Container Gardening

Well planted containers can be put to quite a number of different uses. They may simply provide your only opportunity to garden-on a balcony, roof garden, backyard, or patio – where they will introduce much appreciated color, foliage interest and possibly even scent into an otherwise sterile environment.

Growing plants within the confines of a container opens up a whole new set of inspiring gardening opportunities. The beauty of container gardening is that you can create, and then control, your planting environment to an extent that land-bound gardeners can only dream about.

The first advantage you will enjoy is that plants in containers can be moved from place to place. This gives you a marvelous opportunity to try out several different arrangements Until you discover the optimum position for each plant. It also allows you to adapt the design through the season bringing plants to center stage when they are at their best, then shunting them to a less prominent position when their moment of glory has passed.

Another advantage is that tender plants will thrive in cooler climates if container grown. Unlike in the border, where a plant becomes a permanent feature the minute it is planted, a container specimen can be displayed during warm weather, then moved into a protected spot when the temperature drops.

Since containers enable you to select the precise growing medium you need, they are particularly useful if your soil type restricts the range of plants you can grow. If, for example, you have a passion for acid loving plants but your garden soil is alkaline, a container full of acidic soil mix gives you the growing opportunity you have been looking for.

Containers In The Border

Clearly, containers are invaluable in paved areas where there is no soil available. However, they can also add a whole new dimension to more conventional gardens. If a garden design turns out to be slow to establish, less interesting than you had expected, or a specimen plant dies and leaves a hole in the planting, ready-planted pots can be plunged into the border to add instant splashes of color or to fill a gap. These posts can be removed or replaced as soon as they best of their display is over. If you acquire a particularly beautify container, you might even consider incorporating it in a permanent border design. This could create an interesting focal point for your design which would look good when empty, and stunning when well planted.

What Can You Grow

Most plants can be grown in containers, provided, of course, that he capacity of the pot is suitable got the ultimate size of plant. Bulbs, annuals, perennials, shrubs, climbers, and even small trees will all grow well. Rock plants thrive in such free-draining conditions and are often grown in a stone trough or old glazed sink where their delicate beauty can be shown off to perfection. Many vegetables will also do well in containers, and it is even possible to plant a barrel pond complete with miniature water lilies.

Plants For Different Situations

Planted containers can also be extremely useful in places where you would like to screen off an unattractive feature—perhaps a shed or trash can area—but have no possibility of planting a hedge or erecting a fence. In these circumstances, carefully positioned container plants, especially climbers, shrubs, and small trees, can provide the ideal position. Similarly, pots can be used to draw the eye away from a messy area of the garden; to help soften hard, angular edges on a square patio; or to brighten up a dull flight of eternal stairs.