Garden centers offer drip irrigation kits that are easy to assemble. Most flowering plants must be deadheaded frequently. Sanitation is important as dead leaves and flowers may spread disease. Spring and summer are obviously the most prolific times for plants but the other seasons are capable of supporting evergreen plants. Pansies and ivies at the base of evergreen shrubs will give your garden color before and after less hardy plants.
Ornamental grasses are wonderful for offering year-round seasonal color.
Principles of design were combined with an understanding of the habits of plants and their physical requirements. The horticulture students put their new skills and knowledge to the test by designing and planting window boxes and other container displays. Auburn University faculty and staff involved in the project were Dee Smith, Ken Tilt, Dave Williams, Raymond Kessler and Bernice Fischman. Below are photographs of the top scoring containers as well as lists of the plants in each planting for the benefit of domestic gardeners, commercial growers, and nursery owners. Hopefully, if gardeners can find successful designs to use, this gardening feature will cease being a fad and become a standard feature in the home garden.