LET'S GET GARDENING!
After this cold weather, we are all eager to add some color to our empty pots! Let’s talk about some ways to make your containers beautiful and maintainable.
Important Note: The last frost date is currently April 15th. When temperatures start dropping into the 30's, it is a good idea to either bring you container inside or place a frost cloth over it. This will protect your newly planted containers from frost and freeze damage.
THE CONTAINER
The most important rule, is that there is drainage! Having a way for excess water to drain is pretty vital for your plants’ health and survival. For outdoor containers, it is easiest to choose a pot that already has a drainage hole.
We also have compostable inserts available that make potting up your container easy and sustainable. This is especially great if your outdoor container is large or heavy. You can just pot up the compostable insert and plop it right in your container. When the container has run its course, you can pull out the insert and compost it somewhere in your garden. It will break down over time.
If your container is deep and you don’t want to use so much soil, you can layer some old plastic pots at the bottom to take up some space. This will not only save on soil but will make your container lighter in weight.
THE SOIL
For soil, use something that is nutrient rich and has the proper water retention for what you need. If your container is going to live in a hot, sunny spot, choose a soil that has good water holding capacity so that it doesn’t dry out too quickly. If you are potting up succulents, use a potting soil.
A few soils we recommend and carry are:
Espoma Organic Potting Mix
FoxFarm Happy Frog Potting Soil
FoxFarm Ocean Forest Potting Soil
LET'S TALK ABOUT PLANTS
Now for the fun part, plants! There are three features that really make a container stand out.
SPILLERS
These are plants that spill over the edge of your container. Examples include creeping fig, creeping jenny, ivy, sweet potato vine, calibrachoa, trailing petunias, trailing snap dragons, ice plant, and helichrysum.
FILLERS
These plants take up the middle space of your container. You want to choose something with nice texture and almost a fluffy appearance. Examples include ageratum, begonia, petunia, lantana, carex, pansies, dusty miller, penta, and angelonia.
WATERING
These plants are your statement piece for your container. Choose something tall, bright, fun. Examples include canna, juncus, grasses, celosia, caladium, iris, papyrus, coleus, and alocasia.
As always, choose the plants that will work best for your container location. Watch how much sun that area gets, and plan your container accordingly.
CONTAINER GARDEN CARE
To keep your container looking fresh and beautiful all season long, water appropriately, deadhead when needed, and fertilize throughout the season.
You’ll know when to water when the top two inches of soil are dry. Give a good water until it drains out the bottom of the pot. This will ensure that all the roots are recieving the right amount of water. You can fertilize when you water aswell. Just follow the instructions on your fertilizer. Some fertilizers are granules that you need to water in; others are a liquid that you mix into your watering can.
Prune off any spend flowers with clean scissors or gardens snips. This will encourage new flowering and keep your containers looking beautiful.
We’re here to help will all your container questions!