Container Gardens

~ By Aletha ~

When you are going to do Container Gardens, there are a few things to think of and you are saying "yes" what are they? Well they have to do with the type of container used as there are different varieties as follows:

The first type that we may think of is Clay Pots as these are an old stand by that we see when we were growing up, at least I did, not that many but once in awhile my Mom did use one, and I have also. With clay they get better with age and they tend to be heavy when filled with soil, which is good if they are going to be in a windy area and bad if you want to move them around unless you put them on a platform with wheels. They dry out quicker making watering a key issue but it is also a plus too since you can pick the dead flowers off and check to see if any lovely bugs are eating some of your plants. They also come in a variety of styles and sizes but they are pretty.

Next we have Plastic Pots, a lot of people buy these because they are light weight and easy to move. They also come in a variety styles and are not porous so the soil does not dry out that fast, but you have to make sure you have adequate drainage holes. If they do not you can drill some more in the bottom or side, you want to make sure the soils drains properly.

Next we have Window Boxes which are just simple rectangular boxes and you are saying "I have those, I like those yes, they are nice you can do a lot with them." You can hang them on a railing and also a fence, you can put them around the perimeter of the patio or you can use them for what they were intended for when they first came out for a window. I think they are nice, when you are going to do window boxes look for ones that are redwood or treated lumber to minimize problems with rot also you have to think of the depth for the soil and watering a little more. I just love the look when you see a window box and it has all these beautiful flowers just trailing from it.

Next we have Hanging Baskets, oh the wonders of these beauties, they come in Wire, Plastic and Wood, you hang them from above on hooks some on the lawn you put a Shepherds hook in the lawn and hang a basket. There is so much you can do with hanging baskets and you can plant so many different plants in a wire basket to give you more flowers or vegetables, you fill them with sphagnum moss or coconut fiber and you poke holes in that and put your plants in, fill with soil and water from the top. You will have to water more often but you also have to make sure you hang them property as they do get heavy after watering, also be aware that water dripping out of the bottom may effect what is below that.

Then we have your imagination and creativity to plant in different containers, such as old Sprinkling cans, Wheel barrows, Shoes, Kitchen pots and Sewer pipes, Boots bicycle baskets and an old Chair seat; there is so much to work with it is up to you what you want to do with container gardening, as they say "the world is your oyster you have to decide what you want."

         

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