Container Gardening Made Easy

Container gardening has been elevated to an art form. One that can easily be employed in gardens of every size. Whether you have a large yard or an apartment balcony at your disposal there are plants that thrive in containers. Areas with poor soil conditions and those that are too wet or too dry can make finding just the right plant a challenge. Rather then fight natural garden conditions outsmart them with containers. This is a versatile way to add color, texture, and interest to a trouble spot. A well-planted urn of colorful annuals on a pedestal can add visual interest and height to an otherwise horizontal flowerbed. It becomes a focal point where there once was none. A beautifully decorated container will blossom and stand out when planted with a simple, understated foliage plant, yet it will go far in brightening up the shady corner of a deck, patio, porch, or balcony.

It's important to choose a good all purpose potting medium. Potting soil is usually a sterilized, lightweight, inert medium in which to grow plants. Adding a bit of garden soil or compost provides naturally occurring minerals for optimal plant growth. When mixing the two, keep in mind the difference in weight between soil and potting medium and plan accordingly if you intend to move your containers to different locations. Hanging pots and those suspended on a fence or wall will need to be lightweight. Those placed in the garden or on a deck can afford the added weight of soil. Keep in mind the final destination of your container and plan accordingly.

There are water absorbing gels and pellets on the market that can be mixed with potting medium to increase the water holding capacity so your pots don't dry out as quickly. They're a good investment. You mix it in when you prepare the pot for planting and reap the benefits all season long. You might also want to invest in a slow release plant food in the form of pellets to mix in as you prepare your potting medium. This takes the worry out of remembering to feed them throughout the season. If you need to add more it can easily be spread on top of the soil as the plants mature, with the same results. Just be careful not to let the fertilizer come in contact with the foliage or your plants could suffer from fertilizer burn.

There are many types and sizes of pots and containers on the market to choose from. There are expensive, decorative ones and very inexpensive 'liner-type' containers used by nurseries. Consider where you will be displaying your containers and pick accordingly. If I plan to display pots in my ivy bed (to add a splash of color) I use less expensive liners since the pot can't been seen because of the ivy foliage. If I'm using pots for the patio I try to group interesting pots together to make a bold statement. You can choose from classic terra cotta, which can get heavy and should be used if you don't intend to move the pots around. The other downside to terra cotta is it doesn't retain moisture like plastic or composite pots do but they age and weather beautifully which adds character and a sense of timeless history to your garden space. Plastic or composite pots are lightweight and come in many different looks. They mimic terra cotta and concrete, are lightweight and easily moved. They also last for many seasons and can be left outside over the winter with minimal side effects.

The beauty of container gardening is its versatility. There is no right and wrong. If you don't get it right the first time, you can simply rearrange your portable plant art in pots until you come up with a grouping that is aesthetically pleasing to you. In short, you can't lose.