Container Gardening

When it comes to container garden design, it pays to take a few tips from the artists and pay attention to color, texture and form. Learn a few easy tips when working with these valuable design elements to create stunning potted displays to enjoy season after season.

Potted trees and shrubs work well in many outdoor areas, but they require special container plant care if you want them to thrive. Learn the tips to good container shrub care and potted tree maintenance.

When it comes to gardening your first thought might be finding the best spot in the ground to plant. That single thought might miss one of the best gardening options around—container gardening.

Consider something crisp, nutritious and beautiful for your decorative pots when the gardening weather is cool. This quick and easy lettuce container can make your patio beautiful, your salad bowl full and your neighbors envious of your good taste!

Growing plants in containers is easy if you follow a few basic rules.

The first step in growing a beautiful container garden is to determine what you’d like it to accomplish. Whether it’s to dress up a patio or screen an unsightly view, once you know what your garden’s purpose is, you’ll be on your way to growing success.

The “growing season” may be over, but that doesn’t mean your containers have to be. No matter where you live, you can add a little something to your pots, urns and window boxes every month of the year to keep them seasonally beautiful.

Decorate your patio – and then your dinner table – by planting a color- and textured-filled container garden of mixed salad greens.

There’s more to container gardening than growing plants in a pot. When carefully considered, decorative planters serve as garden art, as well as a key to good landscape design. Learn some tips on how to best use containers in your garden, inspired by a visit to Chanticleer Garden.

Creating container gardens is actually very simple – and a pretty fun project to boot.

Any way you arrange them, container gardens are one of the most flexible and decorative forms of digging in the dirt and expressing yourself. Nevertheless, there are a few basic design principles to follow if you want to make the most beautiful impact with your container garden.

Instead of having several different potting mixes for each kind of container plant, vary one good mix by adding sand or leaf mold.

Your summer plantings may have come to a weary end, but your container garden doesn’t have to! Give your tired-looking pots a seasonal makeover and welcome autumn with fall-loving plants. Here’s one idea to help you get started.

Think perennials are only for beds and borders? Guess again! Learn how to combine different types of these wonderful plants to create a gorgeous container garden that will thrill you so much, you may not be able to contain yourself!

Giant hanging baskets make big impact! Use them on your front porch to welcome visitors, line a walkway or decorate a deck or patio. They’re surprisingly simple to make, easy on the pocketbook and give you a bold blast of color throughout spring and summer!

“Hydroponics” may sound intimidating, but growing plants in water is actually fairly easy. With the right nutrient solution and materials, you can create your own floating garden that and grow all kinds of plants using just a nutrient solution! Even better, a hydroponics garden means you get to bypass common problems like soil pests, weeds and the need to water.

Ivy geraniums make great container plants! Whether showing off their beauty alone or mixed with other annuals, they’re an absolute perfect selection for any container where you want a lovely cascade of blooms to spill out and welcome visitors.

Whether by accident or design, a container garden can give your landscape a whole new look. Our eclectic mix of plants evolves as the seasons progress, our moods change and our tastes vary. So if you like the idea of all that flexibility, try growing one of your own!

Cool-climate gardeners may feel limited by what they can grow year-round. But thanks to containers, no plant has to be given the cold shoulder! Learn which pots best survive outdoor winters, as well as how to overwinter your container plants before the chill sets in.

If your containerized plants have been looking a little peaked, don’t blame yourself – it may be the potting soil they’re growing in. While store-bought mixes are great for many plants, some require a little amending so your potted beauties can take up all the nutrients they need to thrive.

Nearly any vessel can be transformed into a planter – provided it can hold soil and permit water to drain properly. Learn some tips for picking unusual planters, as well as the proper steps to adding a drainage hole to a metal container.

Some homes are just made for window boxes, but where you do you start? With some guidance from Learn2Grow, this home gardener turned a 9-foot-long container into a beautiful window box garden that gave her home instant curb appeal. Learn how you can do the same.

Giving plants as gifts is a great way to share your love of gardening with others, and a little container garden is perfect for any present-giving occasion. Read on for some great growing gift ideas – some that can even come from your own garden!

Although adding spring bulbs to the garden is done in fall, it’s still possible to enjoy bulb-filled planters even if you’ve missed that planting window. Take a page from Holland and create beautiful container bulbs for spring. These simple combinations bring world-class contained color to the porch or patio.

Correct potting technique can lead to better plant growth and easier water management. Learn a few tips and tricks from a pro.

Beautiful container gardens start from the pot up. That means preparing planters for their healthy and colorful debut. Learn the quick and easy steps to cleaning containers before planting, as well as waterproofing containers to help keep them growing strong.

Container gardens are easy to manage when you make good choices from the beginning. The right plants, pots, soil and placement go a long way in preventing container problems. Follow that up with proper planting and care, and you’re on your way to a gorgeous garden – and green thumb!

Containers and hanging baskets adorn our porches and patios all summer long. Prevent your blooming beauties from becoming wilted wonders by knowing how to care for them properly – from potting mix to water requirements.

Looking for a neat indoor planting project? Give terrariums a whirl! Follow this easy step-by-step guide to creating an enclosed garden that can be as simple or intricate as you’d like. With the right preparation and follow-up, your terrarium might just care for itself for years!

When it comes to creating interesting containers, succulents are often overlooked for the brighter annual and perennial selections. Let it be no more! Not only are succulents drought-tolerant, they’re absolutely beautiful with their interesting foliage and terrific textures – perfect for the gardener with a busy life!

Any way you slice it, this beautiful “succulent pizza” is a delectable – and affordable – container project than anyone can make. With just a few dollars, supplies and 20 minutes, you can create a surprisingly eye-catching, easy miniature garden that’s perfect for decorating or gift-giving.

This isn’t your Grandmother’s terrarium – but it’s still as amazing. Planting a terrarium is easy and affordable, and you can make it as “manly” or feminine as you’d like. Learn how to make a terrarium for your macho friends and family – or give a new one to Grandma!

What do you need to start a container garden (besides pots and plants)? The right potting soil and tools, of course! Learn what kind of equipment is typically required to growing healthy container plants. (It can help save you time – and money – in the long run.)

Trailing plants add a dramatic touch to containers. The following six species are well-suited to the cool Pacific Northwest.

Imagine escaping to an exotic getaway without all the travel and expense. With this easy tropical patio idea, that paradise can be as close as your back yard or balcony. No matter where you live, you can create a relaxing oasis thanks to these tropical plants for containers!

Container gardens are beautiful – and it’s up to you to keep them that way. Remember, those plant roots can’t reach out for water and nutrients on their own! Learn what it takes to watering container plants properly, as well as some tips on applying fertilizer to your potted beauties.

Should plant selection come before choosing a garden container? That all depends on what you fall in love with first. Just keep in mind that with some plants, certain pots work better than others. Learn more about the practically limitless options when it comes to picking containers.

Thinking of growing a container garden? Read through this planning checklist before you get started. Having your site prepared and all materials on hand and ready before you plant that first pot will save you time, money and extra trips to the garden center.