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Tips and Ideas on Container Gardening

Marion Stewart ⁽²⁸²⁾ Canada

Marion Stewart

Garden Planter Store

Trees and Shrubs for Garden Containers

Posted Tuesday, November 03, 2009 (18 days 23 hours ago.) Viewed 9 times.

Year around enjoyment will be there when you select a potted tree or shrub that's evergreen or has attractive bark, even when its leaves are gone. They are great choices for containers if you need a large plant for a certain spot. Perhaps a Christmas Tree?

Basically the only limit on the size of tree that you can plant will be your ability to lift the container. There are special planter lifts available, however, perhaps a grouping of many smaller shrubs and trees is more practical. If in a windy place, the top-heavy trees can be very easily blown over and damaged. With very large containers, ensure that you place the container on the movable base before filling it with soil and the plant. The wheels are great and come in handy when moving the plant around as the seasons change or to protect it from winter chills away from fierce wind or brutal sunshine.

In many areas, one large tree in a container is all you need to add a spectacular focal point to your patio, deck or courtyard. They are an investment, so make sure that you know what you want when you visit garden shop or nursery.

If your garden or balcony is overlooked by a neighboring window at a certain height, you will need to select an evergreen for year-round privacy. Then, if your space is limited, you could consider a large tree on a long truck, thus all the foliage can spread out like a canopy above a seating area, with the added bonus of giving you shade while affording privacy.

When faced with a blank wall or fence, you will want to cover it or camouflage it with well spaced shrubs or trees. The effect of evenly spaced containers along the wall or fence gives a finished look without the feeling of being closed in. Some of the plants to be considered would be conifers such as Chamaecyparis, Juniperus and the Picea species, the Eucalyptus gunnii and the boxwood (Buxus). All are suitable for garden planters and containers. Small or dwarf varieties are great, they are easily handled and are usually slower growing.

Each of the containers can be surrounded by colorful annuals during the season to add color and variety to the potted tree.

If you are choosing to plant shrubs in your containers, be sure to check that there are drainage holes in the bottom and then place broken crockery or bits of polystyrene on the bottom to increase drainage and not block the holes. Fill the pot with fresh loam-based potting mix (no peat please) and fill to where you can stand the plant up in the container on the soil with a two inch gap to the rim of the pot.

Place the shrub in its container (the one you brought home from the nursery) in the center of the pot and start filling around it, making sure the soil is firmly packed. You want to create a hole for the plant to slip into, in exactly the right place and at the correct depth. If it's not center, redo a second time. Gently remove the shrub in its container out of the pot leaving the hole intact. Be sure that the plant is well watered at this point. Then carefully remove the shrub from its container and tease the roots at the edge of the root so that they grow outward. Gently lower the shrub into the hole created, add more soil if required. Be sure to water in well to remove any air pockets. Secret: place a piece of crockery at the corner of the finished container and pour water over it you will have an even flow of water and not expose the roots.

Finally, scatter gravel or small river rock in the thin layer around the shrub. This is a lovely decorative touch and serves to keep the plant moist without excessive evaporation.

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Balcony & Rooftop Gardens

Posted Tuesday, September 01, 2009 (82 days 4 hours ago.) Viewed 44 times.

Before you get started with either your balcony garden or gardening on your rooftop, there are some very important factors to consider.

Firstly, and of course the most obvious, make sure that the structure can withstand the weight and the rooftop will not be comprised with anyone walking on it, let alone creating extra weight or watering difficulties.

Most apartment and condominium balconies will definitely support gardening in containers and planters. The ones that are built with wood may not support extremely large and heavy pots; however, gardening can still be done with smaller planters. Where you have concrete floors, there is little damage to the surface, however, be sure to avoid using very heavy containers. This is where research into other planter materials is prudent, your resin garden planters do not contribute weight in of themselves and larger containers therefore may be used. Spread the load over a wide area using wooden slats, brackets and hooks to take the weight of hanging pots or baskets.

Secondly, check the microclimate of your balcony or rooftop. Note the direction of the wind and how much sun it gets during the day. Some balconies are very sheltered and receive no direct sunlight; others are fully exposed and take the direct sun all day. Of course, the rooftop garden may be sheltered by service structures or you may place your own trellis to give some protection from the wind and sun. Many balcony plants do not get much rain because they are situated under an awning or protected from the balcony above. In this case, make sure that the containers are kept moist by watering daily.

What to plant. Just like planning your landscape garden, you may wish to consider your balcony and/or rooftop a private place to relax and entertain.

Start with a framework around your space. Create a distinct border to surround your new space. This can be done with plants that spill onto the space like lady's mantle and geraniums or you can create clusters of height with grasses and small shrubs. All of your plants can be in garden planters and containers. They are easy to move around to see what works best and easier to control the intense heat or winds during certain times of the day.

Your planters may be incorporated into wonderful garden benches the benches can delineate the space and provide additional seating. One simple way is to create a platform for your containers then the plants can be easily seen and of course it is nice to have scented plants all around. Some of the best scented plants may be roses, heliotrope, jasmine, gardenias and sweet peas. You can be very creative with the placement of the planters and containers cluster them in different sizes and shapes and filled with a wide variety of plant material.

Privacy on your balcony, rooftop or terrace is easily accomplished using well situated raised planters or by adding a pergola or trellis to block unsightly maintenance or ventilating equipment. Just plant a climbing hydrangea, wisteria, magnolia or jasmine vine and the garden dcor is complete.

Linking your home, apartment or condo to your outside space can often be the best of all worlds. There are so many options to have a garden for enjoyment created by your own aspirations.

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Garden Vacation for Houseplants

Posted Friday, July 31, 2009 (114 days ago.) Viewed 521 times.

A deck or patio can be a great place to give your houseplants a summer holiday. Just like us, they get an extra bit of energy with a change of scenery and are the great shape to return to their natural indoor habitat when the weather turns. The plants enjoy their new surrounds and make super additions to groups of garden pots and containers. Everyone responds to the warmth, fresh air, rainfall and of course sunshine by giving off new growth and vitality come Fall.

There is a system to moving indoor plants outside. It is imperative that they are moved gradually so that they don't go into shock and become accustomed to the very different conditions over time. Just like seedlings, they need to be hardened off. Start to place the planters and pots outdoors once the weather has warmed up and any danger of frost is over. Firstly, set the pots in a protected, shady area even the cacti and succulents which love the sun. If you start with the planters in the full sun, they will scorch even though they have been in a south facing window all winter. Gradually expose them to more and more sun over the course of a week or two. Check every day to see that the soil is moist and there are no scorch marks on any of the leaves.

By early summer, they should be fully incorporated in the garden. Each houseplant has its own place among the many containers of annuals and perennials. They add a new dimension to the deck and patio and can even be placed in the garden landscape to add a definite focal point to the area. It is so easy to move flower pots and containers around, try to find spots where they will receive the morning sun and afternoon shade, away from the direct hot sunrays of the late afternoon. If you have shade loving houseplants and ferns, be sure to keep them protected all summer they just cannot tolerate full sun even if acclimatized gradually.

Again it is necessary to remember that you will need to water much more frequently when the plants are outside than when they were inside the house. They grow more actively and require more water. The wind and sun also increases their need for water because of higher transpiration.

Nothing can be more pleasing to the eye than a cluster of different sized pots and planters outdoors for their summer vacation. Make a centerpiece for the patio table using your cacti and succulents. Move your display around often to see where which place it enjoys the most you can tell when your plants are happy they grow and thrive when they like the conditions.

What can you grow in a container? Just about any plant that you can grow in the ground you can grow in a container. You can use one season annuals or long-lived trees. One way to experiment with what you can grow in containers is to choose plants that are not hardy in your area and then move them inside for the winter. Just get your "houseplants" started outdoors see what plants you like and then you have new plants inside for the rest of the year.

Here is a tip for your Amaryllis. The secret of growing Amaryllis is to keep the plants actively growing after they finish blooming. Keep the plants in full sun, with a night temperature above 60 o F. As soon as danger of frost has passed, set the plants outside in a semi-shaded spot. In the Fall, before danger of frost bring them in and store them in a cold dark place to rest. They will be ready to force again about January 1st. Bring them into a warm light room and water moderately to begin new growth.

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Special Plants for Large Containers

Posted Thursday, July 02, 2009 (143 days 1 hour ago.) Viewed 188 times.

Containers are so versatile often we design with a combination of plants, however, to add special interest for an overall display, consider including some large plants or special plants and grow them in a single pot or garden planter.

Create a distinct break between your patio or terrace and turn this into an outdoor room. This can be accomplished by incorporating large garden containers filled with just a single spectacular plant and then infilling with border plantings. More than just providing a view, the design is provided from the inside out.

A number of shrub-sized plants, including most perennials, are effective when displayed along or surrounded by mixed containers. This is especially true when trying to eliminate the expansiveness of a fence mix those specimen large planters with your garden border to create interest instead of boredom along the fence line.

Like all good container plants, the best choices feature those plants that have long blooming periods or foliage that remains attractive throughout the summer. Here are some good ideas. Consider Angel's trumpets (Brugmansia spp.) and Lantana (Lantana camara), just to name a couple. One of the best uses for ornamental grasses is the large special container planting, purple fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum "Rubrum") with its wonderful burgundy leaves and even consider using pampas grass (Cortaderia selloana), Another great plants are the dwarf grasses such as "Pumila". These grasses are considered annuals in a lot of growing regions and can be taken indoors over the Winter.

Your large container pots also look great planted with a single, good sized clump of low growing plants. Consider variegated society garlic (Tulbaghis violacea "Variegata" and variegated leaved geraniums (Pelargonium spp.). Both are very effective displayed in a single garden planter or container. Sedge grass is also one of those easy plants to have in your containers and can be combined with trailers to give a more finished look. Although the low growing plants are not as spectacular, they do offer a contrast and are nice accents when included with your large container planters.

For shady conditions, there are a number of plants that look wonderful. Consider caladiums (Caladium spp.) or begonias, both tuberous and Sutherland begonias are great options. Other shade plants of course include the Coleus they now have cultivars that are suitable for sun conditions too. Plectranthus is a great plant and excellent for partial shade.

Theme areas can be created using your specimen plants and other annuals. Group one of your shrub-like specimen planters with a large group of pots containing annuals or perennials for an interesting look. Ground cover plants are certainly effective when used around plants such as angel's trumpet as the leaves fall off the base as they grow. Don't forget to add a low growing layer of trailing plants to add a splash of color into the container. Superbells (Calibrachoa) go so well and one of our favorites, of course bacopas (Bacopa spp.) and licorice plant (Helichrysum petiolare) are lovely too.

One of the most stunning combinations is using the braided hibiscus as the specimen plants and surrounding them with trailing variegated ivy and pink geraniums for that extra splash of color to soften the arrangement and balance the arrangement.

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