Plant Gardens 101

Window boxes can add some much needed gardening space to small homes or perk up a window in any size house. They give the apartment dweller with no deck a place to garden and give the illusion of bringing the outdoors inside. Choosing what type of flowers to plant in your window box really depends on where your box is located and the type of blooms that you want. Take a look at where your window box is, or where you would like it to be and note how much sun it gets. This will help you determine which flowers to plant.

Size Matters
When you are plant shopping for your window box, you want to look for any type of plant that does not grow very tall so that you don’t obstruct the view from the window. Decide if you want to place new flowers in the box with each season or have leaves that look good all year round and choose your foliage accordingly. Try and stay away from plants that need a large root base because in a window box, these types can become easily root bound and either take over other plants or die.

Building Depth
When you are planting your box, try and build some depth in it by planting vine type plants such as ivy that spill out of the box and hang down. Behind these types of foliage, plant the lowest type plants and build your way up to the taller plants in the back. This will create a look that is 3 dimensional and give it a more professional feel. (more…)

You can start an organic vegetable garden in planter boxes. Tired of waiting for the price of commercially produced organic vegetables to drop to more reasonable levels? You don’t need a large garden plot to grow your own vegetables. A few planters outside your window or door can provide all the space you need to plant some varieties of the vegetables you consume most often. You can choose from roots, leafy vegetables, and fleshy vegetables as you plan the layout of your organic garden. Selecting a nutritious mix of soil and watering your plants often should boost the health of your vegetables.

Carrots, beets, turnips, and radishes are all root vegetables. Roots also include potatoes, rutabagas, and sweet potatoes. Some of these edible roots can grow well in planter boxes. Carrots or radishes would make a good start for your organic garden. Do not select shallow planters for these vegetables, however. (more…)

Planter boxes give you the benefit of raising organic vegetables right outside your door or window. Rising costs of produce have caused some budget-conscious people to reconsider the money they spend on fresh fruits and vegetables. But at what cost to their health? And the price of organic produce is even higher. You can grow your own vegetables, even without much space. Roots, leafy vegetables, and fleshy vegetables can all grow well in planter boxes, if you choose the right varieties and provide the attention they need.

Root vegetables are edible roots of plants. Vegetables which fall in this category include carrots, beets, turnips, parsnips, radishes, potatoes, and sweet potatoes. Root vegetables can work well in planter boxes, as long as the planters are deep enough. Try carrots and radishes. (more…)

It’s pretty much impossible to find a person you know who doesn’t like the look of cheery flowers. What is much more common are those unfortunate people who don’t have room or access to a garden. The urban wonder and space-saving solution are planter boxes, that compact little garden on the go we see on so many windows and in backyards. But maybe this is your first window box, or you’re more of a butterfingers than a green thumb. Here’s a quick look at what plants and flowers go well in these mini-gardens.

Herbs:

Planter boxes are absolutely ideal for herbs, which are normally small plants to begin with. Try planting basil, cilantro, chives, or whatever your spice of choice. The taste of dried herbs is nothing compared to the freshness of aromatic, hand-picked herbs from your own garden. Besides, buying fresh herbs from the grocery store is expensive, and tricky to store. Also, when the winter turns cold, smaller planter boxes can be brought inside for fresh herbs all year long. (more…)

If your apartment leaves little room for growing things, you can use planter boxes to host an herb garden. An herb garden also requires a more minimal commitment of your time for maintenance. There’s no need to fertilize herbs regularly, and they can withstand dry spells if you forget to water them occasionally. Before you begin, make sure that your planter boxes receive plenty of sunlight. If they are located in a shady area, you should use plants that respond well to a shady environment. Provide your herbs with well-draining soil. Prune and harvest appropriately, and you should enjoy a bountiful supply of fresh herbs for your cooking.

Herbs do require full sunlight. They like direct sunlight, and lots of it. If your planter boxes will be in a shady area, you should pick different plants that like shade. (more…)

Finding someone who doesn’t like flowers is like finding someone who doesn’t like sunshine. The uplifting and beautiful colors and blooms brought on by the multitude of flower species are what makes planter boxes so popular, especially in urban centers where green space is scarce. It’s not only flowers that people plant, though. There are some incredible edibles that you can grow easily at home in your window sill or freestanding planter boxes. What exactly should one plant in these mini-gardens? Herbs, vegetables and flowers tend to flourish in this environment. Here, along with what types to plant are a few helpful hints on how to do it. So even if you’re guilty of killing everything your butterfingers touch, there’s hope yet to turn you into a green thumb.

For starting out, herbs are practically foolproof and their smaller sized plants fit perfectly in compact planter boxes. Place them indoors, outdoors, in most any kind of sunlight. It’s hard to mess these guys up. As a starter, try your hand at cilantro, basil, chives or whatever your favorite spices are. There is absolutely zero comparison between the taste of dull, store-bought dried herbs and fresh from the garden herbs. And if you’ve bought fresh herbs from the grocer, you know how expensive they are and how quickly they wilt in the fridge. The best part is, once the weather turns cold, smaller planter boxes can be brought indoors for yearround fresh herbs. (more…)

Planter boxes offer a garden plot for those who live in cramped spaces. Even residents of studio apartments can grow their own fresh herbs. If you want to give herb gardening a try, you should first consider the growing requirements of herbs. If your planter boxes can expose your herbs to the proper levels of light, your experiment could succeed. Set up your planters with good drainage and soil before planting your herbs. When the time comes, harvest your herbs and enjoy the crops you’ve produced through your own nurture.

Like all plants, herbs require certain levels of sunlight and water. While herbs can be very tough plants, even withstanding drought, they can’t forgo water. Use your fingertip to gauge the dampness of the soil in your planter boxes and evaluate if you need to water. If the soil feels damp, it’s good. If the soil feels wet, you have likely overwatered. Wait until the soil dries, and use less water next time. If the soil feels dry, water your herbs (but don’t try to compensate by saturating the soil). A slightly drier soil is better than soggy soil for herbs. (more…)

You’ve heard them called cute, quaint, and oh so pretty. Planter boxes, though, are more than just an aesthetic addition to a home. These symbols of Southern charm and beauty also have very real benefits that allow one’s inner gardener to flourish, not matter where one lives. Perhaps you can commiserate with one of the following scenarios; perhaps you already have the perfect, prize-winning garden. Regardless your situation, give planter boxes a shot.

Problem 1:

Jeannette lives in a fabulous loft apartment in New York City. What she gave up for the great view on the 30th floor was a shot at a great garden, as if there were even any green space to go around. She lives close to Central Park but would love to bring some color to her urban setting.

Solution: (more…)

You’ve seen them on countless homes but never really gave s second thought to planter boxes. As a symbol of Southern charm, these compact containers provide compact gardens to more than just quaint little houses out in the country. For example:

Scenario 1: Jessica lives in a sky rise apartment in the big city. Not only does she not have a backyard or garden space, but she is also on the 30th floor.

Scenario 2: Matthew has a condo in the suburbs and a decent size front lawn. The problem is, the front of his home faces West and so he only receives the weak, late day sunshine, which is not strong enough for the sun-seeking plants he prefers. (more…)

What’s better than a handpicked bouquet of vibrant flowers or the taste of fresh herbs? Not having to spend hours of back-breaking labor digging up a plot of arable land to make into a garden. Planter boxes are the not just the easy way out; they are the perfect and mobile way to showcase your blooms and foliage. Before you set up a box in your backyard or window, refer to this handy checklist so you’re prepped and ready to plant.

1. Plan ahead. Count how many planter boxes you have versus how many plants you would like, but take into consideration the spatial needs of the different species. Some plants require more space, while others have long-reaching roots. Others still, like ivy or phlox are creepers that will eventually hang over the sides of planters boxes. (more…)

Here are some tips for growing perennials and herbs in containers.

For: Rose Mallow or Hibiscus. Spectacular for tall, bold effects. Large flowers, like single hollyhocks, appear during late summer and fall in red, rose, pink, and white. Hybrids measure nine and more inches across. Good for screening hedges. Plants like rich soil, abundant moisture, and full sun though partial shade is endured.

Select some perennials with good all-season foliage. When daylilies, peonies, phlox, coral-bells, gas plant, astilbe, and hardy candytuft finish flowering, their leaves remain attractive. With Oriental poppies, bleeding hearts and primroses, the leaves turn yellow once blooming is over, though this does not mean they are undesirable. Bare spots left by them can be concealed by other plants like quick-growing annuals.

Perennials like daylilies and iris thrive where it is hot; lupines, delphiniums, and astilbes prefer cooler temperatures.

You can have some biennials, too foxgloves, cantetbury bells, sweet Williams and verbascums and discard them after flowering.

Today, nurserymen and garden centers offer mature perennial and biennial plants in tins, baskets, tar paper, papiermache, and other temporary containers. They provide for quick, colorful effects.

PERENNIALS

Acanthus or Bear’s Breech. Tall and striking from southern Europe, whose leaf the ancient Greeks adapted for the capitals of Corinthian columns. Arching, deep-cut, thistlelike leaves, two feet long, shining dark green, are surmounted with tall, white, rose-tinged spikes. Give plants large pots with good drainage and full sun. Not hardy in the North where they need winter protection.

Asters. Handsome with starry blossoms for rich purple, lavender, rose, pink, and white autumn displays. Many varieties vary from nine inches to four or more feet. Plants need full sun and respond to feeding and watering, but are otherwise easy. They are best divided each spring.

Bearded Iris. Number one favorite, beloved for its exquisite blooms in rainbow colors. Hardy and easy to grow, spearlike leaves provide accent among other plants. Clumps need dividing every third year.

Chrysanthemums. Free-flowering and invaluable for the pot garden. With these alone, you can enjoy riotous color from August even to December. Grow your own or buy plants in bud from commercial growers. They move easily when in bloom, if you take care to keep them moist. After flowering, plant in garden or cold frame and give winter protection or discard the roots like annuals.

Daylilies or Hemerocallis. Thriving in hot and cold climates, in shade or full sun. Straplike foliage remains attractive all season. For warmer regions there are evergreen varieties. Trumpet flowers, mostly yellow and crimson, open over a long period, even though each bloom stays fresh but one day. The Greek name, hemerocallis, means “beautiful for a day.”

Delphinium. Regal plant with tall, stately spikes in shades of blue, purple, and white. Sow seed in February or March for flowering plants the same season or purchase seedlings in spring for large containers. Seed sown in June or July will bloom the following summer. Delphiniums need sun and staking up to their heads. Try some of the gorgeous Pacific Hybrids.

Hostas. These handsome perennials have broad leaves, green or variegated. Low growing types are ideal to edge large planters. Hardy, pest free and easy. Consider the August lily, with fragrant white bells in summer; Honey-bells, with tall spikes of purple flowers; and Thomas Hogg, with green leaves edged white.

Phlox. Dependable for bright color in July, August, and September. Thrives in sun or partial shade and needs plenty of water. Allowed to dry out, phlox wilts and the lower leaves turn brown. Comes in pink, salmon, rose, red, scarlet, lavender, purple, and white. If tips are pinched when plants are six to nine inches high, flower heads will be more numerous, though smaller.

Herbaceous perennials are valuable in the container garden. In planters, raised beds, and large boxes, they contribute greatly to the garden design with their distinctive foliage and attractive flowers. As a group, perennials are adapted to a variety of conditions, tolerating sun or shade, moist or dry locations. For the most part, they are hardy, but some require winter covering.

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About Gerald Mason
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