Container gardening is a fun way for anyone to garden. To those
living in a condo, apartment or who are challenged by physical limitations,
growing something in a container is a wonderful way to get close to nature.
Growing, maturing and caring for a plant can be very therapeutic and many
get satisfaction from seeing their work boom or being able to harvest fruit
and vegetables they have grown.
Gardening in containers is easy. A large variety of containers are available
for these gardens, but be aware of limitations. In the dry, Colorado climate,
moss baskets don't do well. A gardener is better off using something that
does not dry out as fast. Good choices are a plastic pot placed inside
of a basket or decorative clay pot, or put a plastic pot inside of a moss
basket instead of planting directly in one.
Unique containers make wonderful conversation pieces and express personality.
Use old shoes, boots, animal containers, crates, or natural containers
such as rocks, driftwood or old stumps with holes drilled in them. Anything
that will hold soil and plants, and will drain, will do. For a more traditional
container garden, whiskey barrels, terra cotta pots, ceramic pots, plastic
pots and window boxes are all available at local garden centers. Most pots
will hold all the plants you wish to grow.
Containers can be planted with a single plant variety or color, or various
plants and hues can be mixed together. A whole pot of red geraniums, another
pot full of yellow marigolds and another pot of blue petunias can also
be grouped together to give a mixed-planter look.
Be sure that different kinds of plants in the same pot all require the
same sun exposure and water. Use plants of varying heights and textures
to contrast or complement each other. Designers use tall spiky plants like
grasses mixed with low, mounding plants like petunias, together with a
vine trailing down the side of the container.
Let your imagination run wild. Consider using ornamental grasses like
fountain grass or blood grass. Annuals that provide a cascading effect
include lobelia and sweet alyssum. Perennials such as verbena, salvia,
rudbeckia and coreopsis all work very well in pots. Vining plants like
variegated vinca, black-eyed Susan vine, hyacinth bean and morning glory
can add a different dimension to containers. For height, use plants like
canna, spider flower, spike or cosmos. Bulbs like caladium, begonia, gladiolus
and hardy lilies can be used to add distinctive lines to the planting design.
Dwarf trees, like dwarf Alberta spruce and other conifers work beautifully,
adding winter interest.
Container gardening: basics
When planting in a container, always use potting soil that contains perlite
or bark so the pot has good drainage and enough organic material to absorb
and hold moisture. The amount of water needed for container gardening will
depend a great deal on whether the container is placed in a shady or sunny
spot, weather conditions and the type of plants used. Smaller containers
and clay pots will need to be watered more often than large pots or plastic
pots.
Check the soil every day for a couple of weeks by sticking a finger
about two inches into the soil. This will help you get a sense of how often
the plant needs to be watered. In hot summer months, plants may need water
in the morning and again at night. On a 95 degree day with a 30 mph breeze,
most pots will be dry by the end of the day.
Most container gardens will need to be fertilized regularly. Again,
how often will vary depending on the type of plants and soil. Most annuals,
perennials and vegetables will either need a time released fertilizer or
a fertilizer mixed with water weekly.
