Gardening as a Hobby: Container Flower Garden

Gardening can be a fun, relaxing, and rewarding hobby. There are many forms of gardening, and many techniques. You can garden almost anywhere. Starting out it can be a confusing and frustrating process. It doesn't need to be. Slow down, take a deep breath. There is that better? Hopefully I can help. Just don't give up, and remember that even the best botanists lose plants. I will start small, with a container flower garden. Just remember this takes time; patience is you best tool.

Getting Started -

In this project you will need: a large pot, potting soil, a trowel, mild fertilizer, watering wand or watering can, a pair of scissors, a knife, gardening gloves, and some annual flowers. Find a spot to put your little garden. Were you put it will determine what plants you should buy. Some plants like lots of sunlight, others like shade, and still more are in between. Check the plant's tag or ask a nursery attendant for more info on plant type.

Getting your Supplies -

Most garden centers should have everything you need. I would get an 18" - 20" pot or planter for this one. A good starter. If you enjoy this project then you can graduate to a bigger planter. Picking the plants may take you a while. With an abundance of colors, shapes, and sizes it's hard to pick the right flower. So pick more than one or two! Be sure that you get flowers suited to the location you picked. If you buy shade-loving plants and put them in the sun, they will surely die. Read the plant tags, learn about the care requirements of each one. It will be good to know later. Remember that we are buying annuals. Annuals only last one year, then die. It is a better and lower cost way of finding out if you like gardening.

Planting -

The first thing that you need to do is make sure that your flowers are watered, if in doubt water them.

Your second task after getting back from the store, is to make sure that your pot has drainage holes. Many large pots have drainage holes that need to be poked out. Create your drainage holes.

Next you should spray or wash your pot out. This cleans it of contaminants that may have come from the nursery were you bought it.

Next cover the drainage holes with a paper towel. This keeps the potting soil in and lets the water through.

Fill your pot with potting soil up to one inch from the top of the pot. This leaves room for watering. Lightly pack the soil, this helps create a good foundation that the plants can grow in. Be warned, if you pack it too tightly the plants will struggle to send roots through to soil and could die as a result.

Arrange your flowers in your pot, don't plant them yet. You may need to cut some of the containers apart(flowers in 4 or 6 - pack containers). Step back and look at it from all sides. Is that the arrangement that you wanted? Once you plant your flowers you can't go back.

Once you have decided were you want your flowers, you can plant them! Isn't this fun? Use your trowel to dig the needed holes. Follow the planting instructions included with your plant; it can vary from plant to plant, except the planting distance. You will need to plant closer together to get the right effect.

Before you water it you need to put your container flower garden in the spot that you chose earlier. If you water it now it will be much heavier.

Once you have it were you want it you need to give it a mild fertilizer 10-10-10 or 14-14-14(osmicote). Now you can water it. Use your watering wand when you water; it will keep the water from digging holes in your fresh soil.

You are done! Now you can stand back and admire your handy work.

Care -

To keep that container garden looking fresh and healthy you will need to give it proper care.

Care is normally easy and not a lot of work. Just remember these simple rules: water when it's needed, feed your flowers, check for pests every watering, and relax!

Watering sounds simple, but can be tricky. Water when the soil is slightly moist, but not wet. Stick your finger in about an inch. Is is only a little moist? Is you finger muddy or dirty? Water if it is only a little moist, and if your finger is only dirty.

If you bought granule(or sometimes called pellet) type fertilizer then you will only need to feed it once every two to three months. If you bought the liquid type fertilizer then you will need to fertilize at least once a week.

Checking for pests is simple, are there bugs eating your plant? If in doubt take several leafs into a garden center and ask what is wrong with it(if that doesn't solve it you may want to take the whole thing in, planter and all). They should be able to tell you how to fix it.

Relax! I can't really tell you how to do this. I'm not so good at it myself.

Enjoy.