you move forward in your temporary garden.
I have a fairly large container garden around our pool that usually has around 75 pots of various sizes planted up. I usually have a mix of trees, hydrangeas, tropical plants like alocasias, hostas, dahlias, annuals and perennials. I usually decide on a colour scheme early in the year, and then plan my purchases around those colours. I winter over most of the large plants as houseplants, as well as the dahlias. Most of the shrubs and perennials stay in their pots and get moved into the shed for the winter. It’s a lot of work to shuffle everything around in the spring and the fall, but it gives me so much pleasure throughout the summer that it’s worth the effort. As for pots, I have been collecting large terracotta pots for many years, as well as some frost resistant ones for the shrubs that remain outside over the winter. Some of the most useful pots are large plastic ones that remain fairly lightweight, even when they’re filled; they’re so much easier to move around to tweak your display. One type of plant/pot is an excellent piece of advice, especially if you’re grouping many pots together. Something else to consider, is a way to lift some of the pots, especially at the back, so that you end up with different heights of plants. When everything is the same height, it can look a little flat. I use bricks, overturned pots, small tables, etc as risers. Larger pots are less prone to drying out, and will hold bigger plants. Small pots can dry out quickly and also blow over more easily. I love container gardening, as you can probably tell! I wish you luck with your own. 😊
Try Pembertons off US25 Lexington. If they don’t have the plant you want they can sometimes order for you. It’s such a nice place to visit and about a 20 min drive from Georgetown. Hope you are enjoying our little town.
If you have an Aldi near you, check frequently in the spring as they have had nice large lightweight pots that look like stone for under $10. Of course, they fly out of the store quickly.
Claus Dalby is amazing. I love the tulip show outside his gate each spring. I love the IKEA waste basket to use as containers or container liners.
Very pretty but Dalby uses mass numbers of bulbs and plants. [Notice the cover of his book.] Bulbs and plants have risen considerably especially since Covid when garden centers were not required to close. You suggest 3 plants (without color blooms) but do not mention what to pair with them for color. Perhaps it is already in your mind but do consider a follow-up video. If so could it include: Identifying your growing zone, are the containers for shady or sunny areas on the deck; the diameter and depth of your 'affordable' pot(s); do you use an insert (false bottom) to reduce the amount of soil needed (and its cost – both insert and soil). Then are you using annuals or periennials? How many bulbs, plants, etc. are you planning to fill each pot with? What to look for in selecting plants such as growth height (and any special climbing trellis need) and plant 'spread' dimensions. [What plants like to spill over the edges?] Tally it up (pots, soil, insert, plants, other items) for the cost of three container displays. Plus identify on a calendar, when you prepare your pots for a spring presentation or fall display. Finally what to do with the bulbs after they have flowered. Thank you!
One of my favorite plants to use in containers is lacy wire vine because of its delicate texture and drape. I discovered it watching Kate at HelloGarden channel. She's doing a fantastic weekly series on container planting if you're searching for ideas and inspiration.
I'm putting Claus' book on my wishlist. Thanks for sharing!
Hey how are you liking Kentucky? Are you adapting to the heat? Ughh thank goodness we got a little break. Nice score on those waste baskets, they’ll look great as containers! Are you building or buy next house or do you know yet? Love from Louisville Ky. 💙
Your channel is my new favorite! I learn and do no feel overwhelmed. I appreciate your peaceful approach. I am imagining a brand new garden on our blank space surrounding our new build in Chattanooga , TN. TY for being my new go to enjoy ! 🦋💚
Btw, I’m headed to Ollie’s to purchase containers for the best price .
Oh I didn't know Claus had a book out in English! I wish I could do tulips in containers like he does but my -40c winters kill anything that is left in a pot.
Sounds like a fun plan for colour rotation. I always worry about watering. You would need a watering system on the display pots and also the pots being raised for future displays, unless you are always home to water them.
It must have been sad to leave your gorgeous home and garden in Michigan. Your garden there was an inspiration to me. An annual I love to put in a large pit is called Angel Wings (Senecio Candicans). It starts small but it grows fast and fills the pot in weeks. Its silver/white colour is bright and its soft fuzzy leaves are bright and beautiful. This spring I was given a sedum autumn joy in a pot so I left it in the pot due to space limitations and deer pressure. It’s thriving in full sun. In the spring I’m going to put the three sedum autumn joy and the sic large huechera that are overcrowding the flower beds into pots that will sit on deck and in fenced areas because of the deers. I’ve decided to use the perennials I have in pots next summer rather than buy annuals that cost hundreds each season. The perennials may not be as colourful but buying annuals year after year is a big expense especially in light of inflation and shrinking income in retirement.
Wonderful video 💞
I follow Claus Dalby. He is a true genious. I love the Ikea Pot ideal
My favorite is Leptinella squalida. It looks simply wonderful in a pot. Don't forget to put blocks under the pots, otherwise it will damage the wooden decking.
Best wishes from Germany
I have found some great pots at thrift stores. Some are not even meant to be pots. Even if they are not exactly what I was looking for I will paint them all one color, usually beige or grey. Even the most awkward pot looks good surrounded by pots of the same color. The paint will last at least a few seasons (6a here).
Your chartreuse color look so fresh on your porch . Black containers is a lovely choice for your plants. Always inspired by your knowledge . That blue cushion sedum I want.
Looking forward to your choices.
I am just getting involved into container gardening as well. We just finished our deck last yr so this leaves me space to play with containers. I don't have a color scheme yet but so far I know I only want perennials in them and I want to make sure each one has a saucer for its bottom to fill with water and water from underneath in the hot summer days. Im really wanting to plant costa in planters and possibly the new variety of smaller hydrangeas that cascade. Possibly the color of the hydrangea I pick will determine my pallet. Love how you are so methodical with your garden designs! Great Channel !
Thank you so much, my dear garden buddy for a wonderful post another awesome garden tour
I am a big fan of Claus Dalby too. His 'hello hello. goodbye goodby' is the sweetest greeting on YouTube 🥰
Can't wait to see your container garden❤
Garden Moxie, as much as I love your content and this video – there’s such a wealth of knowledge in the comments as well. I keep learning and finding new ways to take care of my container garden through everyone and it is so lovely. Thanks for the synopsis!
Thanks so much for recommending that book. I grabbed it from my public library and you were right about how Claus Darby has a fresh take on container gardens. 💚
Love your videos! I had to take down two trees in our little condo yard and can’t plant in the ground in those corners b/c of the tree stumps. I collected free and thrifted containers being given away on Nextdoor and Freecycle, without worrying about colors etc. Then I got some free leftover outdoor paint from the local haz-mat recycling center, sanded down the glaze on the pots, and painted them all in shades of gray. They coordinate without all being the same, and the varying shapes and sizes have cohesion b/c of the neutral color scheme. I then chose a color scheme of bright pinks and yellows for my flowers, which pops beautifully against the gray backdrop of the pots. I love how it came out!
Herbs are my favorite plants to grow in contrainers. I just love the idea of them being edible. We’ve had alot of rain this year and they’re big and beautiful right now. I also love doing grasses in containers.
One plant per pot makes so much sense. I think the plants grow and show so much better.
do you have a plan to move to aptment soon or later? I thought your family just settled down.
I like a container of Himalayan maiden hair fern for a shady spot. Lovely texture. I pair it with Containers of variagated hosta. The combination of large leaves of the hostas with the delicate maidenhar fern works so well. Thanks Sue for your review of Claus' new book.
I enjoy Claus Dalby's book so much. I have learned of new plant ideas from that book and his cottage garden book. Those "containers" are wonderful!
Ha! Someone else found out my Ikea wastepaper basket trick!!!! Been doing it for years….🙀nice proper terracotta in front of the pot group, and hidden in the shade behind, some black wastepaperbaskets with quite big foliage plants and small shrubs or trees. Some of them destined to be planted somewhere else in the future, but giving background, contrast of shapes and colour to the flowers in the front. Their dark "shapelessness" lets the lovely knarley moss covered terracotta really stand out. I accually often dont make holes but pop an shrub or grass in pot and all. If you need holes just heat a nail in flame to melt holes. Love your storytelling skill in addition to excellent taste in the garden😉, Cheers from Stockholm Sweden