Custom Container Gardening

Plants and flowers become living art in the hands of Heather.

Container gardening is the practice of growing plants, including edible plants, in containers instead of in the ground.

This department is led by Container Gardening Designer, Heather. With an education in fine art, She has an extremely developed sense of aesthetic, perfect for turning plain planters and some plants into gorgeous works of art.

Heather has been working for Esbenshade’s for seven and a half years and has an immense passion for her area of expertise.

“I get to work with plants all day, every day. I never get tired [of it],” said Heather. “It’s a constant creative endeavor, so that is extremely rewarding for me. As an artist, it’s the first time I’ve been paid to be creative in my life… As long as I am able to do this job, I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.”

Creativity is everything to Heather, as each of her creations is one-of-a-kind.

“I feel like as a custom container department, [planters] shouldn’t be duplicated, so I try to do individual, unique [creations] every time.”

She feels as though she has always been destined to work with plants, and recounted fond memories as a child being enthralled with plants.

“I’ve been in love with [Celosia] since I was a child,” said Heather. “I vividly remember seeing them as a child in a store. I couldn’t even believe it was real… My grandmother had a modest garden in her backyard. I remember she had a giant blue hydrangea and I would pick the flowers off.”

Though Heather has worked here for almost eight years and has done her own container gardening at home for many more, she just recently realized that she’s been drawn to plants for as long as she can remember.

“I’ve been picking up plant material [since] I was a kid. Pine cones, acorns, whatever I would find around. I didn’t realize that until maybe five or so years ago through working at this job,” said Heather.

Heather has a unique process for making planters to display in the store. She prefers using plain, basket-like planters in neutral colors. This allows the plants to be the stars of the show.

She chooses plants to include based on the seasons and what’s in stock. Oftentimes, if a new variety of plant comes in, it will quickly wind up in one of her container creations.

Due to her art background, combinations of color and texture as well as the plants’ growth habit and height all play into her design choices. An average container that she creates has five to six plants in it, allowing for a beautiful combination of color and texture.

She starts planting in the back left corner of the pot with a tall piece of foliage and fills up the planter from there.

Since she puts many plants in the pot, Heather reduces the rootballs of each plant to ensure they all fit and have room to grow.

Did you know? Root balls can be reduced up to 50% and the plant will continue thriving.

On busy days here at Esbenshade’s, she can design up to 20 ten or twelve inch containers in a single shift.

Heather makes all kinds of custom containers for her clients for a wide variety of needs. Her work ranges from wedding center pieces to sympathy arrangements, anniversaries, birthdays, seasonal planters and more.

During the custom container gardening consultation process, these are some questions she will ask:

1. Do you have your own planters?
2. Do you want to purchase planters here?
3. How big would you like it to be?
4. What kind of sun exposure will it be getting?
5. What is the style of your house? Contemporary or traditional?
6. Are there any colors that you dislike?
7. Are there specific plants that you’d like me to incorporate?

The consultation process is thorough and detailed to ensure the client is always happy with their custom container.

If you are interested in ordering a one-of-a-kind floral creation from Heather, please contact her at HeatherJ@esbenshades.com.

Whether you’re looking for a seasonal planter, a special gift or a statement piece for your home, Heather and the Container Gardening Department are here to create something uniquely yours. Stop by our Lititz store to see her stunning creations in person!