Container Gardening Tips

Container GardeningTips
By Lee Dobbins

Container gardens allow people who don’t have the space, time or energy for a full garden to still nourish their green thumb and grow beautiful flowers. Container gardens can look beautiful on a rooftop, on a busy city stoop, on a patio or deck and even mixed in with your regular garden.

Plants are easy to grow in containers and are a versatile way of creating a colorful garden. Containers are great because you can move your plants around to create different effects. If one plant isn’t doing well, or the bloom season has passed, simply remove it and replace it with another container. You can arrange your containers in a group, line them up or strategically place them singly around your yard or patio. Either way, you’ll love this simple way to create a garden oasis anywhere you want.

You can use most anything for a container, but be sure it has good drainage. Try old bowls or antique urns. If there is no drain hole, be sure to include lots of rocks on the bottom of the container. Terra cotta pots are nice but tend to absorb water which can cause your plants to dry out - if you do decide to go with these pots, you can paint the inside with a special sealer to prevent this. Always try to get a matching saucer or use a special plate or drip basin for your containers as this will save your deck or patio from getting stained or rotting.

Always use a good quality potting mix in your containers. This will ensure the best performance possible from your plants.

When planting in containers, be sure to use a good potting mix that has fertilizer appropriate for the plant you will be planting. Do not overcrowd the plants in the pot - remember that with proper care they will grow into the pot and you don’t want them to be overcrowded because they may start to look unhealthy. Be sure to keep your container plants watered but do not over water. Plants in containers can dry out very easily so you will probably have to water every day and fertilize every month.

When planning your container garden you want to be sure to have plants of varying heights as well as shapes and textures. Any setting will look better with taller plants in the back and lower ones in the front. Using annuals that bloom all year will keep your pots looking fresh and beautiful, but don’t forget to add in some nice greenery as well.

It’s best to decide ahead of time where you want your containers to be positioned, and then buy plants that suit the situation. It won’t do to buy sun loving plants if the container is going to be in the shade for they will not do well. Also be aware that some plants have large root systems and are not suitable for container planting.

Some great places for container gardens include the patio, deck, driveway and porch. If you have steps leading up to your front door, an attractive container on each one is a great way to welcome your visitors. If there is a lot of space by your front door group a bunch of potted plants off to one side which will be more visually appealing than one plant on each side of the steps. When grouping your plants, always group in odd numbers and make sure to vary the heights and sizes of the pots as well as the plants.

Container gardening is a great because you can limit the amount of plants you have to take care of. If you only want a few then just have a couple of containers but if you can handle more than go for it. With a little bit of creativity you can create a container garden that will be the envy of your friends and neighbors.

Lee Dobbins write for Flower Gardens where you can get more great flower growing tips.

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Container Gardening

Container Gardening
By Michael Russell

If you have designed your garden in such a way that you have areas of paving or gravel, you may want to liven these up with some well-planted containers. Equally, if your garden is very small, some strategically placed pots full of colourful flowers may be what you need.

Choosing Your Containers

• Pots are an obvious place to start. They come in all shapes and sizes, glazed, terracotta, hand-painted, stone (real or fake), plaster - you name it. If you intend to leave your pots outside all winter and you live in a cold climate, don’t forget they must be frost resistant. There’s no point buying hand-painted containers in Spain then expecting them to survive a winter in Scotland!



• Troughs look good against a straight wall but you need to choose your planting carefully because I’ve found that many plants quickly become pot bound in a trough. For example, in a trough 24inches (60 cms) long, I have just ONE verbena which is doing very well but it’s foliage reaches to each end and I originally thought that the trough would take at least three plants.



• Wooden containers. You can buy these or make them yourself if you have the skill and you can add a trellis for something to climb up the centre. You can use small split logs for a rustic effect or normal wooden planks for something a little more formal. Don’t forget to leave drainage holes. The wood will last longer if you apply a wood preservative and line your container with plastic. Many wood preservers are coloured these days so your container could be blue or green or whatever you like. The easiest to construct is obviously square, but if you’re a little more adventurous, you could try octagonal or triangular. Divided containers are great for growing herbs.



• Hanging baskets, wall hanging half baskets or pots or hanging pouches are lovely for trailing plants and can create quite a show in summer.



• Basket-shaped or amphora-shaped pots look great but are quite hard to plant and maintain.
  
  
  

• If you have a talent for construction, you could build your own pots or raised beds with bricks or decorative blocks.

Planting Your Containers

There are so many different plants suitable for container gardening that I would need a complete book to name them all. Suffice to say that a small shrub will grow ok in a large pot but won’t want to share will a stack of other things. Annuals are great for containers but will need to have the spent flowers removed to encourage further blooming. Herbs and alpines are good too but be careful of the sun/shade needed. Be careful also of herbs like mint which can take over a whole flower bed, never mind a pot, left to its own devices.

Unlike, traditional borders, container plants are planted very close together so you need to bear a number of things in mind.

• Buy proprietary compost. Garden borders can, to an extent, obtain nutrients from the soil itself plus leaf mulch and other naturally-occurring organic matter. Containers cannot so buy the best compost you can afford.



• Container plants need a whole lot more water than those in beds. Don’t think that just because it rained all day, much moisture will have penetrated the foliage - it probably won’t. In the height of summer, hanging baskets and the like (unless they have a water reservoir) will probably need watering twice a day. So you have a couple of choices; set up an irrigation system for your pots (optimum but pricey) or add a moisture retaining product to your compost (you will still need to water once a day). These are available at garden centres and take the form of a powder which you hydrate into a gel or water retaining balls which look like polystyrene, either of which you mix with the compost.



• You will need to feed container plants more often. You can choose a compost which has already had sufficient nutrients added to last a season which is a good start for annuals. You can also buy slow-release pellets which you mix into the compost in the dosage recommended by the manufacturer. The alternative is to apply a liquid feed once or twice every two weeks throughout the growing season.



• OK, so you have your container and you’ve mixed the correct amount of water retention medium and feed into your compost as required, now for the planting.



• Try to design the planting on paper or in your minds eye before you start. Remember that trailing plants such as balcony geraniums or surfinia petunias need to be planted around the edge of the container.



• If you’re using baskets, line them with moss and/or a plastic liner. Fill one third with compost, plant the first “layer” of plants which will poke out of the sides of the basket, add the second third and finish with the top “layer”. If you’re using tubs, don’t forget the perspective - tall at the back or side against a wall or fence and smaller at the front.



• Groups of pots look good together, particularly if they’re colour co-ordinated and the addition of a few well-placed pebbles or coloured ornaments completes the effect.

All you need now to enjoy your container garden is a strategically placed table and chairs and a nice chilled glass of white wine!

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Gardening

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Container Gardening

Creating A Container Garden
By R Birch

Container gardens are the perfect way to add texture, color and fragrance to a terrace, balcony or deck. They often provide the only way for people who live in apartments or urbanized areas to garden. Most plants, including evergreens, herbs, perennials and annuals, can be used in a planter. Container gardens soften the hard lines of a paved patio and can provide privacy on a large terrace. Planters can be grouped for a massed effect on a large patio while a single potted specimen is effective in a small space.

To vary the theme of your container garden over the course of the year be ready to replace flowers that have finished blooming with something new. Container gardening allows you to easily change the color scheme of your garden throughout the season. For instance, spring bulbs can be replaced with summer blooming annuals. Annuals, in turn, can be replaced with chrysanthemums and asters for fall color. Evergreens, such as the Alberta spruce and holly, provide interest through the winter.

If you have steps leading up to your front door, the use planters will charm your visitors. Container gardens can accentuate interesting architectural details. For example, large planters with tall evergreens are great for framing an entry way. When massing your planters, group them in odd numbers rather than even, and try to vary their size and type. Also, be sure to include in your container garden plants of varying of shapes and heights. Take into consideration the shape and texture of the foliage as well; it is these qualities which create interest during lulls in blooming.

Indoor, pots of flowers create a cozy and warm atmosphere. Decide ahead of time where you want your pots to be positioned, then buy plants that suit the situation. Try to find locations next to windows since most plants require at least some sun during the day. Some plants, such as those which grow extensive root systems, are more suited for the outdoor garden.

Experiment with different types of containers. You can use anything which will hold soil; just be sure to allow for adequate drainage. An old whiskey barrel or copper urn are both suitable and are perfect for a more rustic garden. If your looking for something more traditional, buy your planters at the garden center. They usually have a wide range of colorful terracotta pots. You can also build a planter out of landscape timbers.

Plastic pots are inexpensive and can be decorated on the outside with water based paints. When purchasing pots, don't forget to buy matching saucers to catch any overflowing water. This will prevent cement floors from getting stained or timber floors and decks from rotting.

When planting your containers be sure to use a high quality, nutrient rich potting mix as it will feed your plants throughout the season. Also, place a few stones at the bottom pf the pot to allow for drainage. Take some time to plan your container garden before buying your supplies. With a little imagination you can turn any patio or deck, small or large, into a lush year-round garden.

R Birch is the publisher of http://www.gardenlistings.com For information on all kinds of garden projects visit http://www.gardenlistings.com/Resources.htm

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Patio Gardening

You don't need a backyard to have a garden. Any sort of patio or balcony can be transformed into a beautiful garden.