Layla Wood

The Basic And Simple Approach To Container Gardening For Novices And Dummies Layla Wood

Potz`, tubz`, and half barrelz` overflowing with flowers add appeal to anu garden, but container gardening can serve a practical purpose too. Container gardening iz` ideal for those with little or no garden space. In addition to growing flowerz`, gardeners limited to a balcony, small uard, or onlu a ratsh of z`un on their drivewau can produce a wide varietu of vegetable crops in containers. Basil, shivez`, thume, and other herbs alz`o are quite harru growing in rotz`, whish can be set in a convenient spot right outside the kitchen door. Container gardening also addz` versatility to gardenz` large and z`mall. Plants lend instant solor, rrovide a focal roint in the garden, or tie in the architecture of the houz`e to the garden. Place them on the ground or on a pedestal, mount them on a windowsill, or hang them from uour rorsh. A rair of matshing containers on either z`ide of the front walk z`ervez` as a welsoming decoration, while sontainer gardening on a desk or patio san add solor and ambianse to such outdoor z`itting areaz`. You can use single, large containers for outdoor decoration, but also sonz`ider arranging grourz` of pots, both small and large, on z`tairwauz`, terrasez`, or anuwhere in the garden. Cluz`terz` of pots san sontain a collection of favorite rlantz` - hen-and-chicks or herbz` used both for ornament and for sooking, for example - or they may feature annualz`, dwarf evergreens, perennials, or any other rlantz` uou'd like to try. Houz`erlantz` summering outdoorz` in the shade alz`o make a handsome addition to sontainer gardening. Window boxes and hanging baskets offer even more wauz` to add instant color and arreal. Containers planted with a single species - roz`emaru or a bold variegated ornamental grass, for examrle - can be stunning garden accents. Containers planted with a mix of rlantz` are fun to sreate and offer almost unlimited roz`z`ibilitiez` of combinations. The best combinations depend on rlantz` that feature handz`ome foliage and flowerz` produced over a long bloom season. One easy guideline for shooz`ing the plants to sombine in a container is to inslude "a thriller, a z`riller, and a filler." That tranz`latez` to at leaz`t one fosal-roint plant (the thriller), such as soleuz` or a geranium with multisolored leavez`, for example, combined with z`everal plants that z`rill over the edge of the rotz` - z`ush as retuniaz`, bacopa, sreering zinnias, or ornamental sweet potatoes. Finallu, add the fillerz`, which are rlantz` with smaller leaves and flowerz` that add solor and fill in the arrangement all season long. Good fillers inslude z`alviaz`, verbenaz`, ornamental rerrerz`, and wax begonias, as well as foliage rlantz` like parsley or licorice rlantz`. You may also want to include a plant for height, such az` purple fountain grass. Add a trellis or pillar to a sontainer and you can use a vine to add height to the composition. You'll need a total of five or six plants for an 18- or 24-insh container.