Container Gardening

I DIDN'T LOSE IT AFTER ALL!

Many of us do not have much outdoor space in which to garden. Over the years, I've worked on numerous indoor and patio gardens which allow me to enjoy the colorful beauty, wonderful fragrance and delicious taste of the many plants that are available at your local farmer's market or gar in all shapes and sizes.


My favorite planting includes flowering, herbs and vegetables all tucked in together in a wonderful, eye-catching pot. This type of planting will thrive on your patio or step if it gets either morning or afternoon sun, good ventilation and the right amount of water.


Many different pots will work. I've found the most unique containers that become wonderful planters. Terra cotta looks good with many different plants but it can be heavy and is not frost resistent. Unglazed terra cotta has good air circulation, which is very important. Wood offers a natural look. Usually you'll see wood used for window boxes or barrel plantings. It's important to ensure the wood has not been treated with any chemicals that will harm your plants or you, if you're planting edibles. Plastic pots are lightweight and come in almost all colors, shapes, and sizes. Some of them are also designed to look like clay. Plastic doesn't chip and the pots won't break if left outside in cold weather. But plastic pots do not allow for much air circulation within the planting.


Once you've chosen your pot, the first thing you want to do is invest in a good potting soil, one that has a good fertilizer/plant food mixed in. Before adding the soil, make sure your pot has good drainage. Makes sure there are holes in the bottom of the pot, if not you can easily drill a few. Create a drainage system by simply placing some small stones at the bottom of the pot, being sure not to totally cover up the holes. It's also been suggested to use a small amount of charcoal sprinkled on the stones for freshness. Once I couldn't get ahold of a single stone so I broke down some of the hundreds of seashells I've collected over the years and it worked wonderfully.


You can first place your plants on top of the soil in your pot to get an idea of how you want your design to look. Check out a color wheel to decide which flowering plants you want in the same pot. I like a variety of color, shapes, sizes and textures. I always like to put something tall right in the center, such as a group of Allium (chives) which have that pretty purple "globe" flower. Upright, trailing and clumping are the different terms used to describe the various shapes of plants. Trailing colorful plants always look great planted along the edges of your pot and include Lobelia, Pansies, Nasturtiums & Fuschia. A great look is mixing colorful trailing plants with green or variegated ones such as Vinca vine.


I like to plant a mix of red & green lettuce next to clumps of white Allysum along with herbs such as Rosemary, Sage (Russian Sage leaves have a fabulous color & texture to them), Mint, Lavender, Basil, Dill...the list goes on and on! It's also great to add some scented geraniums to the mix. Of course the lovely "Martha Washington" geraniums in white, pink or red are always a great addition to your container garden.


The possibilities are endless for your container garden when you let your imagination run wild. The only thing you don't want to run wild is your container garden, except for your trailing plants...the longer and fuller, the better! Otherwise, give it a good pruning once a week, water as needed (you'll see and feel the soil getting dry...don't wait until your plants are wilting!), and add a good plant food to the water. The results will amaze you and stand up to any neighbor out there gardening in their yard. And you'll have less weeds, too!

There's nothing better than walking out on your patio and picking some fresh herbs or vegetables to go along with whatever you're grilling. Or cutting yourself some beautiful flowers to bring indoors. And don't let the containers "contain" you! Trailing vines, roses, etc. look beautiful climbing along your patio railings!

Gotta go...I have some containers to plant! Let me know how you do or if I can answer any questions you might have. Happy planting!