Container Gardening for Everyone

   Gardener's love this time of year & even the first timers want to dig in and plant something beautiful for the summer. Container gardens are the perfect way to brighten up any space. I have lots of space to plant, but it's my containers that give me the most satisfaction (when successful)! So this blog is a reboot of past blogs with updated links & up to date tips. So this is a much longer blog but want to cover most of the bases. Happy planting!

    To begin your beautiful adventure into successful container gardening, choosing the right size container (with drainage holes!) is extremely important. Pick a large enough container for the sun exposure you receive. A very large container in full sun will dry out less quickly than a smaller size. If you are committed to a container garden, then you must be committed to watering every (or almost every) day. The more you allow your containers to completely dry out, the less successful you will be. Potting mixes are abundant at garden centers now. I choose types with fertilizer & also continue to feed throughout the summer. For my very sunny locations I use the 'blue' bag moisture control mixes. There are many organic choices too. There are no wrong choices here. Just make sure it reads container mix and not bedding mix; the bags tend to look alike.

      When choosing your container plants always consider the sun exposure you have first of all & then plan your choices. Most of all, have fun with it! To get started you can check out a site like https://www.provenwinners.com/learn/container-garden-design-color for ideas & inspiration.

   Containers of the large size have three basic components: the thriller, filler & spiller. The thriller is your centerpiece plant. The filler plants are your lower growers that surround the thriller. The spiller plants will spill & drape over the sides of your container giving a soft look. So think of these elements when choosing your plants. Your thriller can also be a garden ornament that is taller like a small triangular trellis. Most of all have fun & use your imagination! In the following list I will put an F (filler), T (thriller) or S (spiller) after each variety

    To help save you money & add to your success here are some of my own plant buying experiences:

~ For sun & part sun the plants that are traditional but DO NOT do well in containers generally are: ageratum, dahlia, geranium, marigolds, gerbera daisy, snapdragon (hates container heat), osteopermum (only blooms in cool temps), verbena, rosebud impatiens.

 ~ Here are some excellent sun/part sun choices: Angelonia T, begonia ‘dragon wing’ variety T&F (available in pink & red, green leaf; one plant grows so large it’s all you need), Big leaf begonias F are new to the scene & have larger leaves & flowers; these are my recent favorite for shade or sun & the do well planted in the ground as well. Euphorbia ‘diamond frost’ F, calibrachoa S, canna T, mandevilla F & S, papyrus T, new guinea impatiens T & F (requires LOTS of water), Marguerite daisy T & F, heliotrope F, salvia F, coleus F, bacopa S, zinnia T & F (pinch these for perfection!). New compact petunia varieties F like Cha-Ching Cherry & petunia wave S varieties are wonderful too. Also, tree standards like lantana F & S, hibiscus T, citrus T oleander T & magnolia T are lovely. One plant in an appropriate sized pot makes a statement.

~ For shade remember to NOT USE the regular bedding impatiens. The downy mildew fungus is not going anywhere & can be costly. Instead try torenia F & S, coleus F, dragon wing begonias T & F (personal favorite), wax begonias F, fuschia S & new guinea impatiens T & F. Perennials like hosta F, dicentra F, lamium S & ivy S are wonderful too.

     So as we are joyfully putting are lovely garden planters together for spring, and shortly for summer, we need to remember the ‘art of watering’ them. When we water for the first time, we need to water thoroughly to remove any air pockets that may be left. Subsequent watering will depend on need this time of year. When it begins to get hot, we need to water every day & sometimes twice. If your planters are left to completely dry out over & over again, the water will begin to do a ‘run-off’. It will appear to soak in but what often happens is the hard shell that has formed forces the water to the sides, down the sides of the container & out the drainage holes. A tell-tale sign of this is immediate water drainage, where you might say I guess it doesn’t need any water. (I find this happens more towards August when it gets hotter & I get a tiny bit lazier). To help your smaller planters, you can submerge them completely in water until the soil completely soaks through. Your larger containers will need some work around the plant bases to loosen as much as you can of the older soil (good time to add some slow release fertilizer) & remember just adding additional soil still masks the hard shell underneath.

      Now for the ever important lesson on dechlorination. My tap water contains levels of chlorine for healthy drinking purposes. (If you have well water no need to dechlorinate.) That same chlorine can damage your plants & kill the healthy organisms in your soil. When talking about containers, we are dealing with a finite amount of soil that needs to stay healthy so your plants thrive. (Your garden beds can heal themselves, but it’s always a good idea to water the soil, not the leaves with your hose water. A good reason to have soaker hoses that lay close to the soil.)

    I dechlorinate in three inexpensive ways. The first is to fill your watering cans so they sit for at least 24 hours before you water your containers. This will allow the chlorine to evaporate. The larger the mouth of the can, the quicker the evaporation. The added benefit to this is it will also get the water to air temperature which is best for your planters. So the routine being, water then fill before you go in for the day/night, they will be ready to go the next day. Having many watering cans is helpful (many can be found at garage sales – cheap!) My second tip is to use crystals that are used for fish tank water to dechlorinate immediately. These can be found in any pet store. My $10.00 jar treats 25,000 gallons! (I use PURA Chlorlock, very simple & effective). What you do is mix a little concentrated mixture according to directions. I keep in a small container & add two dropperfuls to each watering can. Having this option is beneficial when you have a plethora of planters as I do! The third option is to have rain barrel installed. This implies you have a home & that we don't have any kind of drought this summer! I have recently purchased 2 barrels to alleviate run-off & I will report back on this soon. I am very excited about this.

    All this may seem like added work, but it really is easy & the investment in your plants is nurtured in a big way! You will notice a difference, but remember to keep feeding your containers all summer & fall with a slow release fertilizer. The constant watering does wash away some nutrients. Enjoy the link below that explains it all! Good luck!

http://www.gardenguides.com/80170-dechlorinate-water-garden-plants.html

Crocus - There's a Flower (finally) Blooming!

By definition: Crocus ~ a small, spring flowering plant of the iris family, which grows from a corm and bears bright yellow, purple, or white flowers.

   This small, bright blooming flower is so much more than that to gardener's like myself who experience & celebrate the four seasons! Last week my daughter came home & said there's a flower blooming! I had already snapped the below pic with its silky petals the day before. The irony is that in a few months there will be thousands of beautiful blooms gracing my yard & nothing will be said. But this first one sent my heartbeat going & got a excited thumbs up from my millennial! I don't think it is by accident that the blooms are trumpet shaped as if to play spring has sprung!!

   You need to mark your calendars now, so when the corms become available in the fall you will make sure you have them to plant. Now I recommend planting by a front door or any bed where you will see them right away! The blooms do not last long so a high traffic area is a nice place to start. If you are thinking about redoing a lawn area in the fall, then buying enough to naturalize in the lawn would be beautiful. We all love those woodland areas loaded with pale purple blooms when we are driving around this time of year. So make sure you plant at least a few so you can experience that heart-pounding reaction or hear that simple, "there's a flower blooming!"