The hanging containers that delight summer visitors to the Denver Pavilions overflow with flowers and foliage, yet they never spill so much as a drop of water. Designed by Western Proscapes, a Denver-based landscape design and maintenance firm, 130 containers are planted with dramatic combinations of bedding plants. The water-thrifty pots are made of nonporous plastic, which holds water much longer than clay, and they have no drainage holes. Such containers would be ideal for apartment dwellers who can't use conventional hanging pots that might drip onto neighbors' balconies below.

Before planting, the containers, which are 20 inches in diameter and 24 inches deep, are filled to just below the halfway level with perlite, then topped off with a peat moss-based mix with 5 percent sand. Plantings vary depending on whether the container is to be hung in sun or shade.

The pots are held in place by wrought-iron collars bolted to railings. Western Proscapes irrigates at two- to three-day intervals to prevent water from pooling up in the bottom. Plants are fed with liquid fertilizer every 10 days.

Made by Riverside Plastics, the pots come in various shapes and colors. You can order Riverside containers with or without drainage holes through Simple Gardens (800/351-2438).