Top Five (5) Tips for Container Gardening
Container gardening is an effective way to transform a visually unappealing grey slab of concrete into an oasis of colours. With some creative imagination, basic tools, and daily maintenance, a bland patio or balcony space can easily adopt a welcoming look.
Developing container gardens does require some basic techniques for success.
Here are the top five tips to guide those who wish to have a beautiful garden that they can call their own.
1. Plan ahead
As with all activities, identifying the goal and its supporting steps before starting anything is important. It creates a vision for the future whilst bringing into focus exactly what is achievable.
The planned look and feel you wish to bring into a space can be translated into how many pots you require, how they will be positioned, and the type of plants you wish to have and the general look. You can create a different feel just by the positioning of the containers, for example asymmetrically positioning potted plants in relation to your patio doors t has a more modern look compared to having plants flanked on either side.
Although not often considered, one’s lifestyle also plays a key role to the overall success of this project. If an individual is on the road often, getting a container with an automatic watering irrigation system or only choose plants that need little watering is a smart move.
Creating a list of items to buy in advance allows a person to work around a budget more closely and maximise your focus whilst at the garden centre.
2. Find suitable garden containers
Choosing the appropriate gardening containers to match a vision can seem overwhelming, but In reality it should be quite straightforward.
Waterproofed, containers in an array of colours and styles are readily available in most of the good garden centres. Buy a couple of these together with their matching trays to ensure that any drips and water over-flow does not stain the paving or wooden surface underneath.
Old copper urns can also be turned into garden containers. Plastic containers are quite affordable but do not last long.
The rule of thumb is to try not to use a container that is porous and has the tendency to absorb water as this will dry out the plants. It is wise to put a sealant first on terra cotta pots before planting anything in it. A cheaper option is to immerse the terra cotta pots in water for a couple of days first before they are used.
3. Choose plants based on functional and aesthetic reasons
The range of plants that are ideal for container gardening is extensive. Some people are into decorative plants while others are leaning towards herbs and vegetables. Having immediate access to fresh herbs that are otherwise expensive or seldom found in the supermarket is simply pure bliss.
Play around with different colours and heights to make thing visually interesting. A low-growing plant complements tall ones and helps create a more interesting structure. But conversely you can create bold statements with uniformity of height and colour.
A local nursery is the ideal place to buy the plants as there is an assurance that the plants are pest free and well taken care of. Careful research may uncover facts regarding what types of plants are comfortable sharing their container and the volume of sunlight, water and nutrients they require, make the plants grow in abundance.
4. Use Good Potting Soil
The soil recipe can make or break this project. Remember that the potting soil is the food of the plants throughout the growing season. Professionally blended bagged soils may cost more but they are reputed to provide proper aeration and drainage that the plants need.
5. Establish Proper Drainage
Buy containers that have adequate drainage holes. If it is not adequate, then create the required holes using a drill.
The drainage holes allow excess water to flow out from the container which prevents the plants from drowning. The trick is to let the water out but still keep most of the soil within. Investing in container liners such as plastic window screen or coco fibre will make this possible.
What is fantastic about container gardening is that it does not require a lot of space. This is a huge relief especially for city dwellers who do not have the wide landscape of a traditional garden. A natural sanctuary created from the harmonious combination of pots and plants is a luxury in life we can all afford and enjoying.
