You probably already know where you’d like to plant some annuals: That bald spot under the big tree in the front yard could use some help, and it would be nice to have a little color by the deck. But before you start digging, consider whether you’d rather grow your plants directly in the garden soil or in containers.
Raised bed planters are the ultimate when defining a planting bed. They allow gardening where soil is poor or drainage is a problem, and they help avoid bending low to plant or care for flowers.
Photo Credit: ©2000 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard
Vacation absences threaten container plants by interrupting regular supplies of water. Simple slow-release watering aids during such periods can help bridge the gap between ordinary irrigations.
Photo Credit: ©2000 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard
A planting bed certainly is the best place for big annual presentation. It’s also the right site to grow annuals in quantity for a cutting garden, mass planting or carpet bed. If it’s flexibility you want, however, containers gain the edge. Many containers allow you to move plants from one place to another, bringing them to center stage for a week or two, then setting them out of sight as flowers fade. Containers also call attention to flowers that otherwise might go unnoticed or raise the blooms of fragrant flowers to nose level.
You also can use containers to grow annuals that may otherwise find an inground site inhospitable. For instance, if you have a deeply shaded spot, you can move in potted foliage annuals for a few weeks at a time, and then treat them to a brighter spot. If your yard has more sand than the Sahara or drains worse than the Okefenokee, containers give you the option of growing flowers without amending the soil or altering the landscape. Similarly, if the roots of your silver maple have absorbed all nearby soil nutrients, pots of impatiens will brighten the unplantable area.
Planting annuals in containers adds a few extra steps to the process of planning and preparing, but it saves on stooping and maintenance. You’ll need to figure out the depth, shape and volume of each container to accommodate your plants and consider the material, liners, watering aids and other auxiliary materials that may be needed. Still, watering and fertilizing a container planting is not as complex as maintaining a flower bed – although the chores must be done more frequently.
Of course, you can always opt for the best of both worlds: Plant some annuals in containers and some in beds for a banquet of blooms and a moveable feast of flowers.
