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| Photo Credit: T. Lee Stephens |
| Imagine a lovely home-trained myrtle standard taking center stage on your patio table this season. | Have you ever wanted a different centerpiece for your table – something beyond that beautiful bouquet of flowers from your garden? Something that would take your container gardening in a whole new direction: upward? Then it might be time to consider a tabletop standard. You’ve likely seen their larger cousins, the tree-type standards. Tabletop standards, as you can guess, are simply smaller. Just choose the right plant material, potting soil and container, and it’s easy to get started. Choosing the right material is very important to the success of your tabletop standard. Small-leaved ivy or scented geraniums (Pelargonium sp.) are possibly the easiest to grow and train. They tolerate low-light conditions and are forgiving if you forget to water a day or two. Just be sure to select a plant with strong vertical growth.
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| Photo Credit: T. Lee Stephens |
| Select a plant with strong vertical growth, like a zonal geranium. Then grab some raffia, a small bamboo stake and a sharp pair of scissors so you can start staking. | For this particular project, I used a zonal geranium. I started by taking a cutting from another plant (but you can buy a new one at your garden center). When my cutting reached about 3 months old and had rooted and put on some strong growth, I moved it to a windowsill that received a balance of sun and shade, so that the geranium would quickly grow vertically without much branching. This worked in my favor to produce the height needed for my standard. Once the plant reached 12 inches tall from the bottom of its growing container, I transplanted it into its tabletop container and prepared to begin training it into a standard form. Of course, the container you choose is a matter of personal preference, depending greatly on where the standard will be placed in your home. Still, it’s important to keep three things in mind when picking your container: The container shouldn’t overpower the planting – that is, don’t place a small plant in a massive container. The container should have adequate drainage – place crushed stone or broken terra-cotta shards in the bottom. A glazed catch basin under the container prevents water from damaging the surface of your furniture.
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