This is by and far my favorite form of gardening. For some reason I did not get pictures of the containers in full bloom..I must have been busy weeding the garden! I do try to get a strong contrast of plants in the containers. Here I have a Philodendron, Golden Oregano, Helichrysum and Million Bells. I love using plants that are typically used as indoor plants in my containers to get a bolder leaf like the Philodendron. |
Container gardening is your opportunity to 'set the mood' on your deck, patio, at the entryway of your home and in a garden bed. With careful selection you can add fragrance, hide unsightly meters, hoses, etc., draw in the birds and butterflies, plant a moonlight garden and add jazz for those summer barbeques. Truth be told...I plant containers because I love seeing flowers up close and personal. |
Important steps to successful container gardening |
Choose bigger containers It is better to have one large container rather than many small containers. Larger containers can hold more soil to retain moisture when it is hot and protects roots when it is cold. Make sure that there are good drain holes It is important to have good drainage. Roots sitting in water will kill your plants very quickly. Add a good potting soil If reusing a container replace last year's soils with new soils. You avoid transferring diseases and funguses from the year before and it will give you a fresh start. If you are starting a new container protect the drain holes with screening or broken clay pots and fill with a good potting soil. Don't use soil from the garden as it is generally heavier and can also have fungus and pests. I like to add extra vermiculite in my soils to retain moisture. This is the time to add a good fertilizer and Soil Moist (polymer crystals that hold 400 times their weight in water to retain moisture). Planting Time! Ok...now for the fun. Go to a good nursery and grab a cart. First, determine if your containers are sun, part sun or shade sites. Start with your feature plants. These should be the focus of each container. If you have a grouping choose feature plants that compliment each other in the grouping. Look at shrubs, vines and long blooming annuals & perennials that you would enjoy seeing up close. Consider fragrant plants, grasses, houseplants or vines on domed trellises. Once you have your feature plants go to town with the color. I like to leave some containers simple with interesting foliage for the back of a grouping. For the front containers choose colors that you like. Mix big & bold with delicate and flowing. Load your cart up with combinations to see how they work together. Mix golden foliage, glossy greens, soft greys and vibrant bronzes. Choose several trailers to soften the edge of the container. With the depth of soil that is available in a container you can pack the plants close together and still get maximum performance and maximum enjoyment. This method also doesn't allow the sun to evaporate moisture and dry out your plants. Rather than choosing a riot of colors pick only 3 or so to simplifly and add focus to your planting. For BOLD focal points consider Cannas, Banana trees, Philodrendrons (yes, houseplants!), Coral Bark Maple, Red twig Dogwoods, Hebe, Datura, Tibouchina and grasses. Let your imagination go and have fun! When planting your plants take them out of the continers gently. Place your hand on the base of the plant and turn the container upside down. If your plant is still stuck in the pot roll the pot gently on the ground using downward pressure. Do not pull your plant by the leaves & branches as you might damage delicate roots & branches. Once removed from the container 'tickle' the roots to loosen the roots. Plant your plants at the surface level. Burying too deep or planting too high are some of the most common reasons for plant failure. Tuck your trailers here and there after the main plants have gone in to give a full lush look. Once your container is planted give it a nice long drink of water. Watering your Container Before you water poke your finger into the soil to make sure that it needs water. Containers are dependant on you to water regularly. Larger containers allow for every other day watering or better. Smaller containers dry out more easily and may need to be watered daily (hence my recommendation to choose larger containers). Rather than considering watering a chore....I choose to see it as my favorite time of the day.... A time when I can enjoy the blooms, reflect on life and enjoy a quiet moment. I would like to recommend that you use the wand styled watering tool and it is gentler and won't erode the soils. If your life is busy and you are concerned about watering install drip irrigation to your containers. It is easy to install and provides consistent watering. Try to water early in the day. The rapid evaporation in the hot sun can damage your plants and too late at night can promote fugus and diseases. Fertilizing The long acting fertilizer that you mixed into the soil should take care of your plants for the first month or so. I like Osmocote fertilizer myself. After a month your plants have rooted and it is a good idea to water in a liquid fertilizer every 3-4 weeks. Remember that your container is an intense planting with water flushing out the soils so feeding will promote bigger plants and more bloom. I like to add another dose of Osmocote mid-season to carry the plants over until the season is done. IMPORTANT NOTE: Do not apply liquid fertilizers in the heat of the day as you might burn your plants. Fertilize early in the cool of the day. Trimming & Pruning After your daily water remove any spent blooms and browning leaves. This practice will nsure that your containers look fresh. If you have a plant that is not thriving...replace it. If you have trailers, vines or plants that are getting leggy pinch them back. Mix it up! Move your containers around to give a fresh setting. For the larger containers I use a handtruck. If you are having a party add a votive candle on a stake in your containers or try to uplight your container for a dramatic effect. Snooping is ok... Ok...get your camoflage suit on and as you go through a garden center, shopping center or a friend's garden keep your eyes peeled for some great ideas. Take portions of things that you like and customize it to your tastes. Write it down or sketch it out. If you are stuck and feel uninspired call a quality nursery and ask if they have a container designer and arrange for a consultation. Most of all have fun using your imagination. There is no failure in learning. |
Crouchers move through a garden at a stoop: naming, gasping, horraying, admiring or coveting plants; Gapers saunter, smiling or sighing at what they find, succumbing to an intangible beatitude that takes them for a brief escape into another dimension. Both sorts of gardener are besotted; both get their hands dirty; think and talk gardening; but on the threshold of another's garden, each use a different set of whiskers. - Mirabel Osler, Gapers and Crouchers |
Butterfly Graphic designed by Elizabeth Karman |
Top: Canna 'President' (brillant red blooms in summer), right container has Zinnias and Cuphea, left container Asparagus fern. |
Great Container Combinations: Sun Containers Gardens Yellow & Purple - Osteospermum 'Buttermilk' (African Daisy), royal purple Million Bells, Golden Creeping Jenny and variegated Plectranthus. Gorgeous! Tropical - Phormiun (bronze flax) with creeping thyme, Centradina and Orange Zinnias. WOW! Vines - Add a trellis to your container and plant Morning Glory 'Grandpa Ott' with Cuphea and Lamium 'Golden Carpet'. Vertical Gardening at it's best! More Purple - Tibouchina, Yellow Cobity Daisy (or yellow Million Bells) and Golden Creeping Jenny. Tall & Elegant - Canna 'Tropicanna', Lotus Vine and Sweet Potato Vine in a jardine style container. You'll love the lush simplicity! Part Shade Containers Big & Bold - Philodendron (yes, houseplants!) with Lamium 'Aurea', Petunia wave variety 'Cherry pink' and white trailing Verbena. Soft & Fluffy - A bold Asparagus Fern with purple Nemesia. Simple & Sweet. Shade Containers Zoomy! - Tropical orange New Guinea Impatiens, Surrounding a soft Autumn fern and Golden Creeping Jenny trailing over the edge. This will knock your socks off! Simple Elegance - A nice fern, Hosta 'Sum & Substance',with pale pink impatiens all around. Winter interest in the shade - Camelia sasanqua with Helebore and a Japanese painted fern. Fragrance in the shade - Sarcococca, Heliotrope, yellow begonias and purple impatiens. |
My spirit was lifted and my soul nourished by my time in the garden. It gave me a calm connection with all of life, and an awareness that remains with me now, long after leaving the garden. - Nancy Ross |
