1st time gardener question?

My husband and I just bought a home with a ton of garden space, the previous owners planted some plants here and there…I would love to plant some beautiful flowers, I'm just not sure where and how to start. Should I just get some mulch and start planting pots of flowers?

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1st time gardener question?

My husband and I just bought a home with a ton of garden space, the previous owners planted some plants here and there…I would love to plant some beautiful flowers, I'm just not sure where and how to start. Should I just get some mulch and start planting pots of flowers?

Container gardening has become increasingly popular in recent years for many reasons. There is wide range of containers available to suit whatever space you have available and a wealth of plants that can be grown in them. It’s great for the modern lifestyle. You can enjoy the relaxing effects provided by beautiful flowers with little time and effort. It’s the nearest you’ll get to an instant garden.

So, let’s get started. Only a little research is required. Visit your local garden centre and you will usually find a display of plants suitable for growing in containers. And, depending on the time of year, you will be able to see some of them in all their glory. There will also be information on their requirements.

First, the right sized pot. How much or how little will they grow in a season? Some plants will need room to expand, while others will prefer to be snug. Also, check the pot for drainage. Although frequent watering will be needed through the summer, you have to prevent the root system from becoming waterlogged, depriving the plant of oxygen. A layer of gravel, stones or broken pots can help with this.

Most plants will be happy with a general, multipurpose compost. Some need special conditions. Lime haters will need ericaseous compost. If your plants will stay in the pot for more than one year, you need a loam based compost. If you are mixing plants, make sure that they can all tolerate the same conditions.

To reduce your maintenance workload, add a slow release fertilizer and some moisture retaining granules at planting time. Water the plants thoroughly before you start. Position your container to provide the right amount of sunshine and shelter from the wind.

Add a layer of compost to your drainage layer. Try positioning the plants in the container before you remove them from their pots. When you are happy with the layout, make up the compost to the level of the bottom of the largest pot. Backfill with compost and bring all of the plants up to the same surface level. Gently firm down the compost, leaving the surface an inch below the top of the pot to allow for watering.

Sit back, relax and enjoy your handiwork. And consider what would be a good position for your next masterpiece. The great thing about container gardening is that it can grow with you. As you become more knowledgable and enthusiastic, there is always something knew to try. How about some home grown vegetables. Or something more exotic. Where will your imagination take you?

About The Author

David Redfoot provides information and resources on Vertical and Container Gardening at http://www.verticalgardener.com Container gardening is perfect for the modern lifestyle. It can be adapted for the time and space you have available and your physical ability. It is an easy way to experience the joy of gardening if you’ve never tried it before. Visit http://www.verticalgardener.com and pick up a great FREE Container Gardening Secrets report.

This article is copyright verticalgardener.com and may only be reproduced with this resource box intact.

3 Easy Tips For Successful Container Gardening

Here are several tips for creating a wonderful hanging basket or container this summer. The first is to use an artificial soil composed mostly of peat moss. Good soils such as Fafard or Pro-Mix use perlite, peat, and other ingredients to produce a soil that will not compact over the summer. Real garden soil compacts and turns into concrete under the pressure of regular watering. And when it does, plant roots stop growing because they require good open spaces to move into and absorb nutrients. Hard, compacted soils do not grow good plants so do not use real soil in your containers. I re-use my artificial potting soil from year to year. I dump it out of the pot. Chew it up with a shovel to cut up all last year’s roots and add approximately 10 % by volume of compost. The compost increases air spaces and gives plants a boost in healthy nutrition.

Feed your plants weekly. Nitrogen, the engine of plant growth, is water soluble and as you water your containers from the top the dissolved nitrogen is leaving from the bottom. I use a fish-emulsion liquid feed with seaweed to provide all the trace nutrients my plants require and recommend it highly. You can use any liquid plant food (like Miracle Grow or Shultz) to promote growth. Compost tea is the Cadillac of liquid plant food and if you make your own compost tea, your plants will respond with bigger and better blooms as well as increased vigour.

And finally, no matter the size of the container, it is important to soak it all the way to the bottom at each watering. Continue watering until water emerges from the pot bottom. This ensures the roots can reach all parts of the container and grow properly.

By: Doug Green

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Doug Green, an award winning garden author with 7 books published answers gardening questions and gives container gardening advice in his free newsletter at www.simplegiftsfarm.com

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