Container gardening is an easy way to integrate plants into your life even in a small space. If you provide your plants with the right amount of water, air, and food, they will thrive.
You need the following to create a container garden:
Container: Anything can be a container, as long as there is a hole for drainage and it is big enough to hold your plants.
Location: Before you pick your flowers, herbs, vegetables, or whatever you’re going to be picking in your container, think about the location – where you’re going to put your pot. Some plants do well in shade, while others need full sun.
Soil: Avoid using soil from your yard or yard as it can contain pests or diseases. Instead, use a potting mix designed for containerized horticulture.
Choosing Plants: Pick what you like in the colors you like. Everything goes! And if you follow the Thriller, Filler and Spiller planting method, your container will be fabulous. The idea is to choose a type of plant for each of these words.
- Thriller: Pick a bigger plant with a “wow” factor. Your focus. Some choices include spikes, coleus, dahlia, astilbe, and salvia.
- Filler: These plants fill in the space around your focal point thriller plant and add color. Some choices include Begonia, Lantana, Impatiens, Calibrachoa, and Brownallia.
- Spiller: Spiller plants drape over the sides of your container. Choose from options like ivy, wave petunias, vinca, potato vine, creeping jenny, fuchsia, and bacopa.
Create: Construct your masterpiece by starting with the thriller, then the fountain pens, followed by the spillers.
Water: Water right after planting. How often and how much water you will need will depend on the types of plants you are using, the material of the container (some can be porous, allowing evaporation), and the weather. A good way to assess is to stick your finger in the potting medium and when it’s dry to the first knuckle, give your plants a drink. In the summer, I water my outdoor containers almost every day, especially when it’s hot and dry.
Container gardens can be super small, huge, or everything in between. A pot of plants can brighten your space, lift your mood, relieve stress, and give you the opportunity to become a nature conservationist.
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