By Lori Rose
pots
Container gardening is the perfect way to add color and create focal points around the yard. Because they’re portable, you can place containers anywhere in your garden that could use some brightening up. Choose a variety of container sizes and shapes, and get creative with the actual plants.
Tired of planting red geraniums with a spike in the middle of your summer containers? Fear not – there are all sorts of bright and new ideas for container planting, simple to create and guaranteed to elicit Wow.
Contrary to popular belief, you don't need a vertical accent right in the middle of a round container. Sure, go ahead and plant that spiky plant, but try it to the side instead of dead center. Your container will look more interesting. Try planting two different spikes together at one end of the pot. Or choose a tall plant with completely different attributes, like striking purple or fern-like foliage. Grassy-leaved plants are great for containers, and give the added bonus of seed heads in late summer or fall that gently wave in the breeze. Add one or two vining plants such as sweet potato vine, creeping Jenny, or calibrachoa (they look like tiny petunias) that will tumble softly over the edge of the pot.
An attractive container will combine a variety of flower colors, plant shapes, and foliage color and texture. These don't have to match one another – the most exciting containers have a harmony of variety. Think orange and magenta clash? Well, yes, they do, but you'll be amazed at how fabulous a plain terra cotta or concrete container can look filled with a tall orange-leafed coleus surrounded by magenta impatiens and chartreuse creeping jenny. Wow in a pot.
One of the most endearing attributes of a container planting is its mobility. Pots can be rotated, with showy containers coming to the forefront while plantings that are past their prime are hidden until they can be replanted. Groupings can be shuffled around, like rearranging furniture, for new looks. And if company's coming tomorrow and your containers are not at their best, it's easy to take out an under-performing plant and stick in a replacement that just happens to be in its full glory.
The containers you choose are just as important as the plants for maximum impact. Choose a collection of different-sized pots that look good on their own, but also complement each other. A group of different-shaped pots is fun to look at. Combine the tall and slim with the round and fat or short and squat. How about containers of a different color? Try replacing terra cotta with verdigris, or white with glazed cobalt blue. Outdoor pots can be landscaped just like the rest of your yard. Arrange the pots at different heights to produce a layered effect that shows each plant to its advantage. Place pots of plants, whether alone or in combinations, among the flowers or shrubs in a bed for a touch of zing. A blue pot can help cool off hot color combos like orange, yellow and red. Green pots look great with delicate pink flowers.
How about three seasons of containers? Start spring with a container of evergreens and some pansies, then move on to petunias, cannas and lantanas-anything that likes heat, and finally fall plants like mums, asters and cabbages. Try mixing and matching perennials, annuals and even small shrubs to get the most versatility and longevity out of your containers.
You can combine textures with some broad sculptural leaves, variegated foliage, and deeply lobed leaf shapes. Using varying forms will help your plants stand out instead of blending together in an indistinguishable mass.
Edibles in containers are big now and rightly so. Leafy crops like curly parsley, colorful kale and lettuces have gorgeous foliage, and it is a great way to grow veggies if you have limited space. Herbs like sage, thyme and basil also make great container plantings.
Note if your container will spend the day in sunlight, partial shade, or mostly shade. Make sure plants that will be in the same container have similar sunlight and water requirements. Read the plant tags as you make your choices. Shady container plants can be just as colorful as sunny ones by selecting shade-loving flowers and colorful foliage.
Potted plants need good drainage and nutrients to thrive. Good quality organic potting mix is critical for the health of plants that will be sitting in the container for months. Try an organic potting mix with added fertilizer to give container plants a consistent boost so they can bloom all season long.
When planting in containers, first plant the central upright plant, the tallest one. It doesn't have to be in the center – try it in the back or towards one side of the pot. Position low trailers and cascading plants around the edge. Then tuck in mid-level plants, sweeping around and rising to greet the tallest plant, the vertical accent. Water thoroughly, avoiding flowers and leaves. Add more soil after it has settled, then water again.
Commit to watering your containers once a day, maybe even twice during the heat of the summer. When the soil surface is dry but before the plants begin to wilt, water slowly and thoroughly, until water runs out of the bottom of the pot. Water in the early morning or late afternoon, so the foliage will be dry during the night. This will help prevent diseases and water-spotted leaves. It will also give your plants the vigor they need to stand up to the mid-day heat.
Get some beautiful containers this summer. Choose flowers in colors you've never used before. Choose plants with variegated or unique colored foliage. Try huge, bold leaves, tiny round leaves, or thin, hair-like leaves. Look for interesting plants that are attractive on their own, then combine them in a pot and watch them take on a new dimension.
Lori Rose owns and operates The Midnight Gardener, dedicated to residential garden maintenance and garden writing, in Bucks County, PA.