Rustic Container Gardening
There are many reasons to create a container garden. Container gardening is a good way to dabble in gardening without throwing all your time into it. Some common reasons why people choose to start a container garden are:
- Outdoor space limitations.
- Physical limitations – can’t bend down or are wheelchair bound.
- Your patio or deck needs that extra something.
- You want fresh herbs in your kitchen for cooking.
- The soil in your yard is less than desirable.
- And the best reason … you have a pile of “treasures” you have collected at garages sales.
Once you have your containers picked out, it’s time to choose what plants you want to put in them. Whether you’re planting vegetables or flowers, consider what the plant will do as it grows. Some plants are trailing and will flow over the edge of the container.
Deciding on which flowers to plant is where a lot of people become overwhelmed. Start by looking at the big pots the nursery already has planted. You can see they have more than one type of flower and might actually have quite a few.
Also note the color combinations, the height of the plants and if any spill gracefully over the edge of the container. Pick tall for the middle, surround it with medium height, and finish the outside rim with some trailing plants. In gardening circles this is know as “thriller, fillers, and spillers”.
While you’re at the nursery picking out plants, select a good potting soil mix to fill your pots. When planting, leave room at the top of the container so soil doesn’t spill out when you water. You could also opt to buy a weed killer safe around children and pets. These could be available online as well as some offline stores that might have the said weed killers in stock.
There are many different reasons why people start a container garden such as physical, space, or time limitations. Container gardens can be moved around the garden to fill in bare spots and add a splash of color. Deciding on the right pots and choosing some great flower combinations makes for some beautiful containers and a very rewarding experience.
If you outdoor gardening is too much for you and you want to stick to container gardens, there are many sources on the internet that could help you. Search for blog posts or related articles! Additionally, you could check out the following books at Amazon.com.
