Container Garden Ideas For Indoors Or Outdoors
Ranked #25,144 in Home & Garden, #387,154 overall | Donates to Squidoo Charity Fund
Getting Started in Container Gardening
If you live in an apartment, you can't really operate a full garden, just because you don't really have a yard!
I think that one of the best solutions for this problem is to grow plants in containers. You can hang these, or just arrange them on your patio, window sill or balcony.
Just a few baskets or pots, and your whole living area will look much classier and nicer.
A benefit of growing in small containers is the fact that you can move them around to suit your needs. If you rearrange your furniture and you think that it would look nicer if it was in the other area, it's no trouble at all to scoot it over.
As long as the lighting is about the same, your plant shouldn't mind the transition at all. Another benefit of the containers' versatility is the fact that you can adapt it to simulate any environment depending on the type of soil you fill it with and where you place it.
If you are trying to make an aesthetically pleasing arrangement of containers and plants, you can adjust the containers to be at different heights by hanging them from the ceiling or placing them on supports.
Hanging them will allow you to make the most of the space you have. This is called "vertical gardening". If you pull it off right, you can make a very pleasing arrangement of plants while conserving your valuable space.
If you live in an apartment, you know how important it is to conserve space! One method of vertical gardening is the use of a wooden step ladder. If painted correctly, you can arrange all the plants on it in a beautiful, stylish cascade of color.
The maintenance of container plants takes slightly more time, since you have to water more often and go around to each individual container. However, the square footage for container plants is much less than that of an actual garden, so the time spent on maintenance and watering is more balanced.
It is important that you don't over-water your container plants, as this can be just as fatal to their health as under-watering.
Container Garden Guide :
Want to learn more about how you can create a Container Garden?
Container Gardens: Fresh Ideas for Creating Beautiful Potted Gardens
Amazon Price: $4.00 (as of 05/28/2012)
Any gardener who wants to enliven an entrance with an arrangement of pots or create a pocket of instant color will enjoy the practical and imaginative possibilities for window boxes, hanging baskets, troughs, and all-season planters in Container Gardens, published by Better Homes and Gardens (R).
Let Better Homes and Gardens (R) Container Gardens help you design beautiful potted gardens anywhere and then ensure their success. You'll discover the practical and imaginative possibilities of gardening in containers.
Whether you want to enliven an entrance with a bright arrangement of pots or create a pocket of color instantly, this book features outstanding ideas for window boxes, hanging baskets, all-season planters, troughs, boxes, bowls, and more.
At-a-glance information for every idea and garden project:
* Hardiness zone
* Time required
* Skill level required
* Supplies and tools lists
* Step-by-step instructions
Easy plant identification:
* Listed by common names
* Great Plants for Containers chapter includes everything you need to know about each plant, including its size, hardiness, flower color, and sun requirement.
As with all Better Homes and Gardens (R) books, Container Gardens features inspiring ideas and doable garden projects that bring personal satisfaction and pleasure to the eye. Simple directions -- accompanied by accurate four-color photographs -- give you the confidence to create any of these gardens.
With our expert advice, your enthusiasm and gardening skills will flourish. So dig in and create your own potted paradise to enjoy season after season.
Tips for Choosing Your Container
When choosing containers for your plants, you'll want to buy them all at once along with some extras in case they break or you add more plants later.You don't want them to be all the same shape and size,but definitely the same style so that the compliment each other.
Plastic containers are the best and require the least amount of watering, but if you want to stick with clay or earthen pots then you should line the inside with plastic. This helps it retain water more, as the clay will soak up water.
Another thing to remember when buying pots is the fact that the size of the pot will ultimately constrict the size of the plant. Make a careful choice of pots according to what you wish to grow in each one.
If you search for the plant you chose on the internet, you should be able to find specifications as to how much root space it should be given. This can even be an advantage for you if you choose a plant that can grow very large.
If you only have a limited amount of space for it, you can constrict it by choosing a pot that isn't large enough to support huge amounts of growth.
If the benefits of container gardening sound appealing to you, then you
should start planning out your container garden today.
If you write a list of all the plants you desire to have, you can do the necessary research to find out what size and shape of pots you should get.
After that, it's just a matter of arranging them in a way that makes your home look the nicest.
Is this the ULTIMATE Container Garden?
Grow Flowers or Vegetables or Herbs inside your home all year around!
AeroGarden Extra Elite
Amazon Price: $255.00 (as of 05/28/2012)
Good Morning America calls it, "One of the top new consumer products."Grow full-size vegetables naturally on your kitchen counter 365 days a year.
You don't need a green thumb to grow your own food. The AeroGrow AeroGarden Pro 200 is a fully automated indoor smart garden with built-in grow lights that removes all guesswork. With twice the light and height of the AeroGarden Classic, the Pro 200 has the size and power to grow big, fruit-bearing plants to maturity.
Microprocessor-controlled Adaptive Growth Intelligence monitors plant growth and instantly adjusts the levels of water, light, and nutrients for fast, full growth from germination to maturity.
Everything you need is included, such as a Gourmet Herb Seed Kit (4 months worth of basil, dill, cilantro, mint, chives, and parsley), 3 deluxe grow bulbs that deliver twice the light and height for up to 50% larger yields, a 24-inch adjustable arm, organic-based nutrient tablets, a Master Gardener 1-season set, a quick start guide, and a tending and harvesting guide. The Pro 200 measures 16 x 18 x 10.5 inches and is covered by a 1-year limited warranty.
Product Description
The AeroGarden PRO 200 has brains and beauty plus the power and room to grow full-size tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers.
Brushed stainless steel accents look great in any kitchen and Adaptive Intelligence monitors natural cycles from germination to maturity and automatically adjusts light and nutrient levels at each stage. The result is full growth and maximum yields.
AeroGarden PRO 200 features a 24-hour light cycle allowing complete customization of your light timing, plus a bulb replacement reminder. Three deluxe bulbs deliver 4680 lumens of full-spectrum light to stimulate robust plant growth.
To accommodate that growth, the light hood arm extends up to 2 feet and can support an available trellis system (sold separately). The PRO 200 is designed for serious gardeners as well as style-conscious chefs.
This is irresistible container gardening for everyone, even if you don't have a green thumb!
Choosing Pots for Your Container Garden
Choosing the right container for a particular type of plant is critical to its success.If you choose the wrong size pot, it could seriously stunt the growth of the plant.
You need to choose the right size of pot, but it's almost as important to choose a container that's made of the right material.
Different materials will work better in different situations.
If you're planning to grow a perennial plant, like a large herb bush, you might want to choose a large wooden container. Wood is especially attractive for use in growing plants that will continue growing for more than one season, and plants that you intend to grow outdoors in a conspicuous location.
Wooden containers are best for larger plants, and for use in highly visible areas of your yard. Wooden pots are generally one of the most expensive types of containers. Wooden pots may be expensive, but they're generally extremely durable.
Be sure to get one that's treated on the outside, but not on the inside. If you get a pot that's treated on the inside, you might end up with dangerous chemicals being leeched into the soil and making their way into your plants. This can damage the plants, and potentially make you sick if you eat them.
Plastic pots are probably the most widely used type of pot for container gardening. This is largely due to the fact that plastic pots are generally the cheapest. But cheaper isn't always better.
If you only plant to attempt container gardening for one year, then plastic may be a very good option for you. But if you think you might want to have a container garden next year, you might want to stick with something a bit more durable.
You could be tempted to think certain plastic pots are durable because they're harder or thicker than other plastic pots, but that's not necessarily true. If plastic is left outdoors in the elements for too long, it can start to warp and crack. Cracked pots are of little use for anything!
Beauty Is In The Color
Perfect Container Garden Pots for you to check out:
TERRA BOX 24" THYME
A window box for all seasons, indoors or out. Full more...0 points
Greenstone MFS730PB Plantation Garden Box, Stained Natural 18 by 16 By 16 Inches
The Willows Garden Box will look beautiful in your more...0 points
EarthBox RB-EB-TRC-PBB Garden Kit, Terra Cotta
The patented EarthBox was developed by commercial more...0 points
Planter Box Set Western Red Cedar Plants Garden Boxes
PhatTommy Western Red Cedar Planter Box Set These beautiful more...0 points
DMC Products Nantucket 36-Inch Solid Wood Window Box, Natural
In addition to creating a great looking window are more...0 points
Terra Cotta Clay Pots Are An Economical Type of Container
They're pretty cheap, but they are very delicate and do break quite easily.They also don't stand up very well to freezing temperatures, so you shouldn't leave them out during the winter.
Fired ceramic pots are a pretty good choice. They can be a bit delicate, but many of them are pretty durable. They're usually glazed on the outside for appearance, but are left unglazed on the inside. This is good since the glaze can damage plants if it leeches into the soil.
You can also make your own containers by using things you find around the house. Most cheap plastic containers can work if they're large enough for whatever you want to grow, as long as you cut drainage holes in the bottom.
Some good example you can try are milk jugs and soda bottles with the tops cut off and holes cut in the bottom, empty margarine tubs, trash cans with holes cut in the bottom, and large plastic tubs with drainage holes drilled.
Some people even use bags of soil as their containers, simply cutting a hole in the side of a bag of soil that's lying on its side and sowing seeds directly into the exposed soil!
You don't have to use standard purchased containers. Almost any container can be used for growing plants as long as it is safe and allows the plants adequate drainage.
Bargain Price Pots for your Container Garden
Check out my other Squidoos about container garden ideas:
Container Garden Photos to Inspire you!
So did you checkout the AeroGrow Container Garden Yet?
New Igo GREEN Tip of the Day
Garden Blog Posts from Google
- Western Springs organic gardening consultant's work grows
- By Jane Michaels jmichaels@pioneerlocal.com May 25, 2012 3:46PM Organic gardening consultant Amy Cox smells a leaf off a laurel tree, similar to a bay leaf, in the back yard of her home in Western Springs. | Rob Hart~Sun-Times Media Come hungry if ...
- Free seminars focus on organic gardening
- Led by Duncan McNeill, territory manager for Kellogg Supply Inc., distributors of Gardener & Bloome organic garden soils and fertilizers, the seminars are intended to help homeowners create a healthy environment and healthy soils for their plant's ...
- Green thumbs up: Savor the scents and flavors of herbs
- Even for those with limited space or challenging growing conditions, raised beds and container gardens offer the ability to grow edible plants where soils are non-existent or hard to cultivate. In addition to vegetables, herbs have become increasingly ...
- Herb Gardening: Getting Down With Dirt In the Garden
- These treated soils are not designed for herbs and contain many chemicals you really do not want your herbs to be growing in so please do try to get the most organic amendments available or soils designed for herbs if you choose to buy a blend off the ...
by Container-Gardening
We have created this lens about container garden ideas for your education and entertainment - ENJOY! more »
- 2 featured lenses
- Winner of 2 trophies!
- Top lens » Container Garden Ideas For Indoors Or Outdoors
Explore related pages
- Container Vegetable Garden For Beginners Container Vegetable Garden For Beginners
- Lasagna Gardening Method - The Easy Way To Garden Lasagna Gardening Method - The Easy Way To Garden
- Cheap Flower Pots Cheap Flower Pots
- Container Vegetable Gardening Container Vegetable Gardening
- Garden Boot Planters Garden Boot Planters
- Indoor Gardens - Indoor Container Vegetable Gardening Indoor Gardens - Indoor Container Vegetable Gardening
