Container Gardening...continued

I didn't like container gardening  at one time.  To me they were like needy children always wanting attention.  They wanted watering daily, sometimes twice.  They begged for fertilizer constantly.  It was like having several teenagers hanging out in my yard and making gardening life a chore rather than a joy.  Then,  I figured out where I was going wrong.
I enjoy my containers now.  They hang around are propped up on blocks and stands. They are topiaries that I carry over from year to year.  They fit into the patio areas where it isn't easy or practical to have an in-ground bed.  I can place them under or hang them from my trees.  There are a few things I have learned which make them a pleasure to have around.

Size does matter.  I have chosen larger pots which let the plants seek deep roots.  I have gotten around the "too heavy" pot syndrome by flipping another plastic pot upside down inside the larger pot.  It reduces the amount of soil I use as well as add an air gap which makes the pot lighter.
Soil matters, also.  Spending a little more on some potting mixes that have moisture retention beads mixed in or adding them yourself really do help extend the moisture content.  Slow release fertilizers will also help reduce the amount of supplemental feeding you have to do during the season.  I mix several things together including sifted compost which adds some natural organic matter to aid in moisture retention as well as feed the plants.

Line your baskets when using the coconut liners with a bit of plastic.  Punch several holes to add drainage before adding the soil and plants.  This will really help retain moisture in these baskets.  I also chose plants that like it dry for hanging baskets.  This allows me the time to let them dry down before watering again.  I love my pink ivy geraniums with the agastache in the middle.  The humming birds also like this basket as much as I do.

I also have some plants that sit right in the water and never get any direct attention for the rest of the season.  The papyrus plants as well as elephant ear (Colocasia) will do nicely in this environment.  I place the pots with the plant inside another larger pot weighted with river stones for looks and to keep the plants standing tall.  This method has kept my plants from blowing onto their sides in the water.  It also keeps the water clean of soil.

I do several herbs in containers.  Some of my annual herbs are in with the flower pots for scent and interest.  My rosemary is in a pot to make the transition back into the house easier.  There are a few herbs in my garden which are in pots and dug into the ground.  This keeps those herbs (mint family) contained to a manageable size and from taking over everything in sight.  (I also cut flower heads off before they seed like crazy.)

I like plants that vine and flower.  Three of these in containers are jasmine, mandevilla vine, and thunbergia.  The jasmine is all on its own and comes indoors every fall.  The mandevilla is also treated the same way.  I bought a second one this year in a hanging basket.  The two plants have met up and are twining up the corner of the garage. Because I didn't fertilize last year's plant much it is just starting to flower.
The thunbergia is in a service pot and I have bamboo training it up towards the fence.  If you look at the planter on the left, you will see that this one has become my favorite combination of plants.  There is Diamond Frost euphobia, lantana, ibosa vine, and pineapple sage filling up this dish.  Plastic pots are also part of my container happiness. I love the look of terra cotta, but by nature it will wick moisture out of the soil inside.  Glazed pots help reduce this, but terra cotta is also much heavier.  I have some, but do try to keep them in a spot that does not ask to be moved as much.

Today, my husband did me a huge favor and re-purposed more of the old deck into a vertical garden.  Window boxes are another of my container garden favorites.  I have my alpine strawberries in window boxes and now have a vertical tower to hold them.  I have more window boxes and plan on doing my late season lettuce in this vertical structure.  I also will be able to start things outdoors early next year in the same.
Containers can add versatility to gardening.  Vegetables on a high rise balcony are possible because of container gardens.  You can move them for different looks or to add interest to a barren concrete jungle.  When frost threatens, they can be moved indoors until the warm days of fall return, extending your season by months sometimes.  They can also be moved closer to the water source when the situation calls for this.  Experiment and see what works for you.

Eviction Notice

The larger, hardy plants have gotten their eviction notice.  Such a cruel thing to do on a cool, rainy morning.  But, it had to be done.  My jasmine, scented geranium trees, mandevilla vine and rosemary all got moved to the north side of the garage to start the acclimation process.  They are just steps away from the service door, so should cold weather strike, I move them in there to take cover.

I moved a few of the potted items outdoors as well this morning.  My ivy geraniums and citronella geraniums were put into larger pots and put on the rolling rack.  The alpine strawberry boxes are added weight to the shelves for now, but will find a home hanging on the fence or someplace else soon.  I added casters to this shelf last fall.  Now I will be able to roll it into the garage on cold nights instead of moving the flats in one by one to the floor of the garage.  Next week will result in more evictions as I need the space indoors.

The reason for the evictions was two fold.  First, the larger plants need to acclimate.  Second, I ran out of room and transplanting had to be done.  My tomatoes have a good set of second leaves with strong centers.  I upgraded my Black-eyed Susan vines (Thunbergia). I flatted up the rooted coleus.  Also completed transplanting of tomatoes, agastache, some petunias, and parsley.  I came up with a solution for getting the new transplants within 6" of the lights.  I turned over 4, 4" pots at the corners of the flats to give them a boost up towards the lights.

I had great germination of the Thunbergia which are starting to vine.  For Christmas, my sister gave each of us a Topsy-Turvy strawberry planter.  I was not going to use it for strawberries so that became my transplanting vessel for some of the vines.  The variety I bought this year is Spanish Eyes, which is slightly lighter than the traditional Black-eyed Susan vines I have had, which I grew from saved seed with a 25% germination rate.  Some of these will go along the fence to vine in with the sweet peas, which will fade during the warm weather.  I also had some with the Sweet Autumn clematis last year.  The yellow and white combination was beautiful last fall.  

I have to balance the check book now so I can get over to the garden center today for more potting soil.  I am sticking with a light-weight mix which has served me well for indoor use.  I will also get some for the pots which will be coming together soon.  This winter I purchased an organic blend which was intended for indoor use.  I was skeptical of the heavier weight it had and it seemed to have "something" weird about it.  White flies showed up soon after (which I never had in my house before).  Another minus of this blend was that all the seed I started with this as my base layer had extremely poor germination.  Hard lessons are learned when I try to move forward against my better judgement.  Maybe I will listen to myself next time.  I really need to get a move on as time is running short in the day.  The garden center will not be a quick trip as I will want to browse.  Enjoy your own weekend.  Now that spring is really here, take time to stop and smell the flowers.

Jasmine