Containers in the garden by Claus Dalby is a beautiful book full of colorful plants and flowers growing in his container garden. The book goes through the color wheel and seasons with the plants and how you can arrange your garden depending on the look you’re going for. I suggest this book to anyone interested in a more painterly approach to gardening.

Containers in the Garden by Claus Dalby – Beautiful, Inspiring and Gorgeous Photos


I was very excited to see that Claus Dalby has released a book on Container in the Garden. I’ve been following his posts on social media for a couple of years now and enjoy the pictures and videos he shares.

Finally, we have a collection of pictures assembled from Claus Dalby’s beautiful and inspiring garden. This book is filled with stunning photos of plants, flowers, and foliage in a variety of colors and combinations. Claus begins with some of the basics of containers, soil, seeds, bulbs, planting and care.

My favorite part of the book is when Claus goes through the color combinations, and assortment of plants that can be combined to reflect the seasons and holidays. Also, how we can create or define different sections in our garden or outdoor rooms. This book is very inspiring and gets a gardener’s creative juices flowing. I appreciate the explanations on why certain plants were selected and combined with other plants.

I love this book and highly recommend it. This book is a helpful resource for those new to gardening, and those who have gardened for many years. It would be a lovely gift for those who enjoy beautiful pictures from the garden. Reading through this book, I came across a number of plants that I would like try to grow. I enjoyed Containers in the Garden so much that I plan to buy a copy of this book.

I would like to thank Cool Springs Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a complimentary copy of Containers in the Garden by Claus Dalby. I was under no obligation to give a favorable review.

Terrific guide to start container gardening. The author has a wonderful way of explaining from step one. They also have a helpful guide for what to plant by aesthetics.

Fantastic resource! Whether you are a beginner, or an experienced gardener, there's a lot in here for everyone. Myself, I'm out of room in my raised beds and side gardens, and have been looking to expand to more containers. This book gives me the confidence to do it. Beautifully photographed, easily readable and easy to understand. I think that I will be referring to this over and over again!

I found this book to be really useful, especially for apartment dwellers with little space or sunlight or both! I would definitely refer to this when making recommendations about what is feasible to grow in the setting I have access to

This book is fabulously inspiring! The photos are awesome and just took by breath away. I am not an experienced gardener and wanted this for ideas - I was not disappointed! So many things to think about; all clearly explained and accompanied by helpful images. Where to start... that is my problem!

I think this book is stunning and suitable for newbie gardeners like me but is also so well thought out that even the most experienced gardener would enjoy the read!

This Danish gardener offers up so many ideas for container gardening that it is almost unbelievable. And the number of pots he has is to die for! Not only beautiful but practical as well, this is a book for any gardener looking to make their garden beautiful as well as functional!

Containers in the Garden by Claus Dalby is very simply, a book about container gardening.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Quarto Publishing Group – Cool Springs Press, Cool Springs Press, and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.


My Synopsis and Opinions:
 First, I must say that this would be a beautiful addition to any coffee table.  The pictures in this book are amazing, and you really miss something by the "ebook/computer" method of viewing.

There is a great index in the back so that if you were looking up a particular plant, there is probably a picture.

The information this author provides is amazing.   I always have flower pots full in the spring/summer, and Dalby shares his secrets of when to plant bulbs or seeds or perennials in pots, and when to move them outdoors.  He talks about soil, and the size of the pots, water and fertilizer, and then colour -- a lot about colour.

Now, I don't quite have the over 40,000 square feet available to compete with Dalby, and I don't have a greenhouse like he does,  but I'm sure I can make use of one or two points the man covered.

Overall, it is a very "pretty" book....but maybe a little out of my league, and personally I like combining different plants to my pots, whereas Dalby has only one type of plant per pot.....which I admit looks great, but it's just not my preference.

This is a beautiful book if you just want really good garden porn for container gardening. The author apparently has an unlimited budget so he literally swaps out his massive displays of containers every week or two in order to change the displays as the season progresses. This is fine if you landscape a prestigious business or own a mansion, but it's not really practical advice for those of us who want to container garden with the same pots staying most of the season.

High marks for the many photos of gorgeous flowers and the ideas for oodles of varieties to put in the pots. It's less helpful to read things like the fact that he had access to expensive potting soil only available to a select few for years and most potting soil won't ever give results like his. And definitely not for the budget gardener. Read this for inspiration and eye candy, or just to daydream.

I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for review.

Containers in the Garden is a well written inspirational gardening guide to using container plantings by Claus Dalby. Due out 12th April 2022 from Quarto on their Cool Springs Press imprint, it's 176 pages and will be available in hardcover and ebook formats.

The short tutorial entries are arranged roughly chronologically throughout the gardener's year. Tasks and displays are listed with very general time frames and advice is given with reference to the reader's own climate and yearly calendar. Since this book is about planting in containers, there's a lot of flexibility in timeline by using suitable pots in the greenhouse or indoors and then moving to a display area in the garden when the weather and temps are cooperative.

The author is well known for large lush groupings of containers with riotously blended colors and forms. This book is an ode to that grand style with *masses* of bulbs, perennials, and other plants cheek to cheek in stairsteps on risers, and massed groups.

Most of his containers are terra-cotta, and he discusses this in the text. It's a classic and stylish choice and allows the plants to take center stage.

There isn't a lot of very specific step-by-step tutorial information here. There's also not an overabundance of specific cultivar info. What it does provide is a fantastic and well curated cover to cover album of photo inspiration. In a lot of ways, these groupings struck me more as bouquets on a grand scale with very long lasting, movable, elements. It's more a flower arranging album than an actual gardening how-to book, and it's a niche with very few competitors. This is a wonderful book of inspiration.

Four and a half stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

Containers in the Garden by Claus Dalby I picked for curiosity’s sake because a friend had directed me to Dalby's Instagram, when I complained I wanted plants for my place and I had liked the pretty pictures and the possibility of growing those pretty things myself. As a New Yorker space is highly limited so I thought to myself Dalby has written a book about container gardening, here’s my chance to see if I can have some of these beauties in my own limited space. Well, it turns out that I could have read a newbie gardener book and gotten the same things I did out of this book. The pictures were beautiful, and I enjoyed those a lot, but I had also already been enjoying them on his postings, so no need to shell out money to have them in print form, along with the same tips. I felt that I needed more instructions then just get pot and soil and put one plant only, arrange this way and… Perhaps, it’s just me and the fact that I do not have a green thumb or expected too much because this was to plan a container garden in NYC while he’s got ample space where he’s planning. Either way, I will not be buying this book to follow step by step because it won’t help with the purpose I have in mind. This review was given on the ARC copy received from the Publisher via NetGalley in return for my opinion.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and give an honest review of this book.

Container gardens have become more and more popular in recent gardening seasons. This book is loaded with beautiful photos of plants in terracotta planters. I admit that I have never seen a garden composed of so many containers, all with healthy looking plants. Interestingly enough, the planters only contain single plants or plant types, not the usual ‘thriller, spiller, fillers’.

There is a lot of information on plant colors. I especially enjoyed the information on white gardens as I intend to focus on this for this gardening season.

There is a good deal on growing dahlias which have become quite popular in recent years.

The pots in this book are changed frequently to keep the colors strong throughout the season. That is a full time job, no doubt. It also helps that the author has a heated greenhouse to move tender perennials indoors for the winter season.

This book is a joy to peruse with photos and tidbits of gardening information.

In his first English-language book, Danish floral designer Claus Dalby shares his passion for creating colorful containers. Dalby's containers are simplistic in design. He uses minimal plants per pot and often only one plant species. When massed together, however, his displays create a stunning effect.

His garden in Denmark encompasses fifteen hedged garden rooms themed by color. Large groupings of pots are positioned in tiers in displays by walls, fences and doorways. The pots change with the seasons and tulips, dahlias, daffodils and annuals are central players. He covers every color theme and notes some of his favorite plants.

Although the "how-to" aspects of planting and maintaining a container are not in-depth (his potting soil mix is a professional blend not available to the average customer), the photographs are beautiful and reason enough to recommend the book.

Holy pots! I want to know exactly how many containers he owns. It's gotta be in the thousands. And 43,000 square feet of gardens. I am so jealous!!

Claus opens up a whole new world of gardening with his use of containers. I had always thought of them as extras or the only way for those in an apartment or the deer afflicted (me), but they are a beauty and creation all of their own. The versatility is astounding, and the freedom is refreshing. You can't easily rearrange plants within a border or swap them out when they are done flowering, but with containers, you can change the scene as many times as you like. His colorful, tiered displays are absolute perfection. You will want to go through the book more than once simply to feast your eyes on the foliage and color combinations again.

I really appreciated:

- That he provides all of the names of the plants pictured, including common and scientific names. Nothing is more frustrating than when you see a plant in a book you love and there is no label for it.

- All of the close up photos so you can really see the intricate details.

My only complaints:

- It can be quite repetitive at times, although I understand if it’s being thumbed through for reference instead of read cover to cover, those details are important for each individual section.

- He comes across as sort of elitist about his professional-grade potting soil and then tells you to "source" some. Okay...and how do I do that exactly?

Although this book does include some instruction on the logistics of container gardening, it is much more design than container plant care. He has a really keen eye for color, and you can learn a lot from him and get some great combinations to try in your own garden. I highly recommend this book and will be more open to containers in the future.

Thank you NetGalley and Cool Springs Press for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Containers in the Garden is great for plant and garden lovers. If you are looking to add some pots in your yard then you have to read this. There are options for everyone and really helps with picking and getting your soil right so that you have the best chance to grow whatever you plant in your containers. I really loved the pictures because they are so vibrant and also really helpful so that you can see every step as you apply it to your own containers.

If gardener and floral designer extraordinaire Claus Dalby doesn't inspire you with his stupendous containers, who will? Containers are moveable, changeable and miniature gardens which can reflect one's personality whether few or many, in a tiny garden or a massive one. Dalby chooses terra cotta containers and showcases them for specific holidays and seasons, a terrific idea.

Not only is the photography out of this world but Dalby explains the "bones" of container planting such as choosing the very best potting soil mix you can; watering and fertilizing properly; how to plant from seed, bulb or rhizome; planting perennials; how to incorporate texture and colour (often monochromatic); and overwintering. This book is resplendent with photos of cheery daffodils and striking tulips, stunning bellis and primroses, daylilies and violas, decorative cabbages and white asters. He discusses inspiration and uses a lot of underutilized colours such as almost blacks to oranges as well as the loveliness of white gardens with grey foliage including silver sage and Siberian bugloss (and simply grey as a theme). But his yellow plantings in particular are what cause my heart to skip a few beats...his dahlias, marigolds (I'm not usually a fan) and angel trumpets could not be more cheery. Then there are limes, blues, reds, autumn apricots and rusts. Ogling Dalby's garden must be what walking into Paradise looks like!

Whether one is new to gardening or experienced, from the first page your mind will be busily planning what you can do this year in your own garden as a result of this book. Though a master gardener, my ideas can become a bit worn out. But this...talk about a game changer! My climate (zone 2a) is an extreme one, from -40C to 35+C so we are incredibly restricted to what we can grow in containers. We have only 90 frost-free days a year and snow from October into April. However, containers can be moved in and out. My favourite way to garden is using containers/towers and I am nearly salivating with new possibilities. If I can container garden in our climate, anyone can.

My sincere thank you to Quarto Publishing Group - Cool Springs Press and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this superlatively magnificent book! I am utterly besotted.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group – Cool Springs Press for the opportunity to read an advanced reader's copy of this book for an honest review.

“Containers in the Garden” by celebrity gardener and Danish floral designer Claus Dalby is nothing short of a gardening masterpiece.

I often use containers when I’m gardening with mixed results. However, after reading this book, I feel confident that I can grow plants better than ever this year! Dalby takes the time to explain (with words and photos) what containers to use, what “good soil” is, how to properly plant in a pot, how much water and fertilizer to use, and how to be simple but also bold and daring with arrangements.

I loved how Dalby showed how his containers changed throughout the months and seasons. He offers numerous inspirational photo spreads with stunningly gorgeous arrangement combinations. My absolute favorite arrangement was located in the “All Saints’ Day or Halloween?” section. Dalby expertly tucked small pumpkins and tall lanterns around his layered autumn collection of potted chrysanthemums, Skimmia japonica, drooping laurel, Coral Bells, Gaultheria miqueliana (evergreen shrubs), sedum, Christmas rose, and fountain grass. It’s hauntingly beautiful and mesmerizing. I often find myself going back to that section to gaze at the photos and dream of how I could replicate that arrangement at my house (which I plan to do this fall).

I would highly recommend this book to any gardener interested in either trying or perfecting container gardening. Dalby explains the steps in an easy to learn manner and has many helpful photos to show examples throughout the book. Once you learn the essentials of container gardening, the rest of the book is full of vibrant inspiration with photo after photo of many breathtaking container arrangements.

I adore Claus Dalby. He's uplifting. The world can be falling apart and he's consistently adding beauty to the world to counteract the ugly for me. He's adorably cheery, caring and kind. His creations reflect his personality it seems. What I like about this book is the gradient color layout in the flower colors. It is seasonal but layered with ombre which is gorgeous and the book transforms empty shelves like no other. Claus is kind of the King of Container Gardening in my opinion. His style is mostly the same plant in one pot but massive and planted in mass with color coordination and texture next level. :)

The only thing that I would have included with Claus's love of clay pots is that not all clay patinas. The clay has to have oxide within the clay for that weathered look as the salts and calcium leach through. So don't expect your clay pots to look like Claus's without the right kind. And dunking them in rainwater helps more than putting them in water from the garden hose. They will slime up and dry and then look good but changing the water once a week so you'll need some rainwater saved for this method. He did not talk about this in his book 'Containers in the Garden'. which during 'My Containers' section I was hoping for. Really let's all just be honest Claus fans would love a book just on his containers he has alone. His countless collection of clay pots are a coveted collection and one of the showpieces of this book.

If you are looking for natives in containers this is not the book but if you are looking for ornamentals in containers this is it!

I read somewhere looking at beautiful flowers lowers our blood pressure. This book does it for me. We need color in our lives. Life is heavy this book is lifting and for that I love it.

Just wow!
I love gardening and I loved this book!
So much inspiration and information.
The photos and colours and ideas are amazing.

This is one of those great books that look good on a coffee table. Some gorgeous photography and some beautiful gardens done in containers. It was a complete privilege to browse this book! The colorful landscape was breathtaking!

I received a complimentary copy to peruse at my leisure and voluntarily left this opinion.