Whether you’re new to container gardening or are a seasoned pro, you may find that a visit to your local garden center or greenhouse is an overwhelming and frustrating experience. There can be dozens of plants and pots to choose from, and choice paralysis can prevent you from finding the right elements for the container planting you were hoping to put together.

In this video, Rita Randolph of Randolph’s Greenhouses in Jackson, Tennessee, demonstrates how to design a container planting without succumbing to choice paralysis. Here are a few of her tips and tricks that you’ll discover in this video:

1. When choosing plants, select an array of annuals, perennials, and tropicals.
2. Start with a standout, focal-point plant for the middle of your pot.
3. Choose partners for that focal-point plant based on color, texture, and form.
4. Place Styrofoam in the bottom of larger pots to encourage root capillary action.
5. Fill the pot with a good, rich, well-draining potting medium.
6. Leave 1 inch of space at the top of the pot (not filling it to the rim with soil) to make watering easier.
7. Start planting in the middle of the pot, and then work your way to the outside edge.

Remember that container gardening is for everyone. Unlike with gardening in the ground, you can put a pot filled with plants almost anywhere: sun, shade, small spaces, large spaces, out in the landscape, or perched on a tiny windowsill. That kind of limitless possibility is rare, and perhaps that contributes to why some folks get so overwhelmed by the thought of container gardening. From the type of pot you purchase, to the mix of soil you use to fill it, to the combination of plants you plant in it, the choices are vast and can be confusing. But with the help of experts like Rita Randolph, you can learn to create gorgeous potted designs.