Container Gardening

Deck, Patios and Roof Gardens

Article Writen By: Monrovia - Horticultural Craftsmen.

All About Container Gardening

The first rule of container gardening that the exposure received by the point where the container is to be placed dictates exactly what plants you may use. A shady place demands shade plants, while a sunny place is treated likewise. The second concern is space, the amount of living area you must sacrifice to the containers themselves. This controls the size and arrangement of your container gardens.

Bushy Perennial Flowers for Summer Color

• Lantana - Spreading Hybrids
• Dwarf Euryops - Euryops pectinatus ' Munchkin'
• Blue Hibiscus - Alygone hugelii
• Paraguay Nightshade - Solanum rantonnetii 'Royal Robe'
• Moonbeam Threadleaf Coreopsis- Coreopsis verticillata 'Moonbeam'

Choose The Right Containers

There are more container styles and material choices than ever before. The most important thing is that the container be large enough for the plants you want to grow. Generous rooting space means plants grow quickly and perform well.

Nursery plants are sized by gallons, and this is the best for choosing your decorative containers as well. For a smaller perennial such as a Fushsia, you can use a 1 or 2-gallon pot. For shrubs such as Gardenia,, and vines like Bougainvillea that will reach larger sizes, use nothing smaller than a 5-gallon pot. For patio trees like Citrus or tree and perennial combinations, strive for a roomy 15-gallon pot. For full sized trees such as Crape Myrtles, go larger than a 15-gallon pot, but be aware these monsters can be very heavy to transport.

Tender Exotics for a Tropical Paradise

• Bird of Paradise - Strelitzia reginae
• Princess Flower - Tibouchina urvilleana
• Peruvian Lily - Alstromeria Hybrid
• Pink Fruiting Bananna - Muse velutina
• Island Sunset Fushia - Fushsia hybrida 'Island Sunset'

Material Matters

Before you buy, compare features of clay pots verse those of plastic. Traditional red clay pots allow water to evaporate though the walls, which will cause staining. Clay pots are also more fragile, heavier, and can be quite expensive for high quality products.

Plastic pots for use outdoors are lightweight, but must be ultraviolet light resistant or they quickly become brittle in the sun. Plastic does not allow moisture loss through the pot walls, which reduces water waste. The disadvantage is that it is very easy to over water and kill plants because there is so little evaporation.

Evergreen Flowering Shrub for Permanent Color

• Azalea Hybrids
• Camellia Hybrids
• Everblooming Gardenia - Gardenia jasminoides 'Veitchii'
• Itsy Bitsy Dwarf Hibiscus - Hibiscus rosa-sinensis 'Moned'
• Dwarf Bougainvilla Hybrids
• English Spike Lavender - Lavandula latifolia
• Buttons 'N Bows™ Hydrangea - Hydrangea macrophylla 'Monrey'

Five Tips For Successful Container Planting

1. Add at least a 1-inch layer of gravel of lightweight non-dissolving foam packing peanuts to the bottom of the pot before adding soil.
2. Choose a quality potting soil that is light, sandy and drains quickly, but does not contain too much woody matter.
3. Never prune roots to fit into a pot–get a bigger pot.
4. Set the plant so that its nursery pot soil surface is at least an inch below the top rim of the pot. Allow proportionally more with bigger pot sizes. This "freeboard" allows you to fill the pot with lots of eater without overflowing.
5. Add some attractive mulch, Spanish moss or other surface material for moisture retention mulch on top of the planted soil.

Leafy Foliage Plants for Background and Accent

• Compact Sprenger Asparagus - Asparagus densiflorus 'Sprengeri Compacta'
• Jack Spratt New Zealand Flax - Phormium tenax 'Jack Spratt'
• Dwarf Bamboo - Sasa pygmaea
• Cast-Iron Plant - Asidistra elatior
• Holly Fern - Cyromium Facatum 'Rochfordianum'

Drainage is Non Neogotiable

Without adequate drainage a pot fills with water and plant roots rot. Roots in pots need both moisture and oxygen, which requires containers to have sizeable drain holes on the bottom. Before you plant, it's essential you line the bottom of the pot with gravel to allow water to move easily to the drain holes.

To avoid staining pavement, provide a saucer for each and every pot. Be sure to empty standing water in the saucer to avoid inhibited drainage. To further improve drainage, slide spacers such as wood or broken tile pieces under the pot so that the drain hole is just 1/4-inch or more above the pavement or saucer.

New Form Just For You

Monrovia Horticultural Craftsmen are dedicated to creating new and unique plant forms perfectly adapted to container gardens. We strive to provide you with patio trees, topiaries and espaliered plants that expand your choice and possibilities. Explore new forms or old favorites to make you container garden look like a million bucks!