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DECORATE BALCONY, DECK AND PATIO WITH PLANTS IN CONTAINERS
Container gardening has been called "gardening without a garden."
Even if you have acres of lawn or flowerbeds, gardening in containers is an excellent way to dress up a front entranceway, porch, deck or patio.
One way to look at container gardening is to think of your balcony or deck as another room in need of decorating. Inside our homes we work hard to make sure form and style enhance the space. Why not use containers of flowers and vegetables to make these outside spaces come alive with color, texture, fragrance and ambiance?
The four keys to growing a successful container garden are selecting the right containers, using the proper soil, selecting the right plant for the site, and following simple maintenance procedures.
Only your creativity and imagination limit container type. I've seen beautiful flower displays growing in manure spreaders, tree stumps, wheelbarrows, cream separators, bathtubs and plastic swimming pools.
The most important criteria in selecting containers is drainage. The container must have holes in the bottom so plant roots don't stand in wet soil. Roots need air space to live, and waterlogged soil eliminates air.
The best soil for containers is a purchased mix that is porous enough to allow root aeration and drainage but can also retain water and nutrients. Using soil from your yard or a farm field is an open invitation to insects, diseases and weeds.
Growing a plant in a pot doesn't change its basic need for light. Sun-loving plants still need to be in full sun, and shade plants in shade. Grow plants together that have the same light and moisture needs, and avoid mixing slow-growing and vigorous plants.
While annual flowers such as petunias, geraniums and impatiens are the most common choice of many container gardeners, don't rule out herbs, vegetables, shrubs or even small trees. As long as soil, water and light are available in the right proportions, most any plant can be grown in a container.
One of my references on container gardening lists a number of vegetable possibilities. For window boxes, it lists snap beans, lima beans, beets, carrots, lettuce, onions, radish and spinach. For larger tubs, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cucumber, eggplant, pepper, squash and tomato.
The most common problem with container gardening is too little or too much water. Too much water usually occurs in containers that don't allow drainage, either due to insufficient drain holes, or because containers are placed on a surface that doesn't allow water to escape out the bottom.
I have hanging baskets and pots of flowers that, because of their location in direct wind and sun, require daily watering. As long as a container drains well, it's hard to over-water a small- to medium-sized hanging pot in the middle of summer. Apply water to plants until soil is thoroughly and uniformly wet and water drains out the bottom.
Container gardening lends itself to experimentation. By moving containers around you can mix and match colors and plant sizes until you create just the right look.
For increased visual interest, you can plant more than one kind of plant in a container. One gardener I read about plants carrots in the center of a large container, surrounded by flowers. In a round container, plant the tallest plants in the center and shorter plants outside. In a window box or oblong container, plant taller plants in back and shorter plants in front.
Many of the seeds I ordered recently will be grown next summer in containers. One of my experiments this year will be to grow vine plants in pots under trellises that I built from tree branches. My hope is that the vines and colorful blooms will cover the trellises so completely that the containers won't even be visible.
I've grown tomatoes in containers the last two years with mixed results. Tomato blight has affected the plants, and I attribute this to using composted soil from recycled plant material. This year I will use purchased soil that hopefully doesn't harbor any disease pathogens.
I will also plant pepper plants in containers so I can make hot salsa in August to satisfy my taste for heat and garlic.
Another use for containers is as a temporary site for seedling trees and shrubs. I let them grow in containers for a year or two until I have figured out just the right spot for their permanent home.
When you grow plants in containers, you assume the role of Mother Nature, since you become responsible for everything the plant needs to grow - light, soil, water and fertilizer. Done right, plants in containers can surpass plants growing in the ground because competition from water and nutrients from adjacent plants is low and roots grow easily in loose soil.
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PUTTING DOWN ROOTS:
A Delightful Blend of
Gardening Wisdom, Wit
and Whimsy
$10 + $2 for shipping
by Cliff Johnson |
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