There are quite a few people here who have GE growing in their gardens. I bought two 3 years ago and have those two still growing nicely, must be my soil, light or whatever. I just bought two more cheaply. Here is some advice given by forum member 'dhaven' : "Some varieties are very picky about growing conditions, and unless they are planted in optimum conditions, they will either remain small, or fade away and die. The best example of this I know of is Great Expectations, which also happens to be my favorite hosta. A great many people have lost this one, sometimes more than once. I have three very large mature plants, and they are the prettiest thing in the garden. It took some experimentation, but there are three things that GE absolutely must have to thrive. First, and most importantly, plant it shallowly. It's going to be a very large plant, so the natural inclination is to plant it deeply, but this will kill it faster than anything else. Plant it so shallowly you are convinced that it will tip over, and you've got it right. Secondly, it likes a lot of light. Dappled shade is ideal, but it will take several hours of direct sun, either morning or afternoon. Third, it likes a lot of water. If you give a GE all three of these things, you will increase your chances of growing it into an absolutely stunning plant. If you want to try any of the hostas that have the reputation of being difficult, be prepared to try different locations and growing methods, and possibly go through several plants before you discover what works for that variety in your location. When you do find out what works, please share the information with the rest of us!" Bernd

Ipomoea nil and I. purpurea do very well in containers. I grow all my MGs (Ipomoea or other genera) in containers. I generally learn from the experience as I go. It would be helpful if you were more specific on which vine group you were addicted to so we can focus on plant requirements? Joseph

Unfortunately, that width is probably going to limit you :-) The elevated nature of any above ground container exposes it to much colder temperatures than a plant would experience in the ground. Especially the roots, which are far more vulnerable to cold damage than the top growth with even very hardy plants. But the larger the soil mass around them, the greater the insulating factor, so with a large container in a moderately cold zone you can often get away with overwintering plants that would likely not survive in a smaller container. Pretty much any tree or shrub you may choose will easily produce roots that fill up that 10" width, resulting in a root system that will very likely come into contact with the planter walls and therefore be exposed to excessively cold air temperatures. And root damage (resulting in plant death) can occur at temperatures as mild as the mid 20's, depending on species. And you are looking at the possibility of below zero air temps in zone 6 :-(( You might be able to risk it with the selection of some hardy dwarf conifers but they tend to be expensive to use in what is essentially a hardiness experiment at best. I wouldn't recommend any flowering shrub or tree except perhaps something like alpine currant, as the root system will simply get too large too fast. Unless you are inclined to toss money away on this experiment, I'd stick to seasonal plants. You can always stick in cut willow stems or redtwig dogwood stems together with cut conifer greens and hollies if you want some winter interest.

I grow a number of climbers in containers here in zone 6 NJ. However, the pots are right next to the house, so pretty sheltered (when we built our new bedroom, they filled in the foundation area with gravel, so I couldn't plant. But I was determined to have roses around our bedroom windows!!!) I grow very hardy ones; Felix LeClerc and Cape Diamond, which are, I believe, zone 3 (but I also grow Weeping China Doll, a lot less hardy I imagine). I have had all these roses for many years, and they've been fine including through winters where we got some sub-zero temps. But again, they ARE right against the house. Also, I typically mound straw around the base of the pots, which is added protection. I'd say, if your sister is really determined to have roses, start with just one pot and one rose that is WAY hardy, I'd go zone 3, I'd recommend Felix LeClerc for beauty, toughness, rebloom, and lack of thorns (though not much scent). She could grow it on over the summer, then in late fall, maybe protect the pot - mound straw, or some people use bubble wrap, etc. And just see what happens. If it doesn't work out, well, not too much of an investment; if it does, she could try some others. Good luck!