Plant Gardens 101

According to the National Gardening Association, 91 million households participated in some form of do-it-yourself lawn and gardening activity in 2005, spending an average of $387. Over the past decade, an increasing percentage of this total has gone towards container gardening.

Containers offer a versatile form of gardening that fits into any lifestyle and yard size. City dwellers can use them to brighten up lifeless balconies, roof decks or front stoops, while those with more space can decorate high-traffic spaces and incorporate them into lawn and garden areas for added drama and flair. Because of the multitude of options on the market, container gardens are an easy way to add a splash of color to any outdoor space, big or small.

Roses are among the most spectacular and rewarding choices for a container because of their combination of color, fragrance and season-long blooms. Also, with advances in hybridizing, roses are easier to grow than ever before. Look for the All-America Rose Selections (AARS) rose logo as a “seal of approval,” which indicates that the rose excelled in the most difficult plant trial in the world: two years of testing in 23 gardens across the country, representing all climate zones. By performing well against 15 criteria including fragrance, ease of maintenance and disease resistance, AARS roses are proven to be the very best.

Tom Carruth, director of research at Weeks Roses and hybridizer of eight AARS Winners in the past nine years, provides the following tips for building the perfect container rose garden: (more…)

For years people have been gardening in containers, mostly because they lacked space. For some it was because they lived in climates that wouldn’t allow them to grow year round. Container gardens afford you the option of planting outside until the cold forces the container inside, next to a sunny window.

Most container gardens were planted by people that lived in apartments but still wanted the addition of color and the feeling of accomplishment when seeing their plants grow. Big, beautiful showy flowers have a tranquil effect that soothes you at the end of a long day. Container gardening need not be limited to apartment gardening, everyone should have their own. Most certainly you don’t have to stick to flowers in containers. You can grow vegetables and herbs in pots. (more…)

Container gardening solves many problems for the avid & novice gardener. It’s the ideal solution to challenges such as limited space and poor soil.

Container gardening also allows you to place your garden where you want and need it. Container gardening can also improve monitoring and control so that optimal growing conditions can be maintained.

But what is container gardening? Container gardening is the raising of plants in soil filled containers outside of the traditional garden. It affords many people the chance to garden who would otherwise not have the space for an open garden on the ground. Container gardening is ideal for city dwellers who have only a balcony or rooftop to garden on. But even if space is not a problem, container gardening can just make gardening easier and more convenient.

While any type of container will do, it’s best to use something that’s not too shallow and does not leak. Most Home and Garden stores and nurseries sell prefabricated containers for container gardening. Or you can simply build your own to fit the space. With a little imagination, almost anything can be used for your container gardening project. An old wheel barrow or large kettle for instance. Even an old computer case! The container you select for container gardening doesn’t just have to be functional. It can also be a design element. (more…)

Not all homes are fortunate enough to have lawns and backyards to grow in home gardens. This is especially true nowadays when most families live in apartments and condominiums that definitely do not offer space for planting and growing a full garden. These homeowners may try and find satisfaction in having plastic plant decorations but aficionados know all to well that this comes nothing close to the real thing. Fortunately, plant lovers can still fulfill their garden fantasies with container gardening. This type of gardening is now preferred by most individuals as they entail easy and uncomplicated maintenance as compared to their lawn counterparts.

The one advantage of having your garden in containers is mobility. We have at one time or another heard complaints from some gardeners and home owners wishing that they could have planted a tree that is perhaps obscuring the view somewhere else or have come to realize that positioning the flowering shrub on the left side corner instead of the right would have created a better landscape. With flower gardening, this does not pose a problem. You simply pick up your pot and then set it in a different location in minutes. Container gardening gives you the option of growing indoor and outdoor plants too. For those plants that are sensitive to weather conditions particularly winter, you can safely shelter them inside during the cold balmy season and then let them out to gather some fresh air as the sun peeks its head in the sky during summer. The mobility offered by container gardening is a good thing especially if there is a chance of you moving residences. You can easily take your garden with you without the dirt and hassle of digging, transporting and replanting your garden in another location.

If you are a person who likes to rearrange furniture according to your moods or perchance loves to match up your home arrangements with the season, you will be well pleased with container gardening. Flexibility does not end with your layout but also with the kind of plants and flowers that you have for your home. You can go wild on a selection of colors and species without the worry that they may contradict and go against each other as you always have the option to situate them in another room. In short, there are no limitations so go ahead and indulge yourself.

In container gardening, you are enhancing your abode’s ambiance as well. Vividly colored plants and flowers can easily brighten any room in the house. Garden pots can create variation and sparkle on dull colored walls and corners. You can go for a particular theme for your house during the different seasons like choosing sunny and cheery bright pottery plants during the summer or opt for winter poinsettias and rosemary through the holidays. Further, you may find yourself having no more need to light up scented candles for aroma as the natural fragrance that flowers and blossoms give off could very well do the job. What is more, the scent can last all season long.

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About James Brown
James Brown writes about Gardens Alive! discount codes, Wind & Weather deals.

As the proud owner of a tiny vegetable plot one of the easiest ways to increase my plot is to grow vegetables in containers. Container vegetable gardening has become very popular to the point the seed companies now have special varieties for growing vegetables in containers. You cannot always use just any plants because some varieties like a wide spread root system while others grow perfectly well with a smaller root set.

This year I tried to grow sweet peppers in some flower pots but I found them pot bound and dying. I transferred them to the plot and within 2 weeks they were growing and much healthier.

Many people actually are constantly on the lookout for a good way to grow their own vegetables even when space is at a premium. Moreover, these people also wish to avoid purchasing vegetables that contain non-organic matter and they need to also find a way to avoid paying for highly costly organic foods. (more…)

Contain It: Ten Things to Think about when Growing Container Roses

If your space is at a premium, but you love roses, you may want to think about growing container roses.

1. Convenience of Location

Growing roses in containers had a lot of advantages. If you don’t have a yard to garden in, or are limited to a balcony on your apartment, container gardening is perfect. Containers can be set on a patio or moved about as needed to give you the most decorative effect you can get. As long as you are gentle, it is fairly easy to move container roses. Larger containers can get quite heavy after they are filled up with plants and soil. If you are planting a large container, put it where you want it to sit before you begin to fill it. If you put it on a rolling stand, it is easier to move the container later or rotate it to get even sun exposure.

When choosing a spot for your container rose, remember your rose needs six hours of direct sun every day. You’ll also want to keep in mind how easy it is to water your rose in your chosen location, and what kind of temperatures will your rose be exposed to in its container. (more…)

If you’ve always dreamed of ditching your big-city life in favor of growing your own food in the back woods, get started now with container gardening! You would be surprised at how many plants can live happily on a balcony and in the house. Many varieties of fruit and vegetable can be grown in a small space.

Evaluate your space before you purchase gardening supplies and plants. Some plants can do well in smaller containers, but need more sunlight. Some need larger containers, but can be grown with little sunlight. Herbs, for example, can be grown in small containers, but need at least 5, preferably more, hours of sunlight. Leafy greens, like lettuce, need less sunlight. (more…)

Herb gardens are so useful, versatile and easy to grow that they make an excellent addition to any home. Unfortunately not everyone has access to a spacious garden to grow their herbs in. This is where container herb gardens come in. They are great because you just need enough space for a few containers, and you can grow the most wonderful herb garden! What’s more, if you ever decide to move house, you can simply take your container herb garden with you!

So where do you start? Well, the first thing you need to do is consider what sort of herbs you would like to plant. To help you decide this, you might want to think about what sort of dishes you like to cook or what you will be using your herbs for. To give you some ideas, the following is a list of commonly used herbs in the kitchen:

Rosemary - Very fragrant and flavoursome herb that goes well with meat dishes. Can also be used to flavour oils. (more…)

If you would love to grow healthy, fresh vegetables and vibrant, beautiful flowers but have limited space, organic container gardening can be the answer you’ve been looking for. This creative type of natural gardening can be done just about anywhere and it can even be easier than maintaining a traditional garden plot.

Here are three things to consider for simple organic container gardening, regardless of the amount of space you may have.

Start With Organic Soil

It only stands to reason that for any successful venture in organic container gardening, one would need organic soil. A regular, outdoor garden begins with the soil or dirt that you already have and then organic materials are added to increase nutrients. But you’ll be ahead of the game if you start with organic soil to begin with. (more…)

In a small garden, where the patio or decking occupies a significant proportion, or if you have only a yard or roof garden available, container gardening is a good solution to the planting problem. In addition, it can give you a garden that is easily rearranged, which adds an extra dimension of interest to what you have. As with your overall garden plan, a little forethought can pay dividends.

For example, the size of pots needs consideration. A whole host of small pots will add flexibility and are easy to move around but they will take more frequent watering, whereas larger pots require less watering as they contain more soil or compost but moving them is not so easy. A compromise is to have a mixture of container sizes, with larger, more architectural plants in a few large containers that will be moved infrequently some medium sized ones that can be moved around more frequently and then some smaller, easy to move pots containing the smaller plants that can be moved round easily whenever you want. If you want a pot that will contain several different plants, a strawberry planter is ideal. (more…)

Here are some plants you can grow in hanging baskets to make a great display:

Asparagus Fern (Asparagus plumosus)

These can be grown from seed but the seedlings are the victims of so many insect pests that it is better to purchase small plants in February and grow them on in the warm house for spring and early summer sales.

Feathery green trailing growth, plus small white flowers which often produce small red fruits, make this a froth of green for the window box or planter. Here it is seldom bothered with pests unless the season is exceptionally hot and dry, then it may become infested with red spider.

If you have old plants left over, you can divide them with a sharp knife, potting up the pieces of long white tubers and foliage in 4-inch pots of greenhouse soil. They also make wonderful hanging basket plants for the patio or greenhouse. (more…)

The nice thing about Container Gardening is that vegetables and flowers can be grown in almost any type of container. Just make sure there are sufficient drainage holes drilled in the bottom of each container. Four to five one-half inch holes will be sufficient. After the holes are drilled, put a piece of window screening inside the container.

The precaution is in selecting which container is best suited for what vegetable. For instance. Root crops like carrots, tomatoes, and other large plants require deeper containers. On the other hand, leafy vegetables do not need such deep containers.

Here are some containers I use for the various vegetables I grow. For tomatoes, I always select dwarf, determinate tomato plants. These grow and produce extremely well in 3 to 5 gallon cake frosting plastic buckets. Any bakery will be happy to save their buckets for you. Remember, you can only plant 1 tomato plant per container. (more…)

If you are like me, I absolutely love the smell of fresh herbs. However, buying fresh herbs at the grocery store would often make my wallet cry, so I would pass them up. Often times I didn’t buy enough or they would spoil before I used them all. So like me, Container Herb Gardening can give you an abundant, readily available supply of fresh herbs. It doesn’t matter if your living quarters are small because you can put the containers inside in the kitchen within reach. Even next to the coffee pot.Growing herbs in containers is the perfect gift for gardening friends, as well as for cooking. Take into account these 3 tips for the successful container herb garden, for some flavorful and or smelly results.

Tip #1. Select the herbs you want to grow. Choose from basil, oregano, rosemary, sage, thyme, parsley, mints and dill. All are easy to grow in containers, require very little maintenance, and are adaptable for a wide variety of dishes. Plants such as lavender and yarrow spread quickly and can take up all your space, so these are ideal for container herb gardening in small batches. (more…)

If you follow these 5 tips for successful container gardening you will not only save time, but money, frustration and possibly embarrassment. As this is an increasingly popular venue for gardening, container gardening is making a fashion statement. Container gardens are already very popular for entries, patios and decks. Maybe you’ve thought about incorporating them into your office or home, but haven’t. If by chance you feel a little overwhelmed on the basics, here are 5 tips for successful container gardening, even if it’s your first.

Before you run off in all directions as if you had 2 hours to create a masterpiece, pause to do some planning. First think about what type of feeling you want to have, when you look at your container. For me, I want to feel like I’ve walked into my own “secret garden” and have a sense of calm. I think about how it will smell, and feel among other things. Is it going to be a focal point in a room, or mixed in as part of a theme? Will it be the centerpiece on a table, or placed in a semi-lit hallway? (more…)

Vegetable container gardening is a fun activity. Although it eliminates the thrill of traditional vegetable gardening, growing vegetables in containers make the activity more challenging. However, with so many available materials to read, a novice gardener can get overwhelmed by all the tips or pointers that are presented by these materials. But the good news, gardening is actually easy as 123. If you are like me, you don’t want to reinvent the wheel, or spin your wheels. Right. You see, the methods of garden preparation and maintenance are thoroughly discussed in detail and in so many versions, but the basic knowledge that is applied in gardening is actually the same. Here are some ace in the hole points that you can use in starting up and ensuring the success of your vegetable container garden.

• On soil type selection. Since you are gardening in containers, choosing the best type solid for your garden will be convenient. All you need to do is step out and reach the nearest garden shop. The lack of yard space is sometimes an advantage; it eliminates the trouble of soil testing and preparations prior to gardening. Ask for the most experienced shop keeper’s advice on container vegetable gardening. Allow him to help you select the type of soil that you need. Also, be guided by the soil type recommendations that are placed at the back of the label of vegetable seed packets. (more…)

Container gardening is the answer would love to grow some vegetables but I have no room to grow anything”.

By utilizing containers, both large and small, it is possible to grow almost anything that you can grow directly in the ground. Patios, balconies, steps, and window sills are good locations as long as there is sufficient sunlight (about 6 to 8 hours worth), the only limit being the size and the weight of your containers.

Containers come in a variety of shapes, sizes and materials and in fact, can be just about any thing that will hold soil, even old shoes and sneakers can be pressed into service as flower pots with admirable results. Materials can be wood, plastic, terra cotta, clay or metal. All containers do need drainage, so it is good advice to add one inch of coarse gravel on the bottom and have drain holes ideally one half inch from the bottom. Drainage can be severely hampered by placing the pot directly on a hard surface such as concrete so elevate the container an inch or two to insure proper water flow. (more…)