garden containers

The Idiots Guide

to Garden Containers

Thanks to container gardening, almost anything can be grown anywhere. Planter boxes, plastic storage containers, clay pots, hanging baskets or even plain old plastic jars with lids are some of the containers that are used for gardening.

Container Rules

The container is the most important aspect of container gardening. You need to choose one that has a wide opening and facilitates easy planting, weeding of soil, tilling etc. Try glazed ceramic pots. Avoid using wood that has been treated with chemicals as they can harm the plants.

Where are you growing it ?

The place where you are planning to grow your container garden is equally important. Many people store their containers in a storage shed. But keep in mind that depending on the kind of plant you are growing, your container will need at least 4 to 5 hours of sunlight everyday. There are some plants which need more but this is the minimum that is needed. There are sunlight guides available for various plants. For example, in countries with a hot and dry weather, plants need more water. Also, the more you water the plants, faster the fertilizers in the plant get washed away.

Garden Containers, Flower Pots and Planters

There are many reasons for growing plants in garden containers, flower pots and planters. An obvious one is if you are growing exotic plants that can be placed outdoors in summer in a location that suits each plant, and then taken indoors or into a more shaded spot in the fall and winter. Plants grown in garden containers are portable, and to many people this is big advantage. Using containers and flower pots it is possible to plant a whole garden that can be rearranged to suit the flowering patterns of the plants.

You can fill in the bare patches with new pots or planters, and arrange the colors to suit your preference. Potted plants are totally depended on you for their water and nutrition. First the plants. Pots are restrictive and the size will depend on the requirements of the plants. Cyclamens too prefer more space, and so would be more suited to large pots or planters. Trees prefer large pots, and the larger garden tubs would be more appropriate for the larger varieties.

Bulbs can be grown in planters, about two to three bulb widths apart, though the fall bulbs will need some exposure to the frost since they need a low temperature for a strong root growth.

If you plant them fairly close together in garden containers or planters, you can design a lovely looking garden, or a fine display for a patio. Most annuals are suitable for garden containers, pots and planters, some particularly attractive choices being petunia, tobacco plant (nicotiana) with its wonderful smell, and begonias. Cigar Plants (cuphea) love lots of sun and have unusual flowers. Many people use containers for window ledges and balconies, and if you have decking, then deck rail planters are an attractive means of hanging plants from the handrails. Garden containers, flower pots and planters are an attractive and very practical way of decorating your garden, patio or conservatory, and a little bit of imagination can work wonders.