The Art of Container Gardening

  Container gardens are an excellent way to enjoy all the benefits of a garden without many of the drawbacks of maintaining a whole yard. However, some people worry that they may not have green enough thumbs to keep pot plants alive. Container gardens are ideal for people who would like to enjoy the health benefits of consuming fresh, homegrown vegetables but lack the proper space for a large vegetable garden. You do not need a lot of space to grow your own vegetable garden. Container gardens are a great addition to any landscape.
Container gardens are a fun and rewarding creative project. A little initial planning about location, colors, size and textures is all it takes! Container gardens are notoriously water hungry, sometimes requiring a good drink as much as twice a day during a heat wave. Gardening in plastic pots instead of terracotta and using big pots instead of small will prevent dehydration of the plants.
Container gardens are also portable, allowing you to move them around for parties or when you just want to re-decorate. Containers are often used in shady areas, such as under a porch roof or tree. [10]Container gardens are the perfect way to liven up your from entrance, create a small herb garden or soften the look of your deck, porch or patio. They can provide instant color in drab areas, and you can create your own mini-garden in an hour or less

These gardens are so much fun, because the possibilities are endless, and the entire family can participate. You don’t have to commit a lot of time to plant. Container gardens are also great if you want to grow a supply of herbs or small vegetables close to the kitchen door. This can be a great way of contributing to your green living plan. Container gardens are also a great solution if you are considering an herb garden (as they can be placed conveniently near the kitchen door or in a kitchen window box.
Herbs, for example, can be grown this way, too. The only requirement is to use plants that suit the exposure of the box. Herbs should be rinsed lightly with cold water and patted dry with paper towels. To air dry, gather the herbs in bunches and hang upside down to allow essential oils to flow from stems into leaves.
Herb gardens are the container gardens most likely to be kept indoors year-round, on a sunny kitchen windowsill where the cook has easy access to tasty fresh herbs. No container gardening tips would be complete without an admonition to rotate these windowsill container gardens so that each side of the plant has a turn facing the window.
Flowering annuals are inexpensive, grow well and look beautiful in pots. There are also a huge number of ornamental plants that grow well in pots both indoors and out. Flowers and foliage make any deck a stand-out.
Vegetables actually do quite well in containers, especially the dwarf or bush varieties. There are also numerous ornamental grasses and succulents that perform nicely in containers as well. Most veggies aren’t too drought-tolerant, but container gardening is an excellent way to grow them, since they’ all require less water than if grown in the ground. Runner beans and corn also do great in pots, given enough space

Soil from your garden will most likely not make the most suitable soil for a container. Typically the soil from your garden will have a high concentration of clay, which is too heavy, dense and compact, and will dry out quickly for planting in containers. Soil can leak from holes, so liners are a good idea to prevent mini mudslides on the patio or clogged gutters from a roof garden.

The keys to container planting success lie in the soil and water. It’s best to use fresh potting soil each year. Plantings on a hillside should be diverse with a mix of groundcovers, shrubs, trees, and perennials. Utilizing a diverse mix of plants creates layers of vegetation which will help reduce the force of rainfall hitting the ground. Plant a low-growing ornamental kale to the front of the container for bursts of unusual texture and color.
Plants that grow well in containers range from vegetables to flowers to fruits, so a person can create any type of garden they desire. The only real restrictions are choosing the right plants so they have enough room to grow and your imagination and creativity. Plant several varieties together in a pot, or plant one in a pot alone.

 

Written by Becca1962

Container Gardening: A Basic Guide Containing Small Garden Ideas

There are a lot of reasons why home owners should get a guide for container gardening. Just like with other small garden ideas, planning is necessary when it comes to gardening. That is why home owners who are planning to make a container garden should get a guide for small garden ideas that will help them with the planning process.

For home owners who are interested in making their own container garden, these reasons may help motivate them to try their best in using various small garden ideas for their container garden:

1. Container gardening is easy
For home owners who have not tried other small garden ideas such as raised gardening, container gardening is any easy way to start gardening. With the Easy Outdoor Gardening in Containers book, home owners will be provided with container gardening tips and small garden ideas such as how to create a soil mixture for the plants and how to care for them.

2. It is economical
With container gardening, home owners can try out different small garden ideas such as using old buckets with holes punched at the bottom as containers. For home owners who want small garden ideas in choosing the right materials for their container, the Easy Outdoor Gardening in Containers book will show 14 different materials that can be used for making containers.

3. Space is not limited
Even a small corner of a home can be made beautiful with container gardening. There is no need to worry about the amount of space that can be used. With the small garden ideas at the Easy Outdoor Gardening book, home owners will be shown 16 different places around their home that they can use for their gardening.

When it comes to container gardening, it is not as simple as planting a seed and then watering it daily. It involves considering various small garden ideas such as how to make a container garden, how to care for the plants and other things. With the Easy Outdoor Gardening in Containers book provided by Easy Outdoor Gardening, container gardening will become easy with the small garden ideas provided on the book.

For more information and small garden ideas in container gardening, please visit http://www.easy-outdoor-gardening.com/

I am an internet professional that helps Easy Outdoor Gardening achieve its goal for letting people experience happiness through outdoor gardening. For further details about their small garden ideas please visit them online at www.easy-outdoor-gardening.com.

The Right Vegetable Container Gardening Tips Can Make A Real Difference

Article by Christopher S. Norwood

Living in condominiums and apartments can often make you feel like you won’t be able to do any gardening though thanks to the wonders of container gardening anyone can now grow their favorite vegetables, plants and flowers in limited spaces. All you need to do is take the help of some vegetable container gardening tips that will show you what you need to do to succeed with container vegetable gardening.

For example, it is necessary to learn what amount of sunshine a particular vegetable requires and then you need to ensure placing the container where it gets the required amount of sunlight. Another simple though important vegetable container gardening tip is that you must choose an appropriate container for your vegetables and also get the soil mix right and you need to also learn how much watering is required and also which fertilizers should be used.Appropriate Container

Containers are available in numerous sizes and are made from a variety of materials with the most popular materials being wood and plastic and ceramic and even clay. When selecting your container you need to be careful about buying the one that drains well as this will, according to some useful vegetable container gardening tips, help keep the soil in proper condition – neither too wet nor too dry – and so will eliminate dangers from diseases as well as allows the vegetables to thrive. In addition, the container should be sufficiently deep to allow you to plant the roots at the best depths.

Another vegetable container gardening tip is to get the soil mix right and in this regard you should choose the soil-less potting mix which ensures quicker and easier drainage and it is also more resistant to diseases. In addition to using soil-less mix it is important that you use the right kind of fertilizers.

A simple vegetable container gardening tip in this regard is to resist the temptation of using too much of fertilizers – no matter how good the fertilizer is – and it pays to also follow the fertilizer manufacturer’s instructions to the T so as to get best results.

Last but not least, you need to follow another simple vegetable container gardening tip which is to ensure picking the kind of vegetable that suits your container the best. This means having to ensure that you match the vegetable with certain kinds of containers.

If it is your first attempt at container vegetable gardening then you will greatly benefit by making use of some useful vegetable container gardening tips for beginners. These tips will help you enjoy fast as well as edible results.

If you love this article, you will also love another article written by this article’s author on soil moisture meter and plant moisture meter.

Container Flower Garden

Flower gardens are not just for outdoor planting. One could very well plant a flower garden in pots that can be kept indoors, on a terrace or balcony, or perhaps a front porch or screened patio. Oftentimes, flower gardens will flourish in a more healthy fashion because watering and pest control issues are diminished.

Because container flower gardens are grown in a controlled environment, they benefit greatly and show their appreciation of receiving protection from extreme heat and dehydration by putting on a spectacular show of flowers.

The great thing about nurturing a flower garden in containers are all the wonderful and eye catching flower pots one can grow them in. Flower gardens grown in the right flower pot not only enhance the beauty of the flowers themselves but oftentimes, become the focal point in the room.

Container flower gardens can be placed in ones favorite locations around the home. Because an indoor flower garden is not affected by nightfall, it can be enjoyed not just all day long but all evening as well.

When purchasing flowers to add to your flower garden, do not overlook the small plants that are just starting out. The smaller the flower the cheaper it will cost one to purchase. With the right nurturing, these little beauties will grow to be large beauties in no time at all.
Know the ideal growing environment for plants purchased. If a plant is shade loving (such as most ferns) that does not mean it does not need sun in order to grow. All plants and flowers need sun in order to grow. Place these types of plants in an area that receives indirect sunlight.
On the other hand, if plants call for a sunny location, do not place them in an area where the sun beams down hard all day long. This will cause the water to evaporate rapidly, not allowing the root system to remain moist enough to enjoy all the nutrients given it. Instead, place the plant in a location that receives full sun for no more than four hours a day or be prepared to water more than once daily if needed.
Feed the flower garden organic nutrients once a week. Compose tea is my favorite, however, Miracle Gro manufacture some outstanding products to aid in the healthy growth of flowers and plants.
Flower gardens benefit from additional nutrients but, one can over feed them so please follow the manufacturer’s instructions when it comes to how much and/or how often to use their product.
The fastest way to kill a flower garden is to consistently forget to water it. Flower gardens are a lot like people in so much as they cannot go an extended period of time without water. If that should happen, you will find yourself back at the garden center purchasing replacement garden plants.
Take full advantage of the opportunity to “sit back and smell the roses!” What is the point of nurturing a flower garden if one fails to find time to relax and take it all in?

I hope I have inspired and encouraged you to plant a container flower garden. It is my belief that we all deserve to have a little sunshine in our lives and a well maintained container flower garden offers just the right amount.

Shirley Kelly is the owner of Lanterns4Less.com where she sells candle lanterns great for wedding and special occasions. Shirley has been in the interior design business for more than 10 years. Her passions are interior design and gardening. She enjoys sharing home and garden ideas with others on her blog. To read more of her ideas or to share your own home and garden tips, please visit her Home and Garden Ideas Blog She would love to hear from you.

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Container Gardening Tips for Newbies

Container Gardening Tips for Newbies

Container gardens can create a natural sanctuary in a busy city street, along rooftops or on balconies. You can easily accentuate the welcoming look of a deck or patio with colourful pots of annuals, or fill your window boxes with beautiful shrub roses or any number of small perennials. Whether you arrange your pots in a group for a massed effect or highlight a smaller space with a single specimen, you’ll be delighted with this simple way to create a garden.

Container gardening enables you to easily vary your color scheme, and as each plant finishes flowering, it can be replaced with another. Whether you choose to harmonize or contrast your colors, make sure there is variety in the height of each plant. Think also of the shape and texture of the leaves. Tall strap-like leaves will give a good vertical background to low-growing, wide-leaved plants. Choose plants with a long flowering season, or have others of a different type ready to replace them as they finish blooming.

Experiment with creative containers. You might have an old porcelain bowl or copper urn you can use, or perhaps you’d rather make something really modern with timber or tiles.  If you decide to buy your containers ready-made, terracotta pots look wonderful, but tend to absorb water. You don’t want your plants to dry out, so paint the interior of these pots with a special sealer available from hardware stores.
Cheaper plastic pots can also be painted on the outside with water-based paints for good effect.  When purchasing pots, don’t forget to buy matching saucers to catch the drips. This will save cement floors getting stained, or timber floors rotting.
Always use a good quality potting mix in your containers. This will ensure the best performance possible from your plants.

If you have steps leading up to your front door, an attractive pot plant on each one will delight your visitors. Indoors, pots of plants or flowers help to create a cosy and welcoming atmosphere.
Decide ahead of time where you want your pots to be positioned, then buy plants that suit the situation. There is no point buying sun lovers for a shady position, for they will not do well. Some plants also have really large roots, so they are best kept for the open garden.

If you have plenty of space at your front door, a group of potted plants off to one side will be more visually appealing than two similar plants placed each side. Unless they are spectacular, they will look rather boring.
Group the pots in odd numbers rather than even, and vary the height and type. To tie the group together, add large rocks that are similar in appearance and just slightly different in size. Three or five pots of the same type and color, but in different sizes also looks affective.

With a creative mind and some determination, you will soon have a container garden that will be the envy of friends and strangers alike.

Written by life31

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