"IMAGINE if your pots and planters always looked fabulous. "Wow!" your friends would say to one another, "How does she do it?"

Gone are the days when you could feel good about just picking up a couple red geraniums and some pink wax begonias. The pressure is on. Your pots and planters need panache! So this spring, before you head out to buy plants for your porch, deck or patio, learn what it takes to create planters with style. Chances are, the gardener who planted up that beautiful pot may have shopped at the very same nursery as you. They may have traveled down the same isles and may have chosen among the same 200 kinds of plants and 10,000 possible plant combinations.

The trick is all in the choosing.

Purple Fountain Grass (Pennisetum setaceum 'Rubrum') is a good structural plant.

1. Plan the structure
The structure of your container planting, that is. When you're selecting plants in 4" or 6" pots, you need to think about their eventual height, shape and growth habit. Most plants are either upright, broad or trailing. The most successful container combinations usually include at least one of each form. Start with a tall, upright plant, such as Purple Fountain Grass (Pennisetum setaceum'Rubrum') or a fancy-leaved, dwarf canna lily. Add one or two broad, mid-height plants such as heliotrope, coleus, African daisies (osteospermum) or dwarf dahlias. Then select one or two trailing forms, such as ivy geranium, sweet potato vine, bacopa or licorice plant (Helichrysum petiolare).

Of course another sure-fire way to create a strong, architectural statement is to place just one bold plant in the container. Candidates for this effect would include a thick, upright clump of bamboo or the perfect symmetry of New Zealand flax (phormium). Consider flanking an entryway with a pair of dwarf Alberta spruce or false cypress. A clump of ornamental grass, such as feather reed grass, makes a bold statement. Or you could focus all the attention on a trailing form; envision a tall, celadon-green urn filled with nothing but a burgundy-colored sweet potato vine.

2. Consider the growing conditions
If you fill a window box with shade-loving impatiens and then put it in a sunny, west-facing location, those impatiens will struggle to survive. You will also fail if you try to grow sun-loving ivy geraniums on a shady porch. Think about where the pot will be located and then select plants that will like living there. Plant labels usually list sun/shade requirements (you'll also find a few recommendations at the end of this article).

It's also important to combine plants with similar moisture requirements. Desert-loving portulaca won't be happy growing in the same pot with moisture-loving hibiscus. Soil preference is also important. A pot filled with rosemary, bay and thyme should contain a sandy, sharply drained soil mix that mimics the Mediterranean conditions these plants prefer. Fuchsia, on the other hand, wants a humusy, moisture-retentive soil that's similar to what's found in a wet tropical rainforest. Plant labels (or a well-informed sales associate) can provide this information.

3. Contrast textures
Foliage is just as important as color in creating a successful container planting. Once you've gathered a group of candidates, think about the size of the leaves and their surface texture. Leaf textures range from waxy (ivy geraniums) to shiny (croton), to prickly (asparagus fern) or velvety (dusty miller). Contrasting foliage really grabs the eye.

For an exciting texture combination, imagine a hair-like tuft of the lemon yellow grass known as ogon (Acorus gramineus), with the spiky lime-green succulent Angelina (Sedum repestre), the waxy burgundy leaves of Sedum'Garnet Brocade', and the lacy flowers of Coral Flying Colors diascia.

4. Be bold with color
A well-composed container planting can be as visually stimulating as a great painting. Generate energy and excitement by combining complimentary colors such as purple and orange or yellow and blue. Or paint a more visually soothing composition by limiting yourself to related colors such as blues and pinks or reds and yellows. You can also create a stunning, very sophisticated look using nothing but greens, whites and silvers. When selecting flower and foliage colors, you may also want to think about the color of your house, the color of your deck or patio pavers, and the color in adjacent beds and borders. That said, pots and planters present a great opportunity to experiment with dramatic color combinations that you'd probably never dare to use in your permanent landscape".

Origins
"Fleur de lis (also spelled fleur de lys), which translates from French to mean "Flower of the Lily". The actually lily that the fleur de lis symbol is supposed to have derived from is the yellow, 6-petaled lilies (and the way that the petals bend) that surround the River Luts in the Netherlands.

The meanings attached to the three bending petals differ according to the patriarch being questioned. King Louis X said they represented faith, wisdom and chivalry "and to be a sign of divine favour bestowed on France". 1 Another meaning that is said to "represent French Royalty... signif[ies] perfection, light and life.2

Original uses for the fleur de lis were for coat of arms, flags, a symbol of the convergence of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, uniforms and many other uses.

Louisiana Heritage
Governor Bobby Jindal signed a bill on July 9, 2008 that made the fleur de lis the official symbol for Louisiana. It has been, however, a symbol for the state of Louisiana and more profoundly in New Orleans for some time. Most likely, any Louisiana landmark that you come across in Louisiana, there will be a fleur de lis symbol somewhere on the premises. In Baton Rouge, you will find fleur de lis symbols surrounding the Old Governor's mansion on the gates. Anywhere in New Orleans you will find local artwork, team logos, decor and more covered in the heritage inspired fleur de lis.

Louisiana takes pride in celebrating our French heritage, and the fleur de lis is a symbol of our early settlers. From the Cajuns, to the jazz in New Orleans and the zydeco in Lafayette and Breaux Bridge, Louisianians revel in the culture that was passed down through our previous generations and find any excuse to advertise these values.

You will hardly find a Louisianian that does not have either Mignon Faget fleur de lis pendant, fleur de lis home decor, or at least some sort of fleur de lis car decal or clothing.

New Orleans Saints, The Hornets, ULL and LSU
Each of these sporting organizations use the fleur de lis in some aspect of their logo. As you can see by the pictures on the right, there are the Saints Fleur de Lis, the Bee de Lis, the Fleur de Tigre and ULL fleur de lis logo.

The New Orleans Saints first put the fleur de lis on their uniform in 1967 and did not make any changes to it until 2000. The Saints' jerseys for both home and away games sport the emblem, and since 2003, the uniform pants also have a fleur de lis. Because of the Saints best season in 2009 and the Superbowl win of 2010 , the state of Louisiana is wearing fleur de lis more proudly than ever before. 

Post Hurricane Katrina, the fleur de lis has changed in meaning for many from a symbol of our heritage to a symbol of hope and rebuilding. Since the storm, more and more business and local spots have adorned their logos, merchandise, walls and statues with the fleur de lis to bring recognition to the statewide effort to create a calm after the storm.

LA Sportsman
Louisiana is known for its beautiful marshlands, swamps and waterways, but it is the activities that occur in these places that Louisianians enjoy the most. From gator hunting, to fishing, bow hunting, and hog/duck/deer/turkey/quail/dove hunting, men and women from all over the state participate in these outdoor sports. Louisiana Sportsmanis an organization that provides a forum for hunters all over the state to connect to share tips, locations and ideas about whichever kind of hunting you may be interested. As symbolized in their fleur de lis symbol, you see the duck on the left, the fish at the top, the deer on the right, and the hook as the bottom.

Louisiana is a beautiful state rich with culture, heritage, pride and a flavor like none other. Please come visit our beautiful state and pass a good time while letting the good times roll!"