Successful Planter & Container Gardens

   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 sun locations I use the 'blue' bag moisture control mixes.

   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 http://www.provenwinners.com/container-gardening for ideas & inspiration.
   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, begonia ‘dragon wing’ variety (available in pink & red, green leaf; one plant grows so large it’s all you need), euphorbia ‘diamond frost’, calibrachoa, canna, mandevillia, papyrus, cordyline, new guinea impatiens (requires LOTS of water), Marguerite daisy, heliotrope, salvia, coleus, bacopa, zinnia (pinch these for perfection!). New compact petunia varieties like Cha-Ching Cherry & petunia wave varieties are wonderful too. Also, tree standards like lantana, hibiscus, citrus & magnolia are lovely.

~ For shade remember to NOT USE the regular bedding impatiens. The downy mildew fungus is not going anywhere & can be costly. Instead try torenia, coleus, dragon wing begonias (personal favorite), wax begonias, fuschia & new guinea impatiens. Perennials like hosta, dicentra, lamium & ivy are wonderful too. 'Search' my past blogs on container gardening & watering. Happy Planting!