Container Gardening – What’s Your Purpose?

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Rich Binsacca

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It’s hard to contain your excitement for container gardens when there are so many plants and pots to choose from!

It’s easy to fall in love with the idea of growing a gorgeous container garden. It allows people with limited outdoor space to easily beautify almost any spot, and helps those with large, open gardens make vast spaces feel more intimate. Container gardens are also perfect for screening and creating stunning accents or focal points, and they can provide easy instant color wherever needed. (And the list goes on…)

For practical reasons, containers are just a good gardening choice. For one thing, they give you better control over soil conditions. If you’ve got problem soil, there’s no need to dig and amend – just buy the right potting mix for the plants you’d like to grow. Another practical reason: Garden containers are mobile, so you can easily shelter your plants from inclement weather by relocating them, or just move them around if you’re looking for a different look on your patio, porch or balcony. But above all, a container garden allows you to grow plants that are foreign to your soil and climate, as well as express your personal style. And if your tastes or needs change, so can your plantings – quickly, easily and affordably.

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Container gardening allows you to experiment with non-native plants and interesting container shapes and materials.

What you might not realize, though, is that successful container gardens actually require a bit more knowledge and care than a typical inground garden – especially if you’re experimenting with unusual plants or you live in an extreme-weather climate. For example, because the soil in pots is limited, it quickly becomes depleted of nutrients and compacted unless you fertilize and repot regularly. And depending on your plant choice, most container gardens typically require more watering than those planted in the ground. These are just a few things to consider before investing in this addictive hobby. So before you get planting, think about why you want to garden in containers in the first place. Not only will this affect which plants you choose, it’ll help you decide which containers to buy (and where to put them).

Facts

If you don’t have a lot of time to dedicate to your container garden, be sure to select the hardiest and least-demanding plants and pots you can find for better success.
Whether your choice of container is a terra-cotta pot or a whimsical work boot-turned-planter, it must be able to hold enough soil, provide adequate drainage and otherwise ensure the health of the plantings it contains.

Tips

Consider placing porous containers within outer cachepots that will help them retain the moisture by limiting air contact and insulating them from the sun’s direct rays.

Faqs

Q: Where should I put my potted plants?
A: Anywhere your potted plant can get the proper amount of sunshine it requires to thrive. Most plants – even ivy, hostas and most ferns – need at least a half-day of sun to grow well. (Of course, that’s one of the advantages of container gardening: You can always move your garden in and out of the shade when necessary.)
Q: Do water garden features count as container plants?
A: If they’re containerized they do. Water ponds and bubbling fountains with aquatic plants provide an excellent focal point for pathside areas with filtered sunlight or complete shade.
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