Container gardening can be done in nearly every house and garden. There are numerous attractive settings for container plants. For example, if you have a garden with areas of gravel or paving, you may enliven these up with container gardening. You can also use container plants to line walks and paths that lead to the garden, garage, or house. Container gardening is also suitable for very small gardens. With some well placed colorful pots of flowers, you can have a great looking garden.

Containers You Can Use For Container Gardening

For starters, consider using pots. You’ll be able to get them in different shapes, sizes and types - glazed, hand-painted, terracotta, plaster, real stone or fake stone, and others. It is important to choose a suitable type of pot to use. For example, if where you live in has cold climate and you intend to leave your pots in the open all winter, make sure to use frost resistant pots. Terra Cotta pots are better than glazed clay or plastic pots because of their permeability which allows the passage of air. If you want to use a particularly pretty glazed pot, then it’s better to plant in a plain pot and then putting that inside the decorative one.

Consider also using wooden containers in your container gardening. Real wine tubs can serve as excellent containers. Since they are naturally ‘cured’ already, they naturally resist rot. Expensive wood like Redwood and Cedar can last very well outdoors. They do not need any special weather treatment. Just a quick and simple spraying of preservatives will do. They are also good to look at. However, be careful with those planters that are ready made. On the outside, they are made of solid cedar, but the inside is made of toxic treated pine. If the inside and outside wood doesn't look the same, don't use it. Otherwise use a liner inside it.

Novelty containers like wheelbarrows, donkey carts, and spinning wheels can be fun in some places. However, do not overdo with such planters. Usually they are set on a terrace, on lawns, or beside a gate or doorway.

You may also want to consider using hanging pouches, wall hanging half baskets or pots, or hanging baskets. They are lovely for trailing plants and will look great especially during summer.

Metal pans, wood boxes, cotta pots, clay urns, wine tubs, bath tubs, sisal rope planters, glass bowls, cement hollows, wire baskets, hand crafted containers and broken crocks - to mention a few, all work well for container gardening.

If you have a talent for construction, you could even consider building your own containers or raised beds with bricks or decorative blocks.

Planting Tips For Container Gardening

Go to your garden nursery center and look thru the selections. Choose plants that will harmonize with colors that will go well together. Container Gardening is fun and easy and a great way to show off your handiwork. Be prudent when you are buying plants. Choose those that look healthy with a good natural shape. For example, choose plants with straight trunks and avoid plants that have slanted, twisted, or deformed stems as these deformities can affect their healthy growth.

Use the best quality compost. To some extent, garden borders can get their nutrients from the soil, leaf mulch and other naturally-occurring organic matter. However, in container gardening, this is not usually possible. So, buy the best possible compost that you can afford.

Container plants need to be fed more often. Choose compost which already has sufficient nutrients added to last a season. This is a good start for annuals. Alternatively, you can use slow-release pellets and mix them with the compost in the dosage recommended by the manufacturer. Another alternative is to apply, once or twice every two weeks, a liquid feed throughout the growing season.

Container gardening plants need much more water than those in beds. Especially during summer, hanging baskets and the like will probably need watering twice a day. Some people set up an irrigation system for their pots. This is ideal but rather expensive. Alternatively, you may add a moisture retaining product to your compost. They come in powder form which you mix with water to form a gel or water retaining balls that look like polystyrene to be mixed with the compost. When watering, it is important to add enough water to soak it all the way to the bottom of the pot. Watering should be done until you see water emerges from the pot’s bottom. This ensures the roots can reach to all parts of the container and grow properly.

Plan your container gardening well and you will reap the benefits of a pleasant and beautiful garden that you can be proud of.

Richard Wong