Enjoy the Pleasures of Gardening in Small Spaces
Many people who live in apartments or condos forego the pleasures of
gardening because they think they don't have the room. Container
gardening is an easy and efficient way to enjoy many of the same
benefits as traditional gardening and anyone can do it regardless of
where you live. Fill a pot, basket - even an old tire with colorful
flowers for a foolproof, hassle free garden. All you need is a little
TLC and a bit of guidance and you'll have a container garden that all of
your friends and family will envy.
First of all, become familier
with the different types of containers so that you choose one to best
fit your needs. Containers can be anything - traditional ones such as
clay pots or wooden window boxes to the not-so-traditional, like old
tires, baskets and wheelbarrows. I once planted flowers in one of my
nephews old tennis shoes! The main thing to remember is that all
containers must have good drainage. Regardless of the type, they must
have at least one drainage hole. Then it is best to put some kind of
"feet" under the container (bricks or a terra cotta saucer.) This is so
the water can drain easily out of the bottom. It also helps to cover the
hole inside the pot with a bit of broken pottery to facilitate steady
drainage. Clay pots are classic, but they're very pourous, so water
evaporates quickly in the heat. Plastic containers are lightweight and
easy to move around. Wood and ceramic are also good choices. Let your
pots make a statement, much as you would a new piece of furniture for
your home. Remember - a cast iron urn says "formal" while a wooden
barrel says "rustic."
You should fill your container with three
key ingredients - a good quality potting soil or soilless potting mix,
water-retaining crystals and a slow-release granular fertilizer (try to
choose one specificially for containers.) You shouldn't use soil from
your garden because generally plants in your garden are different from
container plants. Leave one or two inches between the soil and the top
of the pot so there's room to water without soil spilling out of the
container. When placing plants in the container, a good rule of thumb is
to think in terms of three rings: a center plant (usually the tallest
plant,) then a ring of plants that cluster around the center plant and
finally, an outer ring of plants to drape over the edge of the
container.
Some good choices for the centerpiece plant are
pennisetums, large cannas, banana plants, elephant's ears, guzmania and
colocasias. For the second "layer" of mounding plants, try hens and
chicks, sage, ageratum, coral bells, black mondo grass, geraniums,
verbena or dahlias (the shorter varieties.) Finally, for the outer ring,
some good choices are sweet potato vine, draping verbena, coleus,
petunias, nasturtiums, creeping sedum, thyme and sprawling geraniums. Of
course, these are just some suggestions - anything goes in container
gardening. One of my favorites is to just fill a big pot with lavender
and a few thyme plants to spill over the side. I enjoy geraniums in my
window boxes because they come in a variety of vibrant colors and last
way into the fall. Enjoy the process and over time you'll learn which
combinations you like and what works best for you.
One final
note is to remember pots tend to dry out very quickly, so water, water,
water! Early morning and evening are the best times to water. Experiment
and have fun - you can't go wrong with container gardening. Like
painting - you're the artist and if you don't like the way something
looks, just pull out the plants and start all over! Soon you will be on
your way to a hassle free container garden you can be proud of and enjoy
all summer long!
