In our world there is no such thing as a garden being too small. If you only have space for one pot, that's a garden. If you've got room for a whole grouping of containers, well then even better. But don't let lack of space keep you from the wonders of having growing (and sometimes flowering) things nearby (and no mold doesn't count). Here are 8 simple containers and groupings of containers that show that no garden is too small to be interesting and inspiring.
FIRST ROW
• 1. Use 4 kinds of succulents in a pot for varied texture and size. From My Life on the Balcony Flickr.
• 2. Pair 2 strong colors together. This dark red Coleus pops against the warm yellow container. From Mookie Luv Flickr.
• 3. Bright, shiny containers filled with succulents, shrimp plant and basil are easy to take care of and satisfyingly colorful and fun.
• 4. Find Unusual Vessels like this teapot to plant basil and succulents in. From Taryn Marie Flickr.
• 5. I shot this when I was in France last year. I was surprised to see cactus and succulents in the middle of the countryside. A couple of terra cotta pots, a bright container and some succulent clippings will get you started nicely.
SECOND ROW
• 6. Big Geraniums are classic, easy to grow and provide a nice bold splash of color in a small space. From Beach Comber Austraila's Flickr.
• 7. I don't normally plants annuals but sometimes in the spring it's nice to fill up a simple pot with zinnias, begonias and cosmos for a burst of color.
• 8. Use an architectural planter like this bullet planter to make a strong statement with a single container. From Design ID.
100 DIY Ideas for the 3-Day Weekend
Danielle's Charming, Classic Walk-Up
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
White Enamel Flatwa...
How To Cook Fluffy, Tasty Quinoa
Perfect Summer Cocktail Recipe: Honey Bourbon Lemonade
Old wood beverage crates work well too if you want a sampling of succulents or a small herb garden.
Here's one I did from a while back:
http://etrine.com/2008/08/18/more-succulents/
I'll have to get a new picture because they've all grown up quite a bit...
Do succulents in planters survive winters on a deck? I live in Chicago.
I'd love a garden, even a small one. Only six things keep me from having one: black thumb (I've killed every plant I ever tried to grow) and five cats!
hmmm ord, not sure if they could make it, I would probably bring them inside for the winter...
Etrine--love that little planter!
Williamsweyr: Try catnip! That would be cat-friendly, though it might get eaten pretty fast! There are also a good deal of plants that are not poisonous for animals, and you cant always keep them in places that don't appeal to cats. ie: hanging baskets without any ways to get up to them. Trust me, I've thought it through... I plan on getting a cat once my boyfriend and I settle down in whichever city life takes us to, and I have had to accept the fact that I will have to give away some of my favorite plants that have taken a lot of love and care in order to keep the kitty safe. I'm not sure of the toxicity of Snake Plants but if your cats arent allowed in your bedroom, put it there- there was a post a few weeks ago that said this was really good for oxygen while sleeping (and its resistant to black thumbs)
I seem to be mildly addicted to buying potted plants... All of my Cure flower purchases have been live flowers- why buy cut dandelions that will die when you can buy potted bulbs that you can force year after year for the same price?
Try using moss and stones in an elongated pot to make an outdoorsy looking arrangement!
we need a post on good deals on nice pots! Like the large green one in the third pic? source? Suggestions? besides ikea...
The only problem is half of those containers are too small for the plants. The root systems will not be able to properly develop and the plants won't be able to reach their optimum size.
I'm constantly hunting for attractive cheap ceramic planters to add to my aqua-turquoise-blue collection of pots. I've found one of the best sources for affordable pots (including some large ones) to be discount stores like Homegoods, TJMaxx, Marshalls, etc. I just picked up four pots for under $50 from Homegoods the other day! It's worth stopping in periodically to see what they've got.