Whether you live in a tiny city apartment or on a large country
estate, gardening in containers is a way to add colour and the
beauty of nature to your surroundings. The three main elements
of creating successful containers gardens are:
In all of these elements, the key is to create a healthy growing
environment for the plant roots. For a healthy root system, water
must be able to pass quickly through the soil. As the water drains
out, air replaces it in the soil and an exchange of carbon dioxide
is made with the plant roots. This movement of water and air is
essential to a healthy plant.
Here are some tips to help you choose from the dizzying array
of pots, troughs and boxes:
* Pick the spot for your garden first and then find a container
to suit it. For example, a quaint wooden trough would not suit
a modern balcony, nor would classic urn shaped pots be the best
choice for an informal country style garden. In addition to style
considerations, give attention to size and proportion issues.
* Consider the weight of the container – not only empty, but filled with
wet soil and plants. If there is a strong prevailing breeze across your outdoor
space, the container must be heavy enough to prevent it from tipping over.
On the other hand, the structure on which the containers are placed must be
able to support them (so a large concrete trough would be less than ideal for
a balcony or wooden porch, and a 6 ft wooden trough would need a VERY strong
ledge to make it a suitable window box). Since a 30-gallon planter can weigh
more than 200 pounds once it’s filled, think about either planting
the container in place, or setting it on plant casters or dollies.
* Clay/terracotta pots are attractive and complement a wide range
of foliage and flowering plants. They are the traditional potting
container because,
in addition to draining well, they wick moisture through their sides. This
provides
a drier root environment, which means less opportunity for root diseases.
However, it also means more frequent watering is needed. If you tend to underwater,
use terra cotta pots for only drought tolerant plants, or choose another
type
of container. On the down side, clay pots can be heavy and must be protected
in colder climates during the winter to prevent cracking. A glazed clay container
is non-porous, creating a moisture barrier. Because this will not allow the
root system to breathe, glazed pots are best used with a regular terracotta
pot inside of them.
* Plastic pots are inexpensive, lightweight and functional, and
come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes and colors. If you
don’t like the look
of plastic, apply a faux finish to fool the eye, or slip the plastic pots
inside other
containers. With the proper soil mix and attentive watering, plants do well
in plastic pots. If you tend to underwater your plants, plastic is a better
choice than terra cotta for you. However, plastic containers may need to
be weighted down to stay in place on windy days.
* Wood containers look good in naturalistic environments, and
most plants do well in them. Wood drains better than plastic
but does not have the wicking
advantage of clay, and wood containers can be heavy when planted. Choose
containers
made of hardwood, such as redwood, cedar or cypress, which are less susceptible
to rot over time. Lining wood containers with heavyduty plastic bags will
give you added protection from moisture, but you must remember to provide
proper
drainage.
* Metal containers can be used successfully in many modern settings.
Galvanized containers are the best for planting – they won’t leach rust or
chemicals into the soil. Unless the container was designed as a planter, you’ll
need to add drainage holes to the bottom of the pot, or slip other pots inside
it.
* Found items can add variety and whimsy to your container garden.
If you’re
going to plant directly in such items as watering cans, old boots, teapots
or wheelbarrows consider drainage and air movement around the roots of the
plants.
Now that you chosen the perfect containers, you need to select
the planting medium and the plants. We’ll cover that in a
future issue of Tales From the Porch Swing.
