How to Plant Gardening Containers Or Gardening Pots In Your Container Garden

When you are ready to mix ingredients for your container garden, be sure the soil is damp and workable. To find out this, take a handful, squash it and let it to drop down. If water comes out, it is too soaked; if it breaks apart, it is too adust. But if the lump of soil retains its shape or cracks just a little when it is dropped down, it is in acceptable condition to work into your gardening pots

Be certain your garden containers are clean when you start. Soak utilized or fresh clay gardening pots overnight so they will not draw moisture from the soil after implanting. This is a very crucial step when you are beginning your plants life. If the pot draws off the moisture the new plant will be divested. Clean filthy clay pots with a strong brush and blistering, insincere water. Clean gardening pots will be much more bewitching in your container garden

Though redwood, cedar, and cypress gardening pots may be gone forth biological, they may also be tarnished or coated. First fresh the surfaces then utilize one or two coats of stain or coat. Let adust completely before implanting. Concrete, metal, plastic, fiberglass, and akin materials all necessitate making clean before planting your container garden

Suiting plants to garden pots is very crucial in container garden design. Consider the shape of each container, its color, and texture in relation to the color of flowers and foliage, as well as the crowning size of each plant in your container garden. Don’t select material that is too little, and if you desire a group of plants for an ample container, pick out one full-length specimen for the center to give height and scale. Don’t bury that you can plant vegetables in container gardens; seek to comprise them into your container garden design. And, for an acid-tasting addition to your container garden plant herbs in garden containers or even hanging up baskets, your recipes will go extraordinary

In humble pots or bulb pans and in tubs, use humblegrowing plants like fancy-leaved caladiums, petunias, verbenas, Iantanas, ageratum and wax begonias. Hyacinths, tulips, and daffodils are also apropos. In full-length containers, plant specimens of geraniums, heliotropes, coleus, balsam, dwarf dahlias, fuchsias, and marguerites. Reserve the larger container pots and boxes for trees and shrubs or roses

As a gardener, keep in mind the form of plants, particularly the evergreens which stand out boldly in winter. Rounded types, as nipped yews or globe arborvitae, appear well in angled containers. Hollies or yews, sheared into squares or pyramids, look better in apple-shaped tubs. This contrast of the swerving with the unbent always gives interest to the garden and those guests that visit your container garden

The first step in implanting for a gardener is to place adequate drainage material in the bottom of each garden container, letting the water to go through through freely, but not so much as to intervene with the roots. An inch or two of flower pot pieces (rounded out sides up), or chips of brick or flagstone, pebbles, gravel, little stones, or cinders can be utilized. The larger the container, the larger the pieces should be. Some gardeners spread a piece of coarse-grained burlap and a layer of sand over ample drainage pieces. A layer of Vermiculite or sphagnum moss over the drainage material is also close-grained to keep soil from choking off holes. If the holes choke off the roots will submerge in their gardening pot

Above the drainage, spread a layer of soil, the amount depending on the size of the container and the root ball of the plant. Place the plant in position so that the surface of the soil will be an inch (more for ample plants) below the rim of the container. This space is necessitated to keep water

Fill soil in around the roots, firming gently with your fingers or a piece of wood so as to extinguish air pockets. Add more soil and firm, but do not make the soil too air-tight for close-grained giving roots must be competent to penetrate it with ease

Finally, water your garden container plants well, permit them drain. If water passes through the gardening pot very rapidly, press soil again to firm it; that means there are air pockets. If the soil holds water too abundant, tease apart it a little

Place the container garden in a committed spot out of sun and wind for the first week while they make fresh root growth and aline to fresh conditions. This also helps to debar shock. Once your plants have settled in, you at the ready to set up your container garden according to your avant-garde container gardening design

Happy Container Gardening!

Copyright © 2006 Mary Hanna All Rights Reserved

This article may be meted out freely on your website and in your ezines, as abundant as this smooth article, copyright notice, links and the resource box are dateless.

Mary Hanna is an aspiring herbalist who lives in Central Florida. This allows her to mature gardens inside and outside year pear-shaped. She has printed other articles on Cruising, Gardening and Cooking. Visit her websites at http://www.GardeningHerb.com http://www.CruiseTravelDirectory.com and http://www.ContainerGardeningSecrets.com or contact her at mary@webmarketingreviews

Container Gardening Ideas for your Home

Many gardeners have given up on the idea of a garden because they lack space, time or lots of experience. But if maturing plants is an interest of yours container gardening could be your answer. Container gardens will let you to bask “playing in the dirt” without endowing a lot of time or money. You can get very constructive in container gardening utilizing vegetables, nonfunctional grasses or flowers and herbs. You can plant a container garden with any plant that would mature outside. The trick is to come up with some creative ideas for your container garden.

You should do some research at your local nursery or on the internet to choose the plants you wish to grow to help you come up with some ideas. Try to use plants that complement each other and have the same alkalic needs for water, air and light

A container garden idea that has taken off recently is the landscape container. Some people plant an uncomplicated evergreen tree in a container with acceptable drainage to place at their front door. Or you could plant an assortment of flowers for a brilliant and aesthetic vista. If you do plant flowers, append plants that slop over the sides of the container to append more visuals and interest. What ever container gardening idea you can come up with can be placed on a deck, patio, and balcony or by the front doors. Put them somewhere that your family and friends can bask

You can grow vegetables in containers but choose wisely. Vegetables like squash and pole beans necessitate lots of space, while tomatoes necessitate a thick pot. When you mature your personal vegetables you will have acid-tasting bring forth not the diplomatic stuff that is in the grocery store. Nothing tastes better than a tomato proper off the vine. There are many chefs and acceptable home cooks that grow their own for just this reason. Don’t bury to pot some herbs, they are pretty plants and append zest to your meals

But don’t just stick to vegetables and herbs; why not add fruit trees too? Instead of using an evergreen tree, pot a fruit tree instead. There are many dwarf varieties accessible that work best in pots since with pots there is less soil therefore less nutrients to draw from. If you dwell in a year pear-shaped cordial climate citrus trees are cold. In other regions, stick to pear, apple and chromatic trees. Another acceptable container gardening idea is to mature strawberries. With strawberries climate does not matter since you can convey the container inside. Fresh strawberries are amazingly cloying and tasty. Imagine how good a bowl of caller strawberries will be, strawberries that you have just plucked.

Remember that container gardens dry out more quickly than traditional gardens. Be assiduous about irrigating your plants if you don’t desire your container gardening ideas to shrivel and decease. Container gardens must be fertilised too. Keep a little notebook accessible so you can compose down the needs of your plant so you will always cognize when to water or feed. Keep an eye out for pests. If you happen a container that has an infestation, insulate it immediately and do by it with a biological pesticide. You don’t want coarse-grained chemicals on fruits, vegetables or herbs. A acceptable natural pesticide recipe is:

In a jar, combine 1 teaspoon dishwashing liquid and 1 cup vegetable oil. Shake vigorously. In a hollow spray bottle, unite 2 teaspoons of this mixture and 1 cup water. Use at ten-day intervals (or more often if necessitated) to rid plants of whiteflies, mites, aphids, scales, and other pests
 
So, do some research, come up with your own unique container gardening ideas, gather your materials and get to work. The fruits of your labor will be impressive

Happy Container Gardening!

Copyright © Mary Hanna, All Rights Reserved

This article may be distributed freely on your website and in your ezines, as long as this entire article, copyright notice, links and the resource box are unchanged

Patio Container Gardening

Patio is Spanish word that means “back garden” or “backyard”. We often see picture of beautiful patios that are decorated with beautiful plants and flowers to depth and dimension in magazines and on TV. One way to achieve this with your own patio is with patio container gardening.

If you’re planning to make a patio garden, make sure that you have a definite design in mind so that you won’t have to remodel again and again. A simple design would is easiest for maintenance and often more appealing as well. There should be spaces allotted for green plants, as well as flowers and you really need to put a lot of thought into arrangement. Varying, color, texture height and shape will add appeal to your patio garden.

Remember that patio container gardening is not just about simple gardening of vegetables, fruits, flowers other plants, it involves skills and talents for landscaping as well. It is advisable to get a good-looking container, something that will reflect the look of your garden. Ceramic pots are wonderful for container gardens but remember to buy different shapes and sizes for visual appeal. When using a big and heavy pot, make sure that the plants inside it are the ones who won’t easily die during winter so you won’t have a hard time moving it inside your house.

When you are living in an apartment, you can still make your own beautiful garden by using containers for your plants. Container gardening in a small balcony can be a wonderful option, especially if you’re interested in making your balcony look more alive. Plants are a good source in making a more peaceful surrounding especially if they are well-maintained. One thing good about a patio container is that you can move it anywhere you want; you can arrange your plants in different styles. When it gets cold, you can put potted-plants that are vulnerable in winter inside your apartment or house.

Patio container gardeners can choose from different containers like wooden boxes, ceramic planters, hanging pots, and plastic or resin pots. On the other hand, plastic pots are not really that advisable since they don’t last long due to the weather. Plastic containers can get too soft when exposed to too much sun light and can crack easily.

If you don’t want to flood your plants with water, remember to cut holes about half an inch at the bottom of your container to make way for excess water. Do not cut big holes to avoid soil breakage or loose soil.

Proper lighting should be noted as well. Remember that any plant grows better when exposed to proper sun light. However, do consider watering the plants regularly so that it wouldn’t end up too dry and die. Do not over do it for too much water can also kill the plant.

If you want to make your patio more beautiful and enjoyable for your family and even for yourself, try patio container gardening. It will definitely add more color to your life!

Container Gardening – Ideal During Winter

Green vegetation and colorful blossoms add color to the surroundings. However during the winter months, the landscape appears drab and depressing which is a grouse that most people have, besides complaints of freezing temperatures. Probably, any color appearing during November through February would be due to holiday displays. Winter container gardening is a beautiful way to spruce up the front of the house, the patio or deck with colorful displays of plants and flowers.

Container gardening in the ordinary sense is very easy and convenient, because any type of container will serve the purpose. Winter container gardening on the other hand needs to be approached differently. The container must be frost proof. Selection of the right type of container is of paramount importance. Ceramic or terracotta pots are not the best choice for winter gardening, as they tend to crumble in extremely cold climates. Metal, wood or resin containers with the customary drainage hole are ideal for winter container gardening.

The next step is to add the soil into the container. Due to dry winter conditions, extra moisture is essential for the plant growth. A soil mix containing sphagnum moss and peat may be used in winter container gardening. Experts recommend mixing polymer granules to retain water in the soil. The container is ready for planting once it is filled with soil. Plant nurseries usually stock seasonal plants for sale. A visit to the local nursery may provide plants like ornamental cabbage that can be grown in winter. Variegated sage is a beautiful plant, so also ornamental chard. Pansies are sturdy plants and have the ability to bounce back after a freezing winter. Pansies can add more color and variety to the display. A little imagination can go a long way in getting a beautiful winter garden display. Ornamental cabbage can be the focal point of the display with ivy gracefully trailing over the sides of the container. Smaller plants may be planted around the ornamental cabbage with pansies to add a splash of color.

Winter container gardening is worth the effort for the pleasing effect it has on the landscape. Since the container is portable, it can be used as holiday table decorations or generally add color to an otherwise drab scene, reminding all that spring is not far away. Winter gardening is not a difficult task if one wishes to add the warmth of color to the cold winter months.

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Organic Container Gardening ? An Alternative For Gardens

Do you wish to plant organic plants of vegetables and flowers but do not have the space for it? Are you marring your wishes just because you do not have a proper garden? Now, there is a solution for you. These days, people are opting for organic container gardening when they do not find a proper garden for themselves. Similarly, you can also plant organic vegetables and flowers using a suitable container. The best part of this container is that it is movable and go along with you in case you move.

For organic container gardening, first of all, you need a good size container. Now, this container could be any vessel able to hold soil in it. You can either use a natural container made of clay or opt for wooden container too. You can also use a plastic carton or an old wheelbarrow as a container for your new little organic garden. The only thing to look for in a container, for your organic container gardening, is that it should not get scattered when you water the plants in it. Moreover, your chosen container should be able to drain because some of your plants will not like being over-watered. However, you can easily make holes in any container to provide proper drainage.

Next thing that you need for an organic container gardening is living organic soil. In case of a real garden, you can begin with any soil and gradually add the organic soul but not with an organic container garden. Here, you will have to start with organic soil only. The organic soil that you choose should have the capacity to hold water without over-drenching the roots of the plants. Remember there is no subsoil in the container, so you have to be careful in choosing the organic soil when doing organic container gardening. You can add peat moss to the organic soil to help it hold water. Or you can even grow plants in the peat moss without adding soil.

Now, what to grow in your container garden depends upon the size of the container. Nevertheless, do not forget to choose just the organic seeds for your organic container gardening. This will ensure better and healthy crops. Additionally, you should only use the organic pesticides and fertilizers for your little garden. Using the organic gardening supplies will ensure that you only get organic products that taste so good.

Organic container gardening is fun, easy and satisfying if you cannot own a proper garden. It gives you all the benefits that you can have from your garden and it will indulge in proper gardening as well. The seven most essential elements required for a successful organic container garden are plants, sunlight, water, temperature, space, nutrients and patience.

Summary: An organic container garden is one of the best alternatives for a real garden. For all those who cannot indulge in real gardening, organic container gardening is a satisfying experience. All one needs is a good container and proper organic gardening supplies to grow and sustain the plants grown in the container.

Organic Gardening
Set up your own organic garden and grow your own 100% organic vegetables. You will no longer have to spend money purchasing vegetables from your local market that will go bad quickly and need to be replaced.
Organic Gardening

Container Gardening For Vegetables

CONTAINER GARDENING FOR VEGETABLES 

Vegetable production is not only applicable in the countryside or in the  gardens but can be grown now within the heart of the city or just in your home even with only a limited space. 

If your home has an area with ample sunlight – a requirement for growing vegetables, you can grow them successfully. What are the locations that can be used for container gardening ? You can use your patio, balcony, terrace, rooftop, deck, window sill, pathways, etc. 

Be aware of the sunlight requirement for each kind of crop. For leafy vegetables, the required sunlight should be about four hours  the whole day, for fruit vegetables, at least 7-8 hours sunlight is needed daily, and root vegetables requires around 6 hours of sunlight a day. 

And besides of producing your own vegetables in a safer way, the attack of common pests and diseases can be greatly minimized. You can also improve the soil conditions  by adding some soil amendments; like manure, compost, and other essential food nutrients needed by the plants. 

Everything in your home that are considered as garbage can be utilized to the maximum by making them into compost. Even your household waste water can be used to irrigate your plants. 

In other words, container gardening is considered to be the practice that makes use of useless things. 

What Containers Are Ideal For Container Gardening? 

Growing vegetables can be executed in any type of containers such as;   cans, plastics, pails, split vehicle tires, cement bags, feed bags, bottle water plastics, gallon cans, cylinder blocks, milk container, bamboo cuts or any containers that have been thrown away. Even coco shells, banana bracts, leaves of coconut is ideal as potting materials especially for short season vegetables, like,  pechay, lettuce, mustard, etc. 

Good growing containers should possess the three important characteristics as suggested by Relf (1996); 

They must be large enough to support fully grown plants.  They must have adequate drainage.  They must not have held products that are toxic to plants and persons. 

Containers that drain poorly can affect the success of a container garden. It is therefore vital to have your containers above ground or any support that would raise the containers such as; slats, hollow blocks or anything to provide space below them to allow excess water to drain freely. 

For bigger plants, you should use big containers and for small containers use small plants. 

Small containers (1-2 gallons) are suited for lettuce, spinach, mustard, pepper, radish, green onions, carrots, beans, and dwarf tomatoes. Medium size containers (3-10 gallons) are best for eggplants while for larger ones (bigger than 10 gallons) are good for cabbage, cucumbers and tomatoes. 

 For most plants, containers should be at least 15 cm deep minimum especially for shot season vegetables. 

Recommended Container size and type/crop 

5 gal. window box – Bush beans, Lima beans

1 plant/5gal.pot, 3plants/15 gal. pot –Cabbage, Chinese cabbage

5 gal. window box at least 30 cm deep – carrot

1 plant/gal. pot – cucumber

5 gal. pot – Eggplant, tomato, okra

5 gal. window pot – Lettuce

1 plant/2gal. pot; 5 plants/15 gal. pot – Onion

5 gal. window box – Pepper, spinach

Plants grown in containers will depend on the kind of soil mixture to provide a maximum growth development. It is a must that you should provide the best soil media composition to give the possible return of your toil. Failure to give the plants with the necessary food nutrients in their growing period would results to  poor growth, lanky, and stunted plants that will results to your failure. 

The ideal soil mixture for container-grown vegetables crops are as follows: 

It should be light in weight and porous.  It should easily drain excess water.  It should have high water holding capacity.  It should be free from soil borne disease, nematodes and insect pests.  It should supply the right and balance amount of nutrients for the plants. 

The best mixture of soil media should compose the following; synthetic mix of horticultural-grade vermiculite, peat moss, limestone, superphosphate and complete fertilizer. 

Compost can also serve as an excellent growing medium. 

In your  country where the above media are not available, you can make your own potting media by mixing 1 part loam soil or compost manure,  1 part fine river sand, and coconut coir dust. 

If your country is producing rice you can replace coconut coir dust with the rice hull charcoal (carbonized). But this should be thoroughly sterilized to kill some deadly microbes that are detrimental to the plants. 

Sawdust is another medium that could be used in preparing your growing medium in the absence of coco coir dust and should also be sterilized. 

Sowing Seed and Transplanting 

Before going into the sowing procedure, give your utmost attention to the selection of seed you’ll use as planting materials. Good quality seeds should be your first concern. 

Good quality seeds possesses the following characteristics:  

damage free   free from other mixture with other varieties free from seed borne diseases  and with good vigor and germinating capacity. 

To get a quality and reliable seeds, you should buy from certified seed producers or seed suppliers. 

All vegetables that undergoes transplanting are excellent for container gardening. Transplants can be purchased from local nurseries or other successful gardeners in your locality. 

Before transplanting, fill plastic or germinating tray with the growing media preparation using the following ratio: 60% rice hull charcoal(carbonized), 30 % coconut coir dust, 10% chicken manure (60-30-10 ratio). 

In the absence of the above materials in your country, you can use the old soil media preparation – 1 part sand, 1 part compost, and 1 part garden soil (1-1-1 ratio). Make sure to sterilize them before the seed are sown. This is to kill some microorganisms that may cause damage to the seedlings. 

You can also purchase a prepared growell medium sold in local agriculture stores in your respective country. Inquire from your agriculture experts available in your area. 

Once the growing media is ready, fill the holes of the germinating or potting containers. Press  the soil medium lightly with your fingers in every hole filled with the medium. Then follows the sowing of seeds. 

In sowing seeds some techniques should be followed to insure germination: 

I Watermelon (Seeded) (Citrulis lunatus).  Soak seed 30 min.- 1hour in top water. Incubate by using moist cotton cloth. Spread the seeds and cover. Place in an improvised cartoon for 24-36 hours. After this period, sow the seeds at I seed per hill. Seed must be level in the soil guided by a finger or stick at 1 cm deep. For the seedless type the procedure is the same as the seeded but the tip near the embryo should be cut with the use of a nail cutter before inserting to the soil. Cutting the end portion of the seed hastens germination.

l  Bitter Gourd/Ampalaya  (Momordica charantia). Soak seeds for 30 min.-1 hour. Cut the tip near the embryo and sow  with the seed deep of ¾ of the soil at 1 seed per hole. 

l  Upo (  Lagenaria siceraria   ) and Patola ( Luffa cylindrica ). Cut the tip covering only near the embryo and sow seed at 1 seed per hole. 

l  Squash (Cucurbita spp). Soak seeds 30 min.-1 hour. Then pinch the tip near the embryo and sow seed at 1 seed per hole. 

l  Pepper (Capsicum annum L.), Eggplant (Solanum melongena), and Tomato (Lycopersicum  esculentum). Sow the seed directly to the germinating tray at 1-2 seeds per hole. 

l  Pechai /Pechay (Brassica pechai), Lettuce (Lactuca sativa), Cauliflower (Brassica oleracea var. botrytis ), and Broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. Italica ). Sow seed directly to the germinating at 1-2 seeds per hole. 

l  Cucumber (Cucumis sativus), Honey Dew / Muskmelon (Cucumis melo). Sow the seed directly to the germinating tray at 1 seed per hole. 

l  Carrot (Daucus carota) and Raddish (Rafanus sativus).  Directly sow the seed to the field at 2-3 seeds per hill. 

l  Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis ) and Beans (Phaseolus limensis ). Sow the seed directly to the field at 1 seed per hill. 

l  Corn (zea mays). Sow the seed directly to the field at 1 seed per hill. 

l  Papaya (Carica papaya). Soak the seeds for 30 min.-1 hour then sow to the germinating tray at 1 seed per hole. 

l  Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus  ). Directly sow the seed in the field at 1-2 seeds per hill. 

Container size for specific crops. 

Medium – Beans, lettuce, carrots, cabbage, broccoli  Large – Cuccumber, eggplant, tomato, pepper, okra, squash, papaya  Small – Onions, parsley, radish 

Light Requirements 

Sun – Beans, cucumber, eggplant, tomato, pepper, carrots, okra, squash, cabbage, Chinese cabbage, broccoli papaya  Partial shade – Lettuce, onions, parsley, radish 

 Fertilizer Requirements 

To get the right amount of fertilizer for your vegetables, you should analyze your soil media mixture. And if you can do it, organic or inorganic fertilizer should be used. 

Fertilizer combination of organic and inorganic would be much better with the correct proportion depending on the plant requirement. 

When using inorganic fertilizer you should prepare a base nutrient

The design secrets of choosing plants for container gardening

The secret of choosing the right plants for container gardening depends entirely on the needs of the plant and so the first and most important consideration should be where the container is finally going to be placed.

The conditions where the container is going to be finally placed, will decide what sort of plants you can use. There is no point in mixing shade loving plants with those that only thrive in strong sunlight. One of the biggest mistakes would be container gardeners make is to mix plants without consideration for those plants individual needs, likes and dislikes. The greatest secret to successful container gardening, is that you cannot just use plants in a container that look good together, they must also be happy where you put them.

Is the spot sunny or shady? You should do a bit of research first, but a good tip when choosing plants that like strong sunlight, is to look for those ones that have a silver or bluish colour to their leaves. These plants have developed these silvery leaves to deflect the sun’s rays away. In this way, the plant attempts to stop itself loosing to much water from evaporation, in the heat of the day.

You can also use other plants in strong sunlight like Sedum, which have thick fleshy leaves which are used by the plant to store moisture. Then there are also sun tolerant plants like Rosemary or Lavender that have needle shaped leaves. Most Mediterranean herbs will grow well in strong sunlight and this has the added benefit for the kitchen, in that it also encourages them to produce stronger oils and flavour.

If the container is to be placed in a shady spot, you must only use plants that will tolerate the lower levels of light. Here you can use plants such as Bergenias, Hostas, Heucheras, Tiarellas and Pulmonaria. These will thrive in shady conditions and brighten up any area.

Having decided which plants to use based on their preference of light conditions, you must also consider which ones like dry conditions, when it comes to the soil in the container and which ones prefer their feet to be a little wet. The constant watering that the containers need in high summer, unless you use self watering containers, will benefit some plants more than others

Moist loving plants will not thrive standing in water like bog plants, especially in winter and as a rule all containers need good drainage. However you must make sure that any container with moisture loving plants does not dry out. This will mean watering at least 4 times a day in high summer, again unless you are using a self watering container.

Moisture loving plants are for the most part herbaceous, a type of plant that contains both some lovely examples of contrasting foliage and some wonderful blooms. They are often used as a focal point in a garden design, with their great architectural shapes. Although many are to big to share a container, like the massive Gunneras, there are smaller varieties suitable for gardening containers. These can include those pretty Polygonatum’s, delicate Primulas and bright marsh marigolds.

There are small varieties of Irises for instance, that love moist but well drained conditions but do prefer to grow in a lime free soil which brings us on to the next point. You must decide if your plant needs acid soil or not. This will also depend on what soil you have available to fill your containers, although you can make it more acidic by adding in some peat, used coffee grounds or fallen pine needles or by adding lime you will go some way to balancing out an acid soil. Rhododendrons love acid soil but plants like saxifrages will need a more alkaline growing medium.

The size of the container will also have an effect on the plants you choose. You container must be big enough to accommodate the plants as they grow. You do not want to use plants that will grow so quickly they become root bound or cramp out their neighbours.

These are the four major decisions to be made in choosing plants for containers, without the added consideration of design. Just like an artist, who must choose what materials they wish to use, watercolours and oils or acrylics, before painting a picture and who will then adapt their techniques and design accordingly. The container gardener must first decide what plants to use based on their needs and preferences to end up with a thriving and successful container. Then and only then, comes the consideration of colour and overall design.

So, by putting first and sorting out the preferences of the plants, with relation to where the container will finally be placed, you will now have the choice of materials for your design.

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Container Gardening Tips for Everyone

All of us, at one time or another, has seen a display of container gardens with flowers or vegetables at a friend’s home or in a nursery center. Many mistakenly think that it took a lot of effort or was done by professionals. That is far from the truth. Container gardens are just as easy as outside gardens and in some way s even easier to maintain. Anyone that loves to garden can plant and raise a container garden even those with limited space, even apartment dwellers. You can create a beautiful garden with just a few container gardening tips.

Start out with a plan. You need to know what you are going to plant, a container garden flower or a container garden vegetable. You may want to concentrate on an herb container garden. It is important to know this so you can choose the right size container for the plants. The number one container gardening tip is to choose a pot that has sufficient space for soil and the plants. Vine type plants will need a large, deep pot to grow over. If you are planning on a large plant you will need a wide passed container for balance. Keep reading, there are more container gardening tips to come. One thing to keep in mind is that you must have adequate drainage in the container that you use. No plant likes to have “wet feet”.

The type of soil you use in your container garden is an issue too. Most experts on container gardening tips say that you should use potting soil. While some gardeners have had success using the soil from their outside gardens, it is not recommended. Potting soil is preferred mainly because it will not compact letting more water to the root system over the growing season. Here it is important to do some research and plant like minded plants together. Your plant groupings should consider water needs, sun needs and fertilization needs.

An essential container gardening tip is to pay attention to the plants watering needs. If you get a very hot streak and your container garden is outdoors on your patio you will need to water daily. If this is your first venture into container gardening, choose drought resistant plants. Plants in container gardens can’t reach out for other avenues of water supplies so it is up to you to make sure they don’t get thirsty.

You will come to love your container garden but plants only last so long. If the plants you are growing in your container garden become less productive change them out. With container gardening you are the one to decide how your gardens will be in bloom. It is true that you can manipulate your plants by moving them around or taking them from the inside to the outside, or vice versa.

There is one thing that you must be diligent about and that is pests. If you find a container that has an infestation, isolate and treat it immediately. Do not use harsh chemicals on the plants. If it is an indoor container garden the chemicals could harm pets or children. Here is a natural pesticide that will keep the bugs in check:

In a jar, combine 1 teaspoon dishwashing liquid and 1 cup vegetable oil. Shake vigorously. In an empty spray bottle, combine 2 teaspoons of this mixture and 1 cup water. Use at ten-day intervals (or more often if needed) to rid plants of whiteflies, mites, aphids, scales, and other pests.

Search online or at your local library for additional container gardening tips so that your beautiful container garden is a wild success. Once you have planted one container garden you will be anxious to start more.

Happy Container Gardening!

Copyright © Mary Hanna, All Rights Reserved.

This article may be distributed freely on your website and in your ezines, as long as this entire article, copyright notice, links and the resource box are unchanged.

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Plant Flower Bulbs For Beautiful Container Gardening

As a group,flower bulbs are outstanding plants—colorful, showy, and generally easy to grow for container gardening. Many have evergreen foliage; with others, the leaves ripen after flowering and the bulbs are stored and started again, year after year. Some flower bulbs are hardy, others, tender, though what is, and is not hardy, in a particular area is a matter of winter temperature averages. In cold regions, tender types—tuberous begonias, gloxinias, and calla lilies—can be treated like summer in container gardens. This gives the gardener a wide variety to grow from earliest spring to late fall.

Dutch flower bulbs include crocus, snowdrops, eranthis or winter aconites, chionodoxas, scillas, grape hyacinths, leucojums or snowflakes, Dutch hyacinths, daffodils, and tulips, the pride of northern spring gardens. Though hardy, they are not adapted to garden containers outdoors where temperatures drop much below freezing. They require the protection of a shed, unheated cellar or cold frame. Gardening Pots can also be dug into a trench in the ground for the winter and covered with a thick blanket of marsh hay or straw. Where temperatures do not go below freezing, Dutch flower bulbs can be left outdoors in gardening pots over the winter.

For best results in a container garden, start with fresh, firm, large-sized flower bulbs each fall. Insure good drainage in the bottom of each garden pot and use a light soil with bone meal added. If in clay pots, plunge during the rooting period in damp peat moss to prevent rapid drying out. If this occurs too often, roots will be injured and flowers will be poor. When weather permits, after the danger of freezing passes, put your container garden outside where they are to flower or in a nursery row until they reach the bud stage. After blooming, move your container garden where foliage can ripen unseen.

For fragrance, concentrate on Dutch hyacinths, excellent for bedding large planter boxes or raised beds. Daffodils look well grouped around trees or large shrubs, as birches and forsythias. Tulips, formal in character, combine delightfully with pansies, violas, wall flowers, forget-me-nots, marguerites, English daisies, and annual candytuft in container gardens.

As already indicated, in cold areas, Dutch flower bulbs cannot be potted or planted in small window boxes and left outdoors unprotected for the winter. They can, however, be set out in large planters and boxes, deep and wide enough to contain plenty of soil. The garden pots should be one and a half to two feet deep and about two feet wide. Set flower bulbs, with at least six inches of soil above them, planting them early enough in the fall so that they can make root growth before soil freezes hard. In penthouse gardens in New York City, Dutch bulbs have been grown successfully in this way, but it is always a risk. It makes no difference whether garden pots are made of wood, concrete, or other material; it is the amount of soil they hold that counts.

Actually, it is not the freezing of the soil that injures flower bulbs (this occurs in open ground), but it is the pressure and counter pressure exerted by frost on the sides of containers, which are firm and do not give. As a result, flower bulbs are bruised and thrust out of the soil, their roots torn. Where there is no hard freeze, but sufficient cold weather, hardy flower bulbs can be grown successfully in garden containers of small size.

Here is a partial list of flower bulbs that thrive in container gardens. They will help you with your container garden design

Achimenes are warmth-loving trailing plants with neat leaves and tubular flowers in blue, lavender, red and white. Related to gloxinias and African violets, they are nice in hanging baskets and window boxes or in garden pots on tables, shelves, or wall brackets. Start the small tubers indoors and give plants a sheltered spot with protection from strong sun and wind. Achimenes, an old standby in the South, is worthy of more frequent planting.

Agapanthus or Blue Lily of the Nile is a fleshy-rooted evergreen plant, with strap leaves, often grown in tubs and urns on terraces and steps during the summer, when the tall blue spikes unfold. Culture is easy, but plants require a well-lighted, frost proof room or greenhouse in winter. This is an old-time favorite, often seen in the gardens of Europe. It is a perfect flower bulb for container gardening.

The Calla Lily is Showy, and outdoors in warmer regions, but a tender pot plant in the North. Most familiar is the white one with large, shiny, heart-shaped leaves. Start bulbs indoors in February or March in rich soil and, when weather settles, transfer to large gardening pots and take outdoors. Calla lilies do well in full sun or part shade, are heavy feeders and need much water. There is also a dainty yellow one with white-spotted leaves. Rest your flower bulbs after foliage ripens and grow again.

Colorful and free-flowering Dahlias provide bounteous cut blooms. Tall, large-flowering kinds can be grown only in large planters and boxes, but the dwarfs, even freer flowering, are excellent in small garden containers. Attaining one to two feet tall, they grow easily from tubers in average soil in sun or part shade. They may also be raised from seed sown indoors in February. If tubers are stored in peat or sand in a cool, frost proof place, they can be grown for years. Check bulbs during winter, and if shriveling, sprinkle lightly.

Gladiolus, the summer-flowering plant has spear like leaves and many hued spikes. Corms can be planted in garden containers outdoors after danger of frost is passed. Set them six inches apart and four to six inches deep. The best way to use these in container gardening is to planting a few every two to three weeks, giving you a succession of bloom in your container garden. Stake stems before flowers open. After the leaves turn brown, or there is a frost, lift corms, cut off foliage and dust with DDT to control the tiny sucking thrips. After dusting, store corms in a dry place at 45 to 55 degrees F for future planting.

Gloxinias, another Summer-flowering plant and tender with large, tubular blooms of red, pink, lavender, purple, or white, and broad velvety rosettes of leaves. Start tubers indoors and don’t take outside until weather is warm. Since the leaves are easily broken or injured by wind or rain, put plants in a sheltered spot. The low broad eaves of contemporary houses, with restricted sun, offer an appropriate setting for rows of pots or window boxes filled with gay gloxinias.

Now you have some great ideas for your container garden design. It’s time now to start planting your flower bulbs.

Happy Container Gardening!

Copyright © 2006 Mary Hanna All Rights Reserved.

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Container Gardening Ideas For The Many Different Garden Pots

For container gardening ideas, search the internet, the library or a bookstore. The challenge is to come up with a pleasing container garden design. There are an unlimited variety of containers available for your container garden. These range in size from small house-plant pots to large boxes and planters. Equally variable are the materials from which they are made. These include wood, glass, clay, aluminum, bamboo, straw, plastic, fiberglass, terra cotta, tin, cast iron, zinc, copper, and brass, each with certain advantages and disadvantages. What you select will depend on availability, cost, background, and appeal not to mention the characteristics of the gardening pots.

Here are some container gardening ideas. In addition to traditional circular pots and tubs, there are modern and ultra-modern forms—square, rectangular, triangular, hexagonal, and octagonal. Also eligible are old iron kitchen pots, kettles, pails, jugs, casks, vases, crocks, jelly tubs, barrels and nail kegs, Japanese fish tubs, old sinks, bathtubs, bamboo soy tubs. There are novelty containers such as driftwood, wheelbarrows, donkey carts, spinning wheels and boxes attached to roadside mail receptacle. There are also bird cages, decorative well heads, animal figures, and Strawberry jars. Woven baskets may be used to conceal unattractive containers. Even tar paper pots, handled by garden centers and florists, are worthwhile if painted or covered to improve their appearance. Any of these can be used in your container gardening ideas.

Where to find your container supplies? Start with what you have. If you scout cellars or basements, attics, garages, and sheds, you will doubtless encounter something interesting. Old-fashioned pots and kettles, often sold in antique shops at country auctions or seen at old New England inns, have much appeal.

Other container garden ideas are to consider old cookie and bean jars, pickle and other types of crocks, wash tubs, coal pails, jardinières, and ceramic bowls. For drainage, spread a thick layer of large pebbles or broken pieces of pots or bricks at the bottom and then water plants with care. In large containers of this kind, drainage material should be several inches thick. Where rainfall is heavy, be sure to keep garden containers without drainage outlets on porches, under awnings or the broad eaves of houses. With pails and old galvanized wash tubs, holes can be easily punctured at the bottom.

Plants in containers without drainage openings remain moist longer. Some of these—crocks, jardinières and cookie jars—are heavy enough to be secure against wind in outside container gardening.

What constitutes the ideal container for your container garden ideas? A container must be attractive, even if it is not an object of art. It should be strong and durable and able to resist all kinds of weather. This is especially true of the large sizes, which usually remain outdoors all year around. In the North, alternate freezing and thawing is a problem in winter (and could cause cracking); in tropical climates, excessive heat, humidity, and moisture are to be considered (and could cause fading). And in semiarid areas, there is the effect of scorching sun to keep in mind, another cause of fading. All these things must be kept in mind when coming up with your container gardening design.

The ideal container must be large enough to hold a substantial amount of soil. It should have good drainage facilities through holes or other openings at the bottom or sides, though this is not absolutely necessary. It must not rust, at least in a single season, and it should have a wide enough base to rest firmly wherever placed. Besides, it ought to be heavy enough to withstand average winds. In severe storms, like hurricanes and tornadoes, movable containers can be shifted to temporary safety. All of these things should be factored in when you are coming up with your container gardening ideas.

Resistance to rot is another requirement. Wooden containers—except those made of rot-resistant redwood, Western cedar, and Southern red cypress—will need to be treated with a wood preservative. Except for permanent containers, the ability to move your container garden is another feature, and sometimes a safety precaution, of portable container gardening. Large boxes and planters can be fitted with wheels, and garden centers have redwood tubs that rest on platforms with wheels. A hole in the platform corresponds to the hole in the tub. Large containers without wheels can be pushed on iron or wooden rollers by two or more persons; however, if you live in an area prone to disastrous storms it is best to keep your containers small.

Smaller containers are ideal for growing herb container gardens. If you plan to plant an herb container garden be imaginative Here are some container garden ideas for herbs that go well together.

For an Italian selection try Sweet basil, Italian parsley, Oregano, Marjoram and Thyme.

For a lovely scented container use Lavender, Rose scented geranium, Lemon balm, Lemon thyme, and Pineapple sage.

For really great salads try Garlic chives, Rocket, Salad burnet, Parsley, Celery.

And to say “We love French Cooking!” use Tarragon, Chervil, Parsley, Chives and Sage.

Any of these will liven up your cooking and please your family.

So these are just a few container gardening ideas. Get out a pad of paper and make up a container garden design that will please the eye and maybe even the palate

Happy Container Gardening!

Copyright © 2006 Mary Hanna All Rights Reserved.