Container Gardening – Brown Thumbs, Unite!

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Even if you don't believe you have a green thumb, container gardening makes big, luscious blooms and bright green foliage a ‘cake walk.’ Get ready to be envied!

What are the benefits of container gardening? Well, the biggest plus is plants you thought couldn’t grow in your area, plants you thought too ‘difficult’ or temperamental, are all growable and, in fact, can thrive in a container garden. Want an acid-loving, gorgeous, sweet-scented gardenia by your patio, but your soil is as salty as the Dead Sea? Want a heat-loving rain-seeking tropical pygmy palm by the garage, but live in the badlands of North Dakota? No problem! With container gardening, you are the creator of your own micro-universe. You control the soil type, the weather (move your plant indoors or out when needed), the rain, the temperature. In fact, you will become downright power hungry with all this control!

If you’ve never gardened in a container before it’s simple. You probably have a potted plant indoors right? That slightly wilted philodendron? That fern struggling in the corner? No worries! What you are about to learn will invigorate and help your indoor pots as well. Sit back, grab a coffee and get educated:

Rule 1. Firstly, there are no rules! Anything with a hole in it can be used for a container. Boots, purses, pitchers, Aunt Molly’s chipped casserole dish (we told you anything). However, it HAS to have drainage. No drainage equals soggy roots, wilted leaves and no blooms. Depending on the material of the container you are using, you can use a drill to place 3 or 4 drainage holes into the bottom of your pot. (There are special drill bits that easily go through glass or crockery with minimal splintering.) If you have a container that also holds memories and you can’t stand the thought of it being accidentally damaged, place some old bits of non-glazed pottery at the bottom to help absorb some of the moisture. You can also place your plant in a cheap, plastic pot with drainage holes first, then place that pot inside your container. This allows the water to at least drain away from roots. This solution is ideal for plants that like it on the moist side, like African violets, impatiens and ferns.

Rule 2. Second to drainage, the most crucial element is soil. Unhealthy soil makes for unhealthy plants. This is the great secret that no one ever tells you. Poor, weak anemic soil won’t support any kind of life for any length of time. For strong roots, vibrant blooms and leaves with rich green texture, you need robust soil. The three nutritional components of any healthy soil are:

Nitrogen – green leaves and stems

Phosphorus – gorgeous blooms and long-lasting flowers

Potassium – keeps roots healthy

No need to break the bank on good soil. Most home centers and nurseries carry a great selection of cheap, nutrition-packed soil suitable for container gardening. Stay away from plain ‘compost soil.’ Compost is great when mixed with other organic materials, but is too dry and weak in the vitamin department on its own.

Rule 3. Don’t be confused by the materials. Most containers are manufactured from the following materials:

Clay – typically unglazed and terracotta in color. Great for most plantings, but be aware that you will need to water more since the clay won’t hold the moisture as well as other types of materials and has a tendency to allow quick evaporation. This evaporation can be slowed by adding perlite or other types of moisture-retention additives to your plantings. Clay can chip, fracture in freezing rain and if the pot is small enough, can be easily blown over and break in a heavy wind. (I know this from experience.)

Resin – lightweight and easy to move, resin helps retain moisture, and therefore requires less watering. Typically inexpensive, it’s this gardener’s opinion that resin is the container material of choice if you are planning on letting your imagination run wild with lots and lots of planters.

Resin can fade a bit over time, so take care if you are planning on putting your resin planter in the blinding sun for most of the day.

Glazed Stoneware – glazed stoneware is a step up from untreated clay as the glaze helps keep more of the moisture in. Breakable and heavy, stoneware is more difficult to move than resin, but if you are planning a display in a windy place, this can be of huge benefit.

So far, I haven’t heard of a plant yet that can’t tolerate and absolutely thrive in containers. Trees, roses, vegetable, bushes, evergreens, blooming shrubs, cactus, fruit trees and even some of the most exotic and high-maintenance plants known to man are able to thrive in containers.

Are you convinced yet? Once you experience the joys of container gardening, you’ll be hooked. Whatever your container of choice, you’ll be seeking more and more innovative ways to display your plants and to creatively manipulate your own little corner of the world.

Copyright 2006 OutdoorDecor.com

Kay Stone, OutdoorDecor.com Staff Writer