Container Gardening: Something for Everyone

Every household is unique with unique gardening needs. Individuals that live in townhomes or apartments may have different needs than those that live in single family homes in the town or in the country. For a variety of reasons, container gardening might be an advantage.
Container gardens come in a variety of forms such as hanging baskets, patio pots, window boxes, herb and vegetable container gardens, succulents, or vertical gardens. Before determining which container garden is best for your home, there are certain questions that need to be answered. Do you live in an apartment or condominium and need a garden that is best for limited spaces? Do you wish to enjoy the beautiful color displays that flowers can offer or would you prefer to enjoy fresh vegetables at your dinner table each night? For those who have homes on larger pieces of land, do the deer attack your gardens, eating the shrubs, plants and vegetables? Are you happy with the landscape and just need that “pop” of color throughout the summer months? After reviewing your current landscape, ask yourself if a container garden is the perfect enhancement for your outdoor living space.
Patio pots and planters come in a variety of sizes, shapes and colors. Color schemes are as varied as the pot choices themselves. A bright pot full of varying colored annuals adds the wow factor to any home space. Choosing a pot and then planting annuals in a monochromatic scheme provides a different, but no less dramatic, effect. Pots planted with shrubs or grasses can be used to create a privacy screen along the drive or to shelter an intimate space from prying eyes. Two pots at the front door planted with annuals of various heights and textures provide a warm, welcoming entrance for friends and family.
A spectacular burst of color can be added to the front porch with hanging baskets. If your porch faces north, ferns will add an inviting feel to the shady space. If you are facing south or any sunnier location, mini petunias or callibroachoa will keep blooming all season long. Hanging baskets add visual interest in areas that you least expect.
Window boxes provide that “pop” of color when placed above evergreen shrubs. Adding color to the sight line, while planting annuals of a similar color in the beds, will draw one’s eye to the beauty of the total landscape. The overall effect will be stunning!
Sustainable living is a new concept to some people; a way of life for others. Using pots and planters to turn your patio or deck into a fruit and vegetable garden provides both beauty and practicality. Many varieties of thornless berries such as Raspberry “Shortcake” or Blueberry “Jelly Bean” prefer pots to large gardens. Vegetables such as tomatoes or miniature eggplant thrive in pots and planters. A container vegetable garden may be the perfect answer to fresh fruits and vegetables on your table each night.
If going to restaurants that use fresh basil, cilantro, or oregano pleases your palate, creating your own herb garden might be right for you. Enjoying fresh herbs daily is easy. Growing herbs a step away from the kitchen allows you to make an ordinary meal taste gourmet. Mint or lemon balm need to be placed in separate containers to prevent their aggressive growth from taking over other plants and herbs.
Vertical gardening is an excellent choice for apartments or big walls without windows. A proper English garden will use both horizontal and vertical spaces to allow for maximum plantings. Geraniums, philodendron, herbs succulents, or a variety of ferns are only a few choices that grow well vertically.
A terrarium provides a point of visual interest and a wonderful place to grow succulents. Air plants and ferns also grow well in this environment, requiring little attention and only occasional watering. Want even less watering? Try a cacti terrarium. The cacti plants have a shallow root system and require little area to grow. They can be grown in seashells, shallow bowls, or with a little imagination, almost anywhere.
Whether you live in an apartment, townhome, or in the country adding plants is beneficial to your outdoor living space. Plants add color, texture and visual interest in small or large spaces, but more importantly they add happiness to the lives of the homeowners.