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All-Season Container Gardens

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All-Season Container Gardens

LOOKING to make a splash with your container plantings? Although a planter overflowing with petunias is always attractive, do consider trying some new plants and creative combinations. Here are a few things to keep in mind when choosing plants:.............

Select plants with differing growth habits. For example, combine spiky grasses with shrubby verbena

Make sure plants compatible. Planting sun-lovers that require excellent drainage with shade- and moisture-loving plants is a recipe for disappointment

Use foliage to your advantage. Choose dark leaved plants to complement light or bright flowers or chartreuse-leaved plants to brighten a planting.

Consider fragrance, especially if planters will be located near a doorway or window.

THINK OUTSIDE THE POT

"THINK OUTSIDE THE POT"

Orange-,red- and yellow-stemmed chard is ornamental and edible. How about including an ornament hot pepper in your container planting? Or may be some bright flowers with multicolored stems and leaves? Culinary herbs are ornamental, plus a sprig or two, can liven up dinner and edible flowers combine well with herbs for an attractive and tasty combo.

PLANTING POINTERS

PLANTING POINTERS
No matter what you are planting, you preparations begin with the container and soil.

First, make sure your container has drainage holes. If the drainage holes are blocked when the planter is set on a surface, try placing the planter on casters or on a tray of pebbles. The water must be able to drain freely.

Use a high-quality potting soil. Avoid using garden soil, which often drains poorly and may contain disease organism. You will be asking a lot from your container plants; you want them to flower and thrive every day, despite having their roots confined to a limited space. So start them off right with a top-quality soil.

ONGOING CARE

"ONGOING CARE"

The main difference between container and garden plantings is that you'll need to water and fertilize container-grown plants more often, since roots are confined. Note that small containers may need watering daily - even twice daily. Most annuals benefit from regular dead heading to promote more blooms. You'll also need to keep an eye out for insect and disease problems.

While container-grown plants are sometimes less vulnerable to pest attack because they receive extra attention and/or are kept at a distance from the rest of the garden, you'll want to examine the foliage and flowers regularly. Many insects can be controlled by simply hosing them off the plants every few days. If this doesn't control the problem, try insecticidal soap.

THE BENEFITS OF GROWING IN CONTAINERS

"THE BENEFITS OF GROWING IN CONTAINERS"

The benefits of growing in containers are many: You can change out plants and arrange pots to suit your whim; you can place containers right where you want then; you can also enjoy plants on your balcony if you live in a condominium or an apartment.

Containers are also perfect for experimenting! Try some new plant and container combos and light up your landscape with color and style.

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Container Gardening, Summer Reading at the Library: A Container Gardening program will be held, Tuesday, June 5 at 7 pm at the Lorain Public Library System's Avon Branch Library. Pinehaven Garden Center of Avon will share techniques and ideas for using mixtures of flowering annuals, herbs and vegetables ...
Limitless Container Gardening: I earned my own little section of my grandmother's garden. I was so thrilled and proud, and I credit her, not only with encouraging my passion for gardening, but also for showing me the benefits of container gardening in particular.
Plant a successful container garden: There are a few basic ingredients for a successful container garden: a large pot (at least 16 inches in diameter), good potting soil (such as greenhouses use for planting, available by the bag at local greenhouses) and a sunny location (six to eight ...
Gardening Options for Portlanders Lacking Space and Money: Parking strip gardens are also an option for those pressed for space. As previously mentioned in this series, Growing Gardens provides a container gardening class for erstwhile gardeners who live in apartments and are limited by space constraints.