Even in black and white, author’s containers inspire

I’ve just endured a special kind of torture, one only a northern gardener in the midst of winter could relate to. The galley copy of a book I received for review is full of what I think are probably mouth-watering, inspiring photos of amazing containers, but I can’t be certain. They are all black and white.

This is not unusual for galley copies, which are meant to be read for the purpose of reviews or editing, but books aren’t typically so dependent on images.

The book, “A Year Full of Pots,” is written by Sarah Raven, the famous British gardener known for flower growing and container design. In it, she walks gardeners through a year of amazing container displays and how to achieve them.

The timeline, of course, is aimed at British gardeners, and much of it does not apply to Wisconsinites, at least until June or so when our gardening timeline compresses to coincide with the Brits’ through about September. But what the book delivers in inspiration makes up for the lack of applicability to the calendar.

What is delightful about Raven’s seemingly endless design concepts are how they refuse to conform to any formula. This despite her starting the book with her own twist on the tired concept of thriller, spiller, filler by adding in pillar, a plant with dramatic height.

Raven relies heavily on perennials for her collections of containers, planting them both on their own and mixing them with hard-working annuals, a practice most American gardeners seem to only dabble in. She also promotes using plants in unexpected ways, such as foregoing support for annual vines and allowing them to serve as floriferous trailers on a balcony.

Everything about Raven’s approach to containers is intense, from the sheer number of them scattered throughout her garden, which must rise well into the hundreds, to the replanting schedule in which most containers are reconfigured for each season. Raven places such priority on containers, which range from art-level Italian Impruneta terra cotta to repurposed zinc wash tubs (the new versions she sells on her website), that they are their own part of the garden.

Raven also shares thoughtful lists of container-appropriate plants with shared qualities. The “long and late performers” collection includes Dianthus ‘Green Trick,’ Mexican fleabane (Erigeron karvinskianus), Scaveola and Bidens ‘Spicy Margarita,’ a much different palette that the petunia-forward designs popular in the U.S. It’s definitely a more nuanced approach to containers.

I have no desire to have — or water — the sheer volume of containers that Raven has, and  her seasonally intense planting is a complicated business in our climate, but she certainly whets the appetite for a more creative approach to container planting. And it could be just the shake-up that American gardeners need to move beyond formulaic planting.

I guess I’ll have to wait until the book comes out in April to satisfy my craving to see all Raven’s containers in color, but even in black and white, they are getting my wheels turning.