Growing Wise : container gardening

Tomatoes and Basil Love Strawberry Jars

Elisabeth — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 21:31:00 GMT

My old blue strawberry jar officially gave up the ghost last year. Now I am going to buy a new one and I know exactly what I will plant in it come spring. A healthy cherry tomato plant will go into the wide mouth at the top and six different kinds of basil will fill up the six pockets. Basil and tomatoes are great companion plants. Both like lots of sunshine and water, and the strongly-scented basil helps keep pests off the tomato. The two taste great together as well.

With tomatoes and basil planted in one strawberry jar, I will have the beginnings of a vegetable garden in a single pot on my back porch. If only I could grow mozarella in a pot, I would have everything necessary for a perfect summer feast.

Vegetables

Elisabeth — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 13:31:00 GMT

The hottest trend in gardening right now is vegetable gardening, or, more properly, food gardening, since that term encompasses vegetables, fruits and herbs. Not since the days of the World War II "Victory Gardens" have so many people concerned themselves about growing their own food. Whether the concerns focus on food prices, carbon footprints or just great taste, experienced gardeners, novice gardeners and everyone in between will shortly be turning their thoughts towards planning and planting.

The task can be a bit daunting, however. Most food crops require sunshine, which is at a premium in many gardens. Today's gardeners tend to have smaller spaces to work with and some may wonder how much food they can raise on such limited plots. The solution to these problems is in realistic thinking and planning.

First of all, think about what you want to grow. If you are new to food gardening, grow the foods you like best. For many people, the easiest place to start is with tomatoes because they are tasty and accessible. You can grow them in the ground or in pots. You can focus on heirloom or modern varieties and choose anything from tiny, "cherry" tomatoes to big, beefy behemoths. Tomatoes can be started indoors on a sunny windowsill and transferred to the outdoors.

Basil is by far the easiest herb to grow, and it works very well with tomatoes. Peppers are also simple.

Once you gain confidence, the sky is the limit (or, probably, your property's boundaries are the limit). Eventually you may find yourself growing Swiss chard, potatoes and even a row or two of sweet corn. Like any other gardening, food gardening is good for you mentally and (especially) physically. There is something very healthy about supervising food production from seed or starter plant to table.

Winter Containers

Elisabeth — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 18:46:00 GMT

Now that the houseplants are safely back inside and the bulbs are in the process of being installed, it's time to think about your containers. Like everything else, they need winter care.

I love terra cotta and over the years I have collected some very nice terra cotta pots. Since some of them are expensive, I make sure that all of my terra cotta pieces are emptied of soil and safely stowed upside down in the garage. Leaving a terra cotta pot outside in freezing weather is a recipe for disaster. Water in the soil inside the pot freezes and the soil expands, which can cause cracks in the pots. Even if the pot is empty, there is a reasonable likelihood that it will be damaged by extreme temperature and weather conditions.

Plastic or resin containers are lighter and tougher, but sometimes freezing weather or exposure to the elements can fade colors and make the containers brittle. A plastic pot without a drainage hole can fill with water and crack when the water turns to ice. Unless your plastic pots are very large and heavy, it pays to store them as well. If they must stay outside, turn them over to prevent them from filling with water. Group all your upside down pots in a corner of the deck, porch or patio, and cover with plastic or a tarp that is well weighted down.

If you have old-fashioned metal urns or containers, you can probably leave them outside. Some people like the "shabby chic" look of rusted metal, and exposure to the elements will enhance that at no cost. If you don't like rust, cover your containers. Check in the spring for small rust patches and cover them with a rust retardant paint.

Neat and tidy gardeners take great pride in washing and storing their pots for winter. If the washing part is too onerous, skip it until spring. (Of course it will still be an onerous chore then, but you may feel more optimistic when the light has returned!) Focus on doing what must be done--keeping the containers in one piece.

Grape Hyacinths

Elisabeth — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 14:42:00 GMT

When most of us think about spring-blooming bulbs, we focus on daffodils and tulips. Both are essential in spring, but there are so many of the so-called "little bulbs" that cost a pittance and add a new dimension to the spring garden. I am especially fond of muscari or grape hyacinth.

Grape hyacinth is one of those old fashioned flowers that you often find established in the gardens of older homes. The first spring that we spent in our current house, I noticed many clumps of grass-like foliage. When they finally bloomed, I saw that those clumps were Muscari armeniacum, or traditional blue grape hyacinth. Since then they have prospered and multiplied. I have divided the original clumps many times to make a grape hyacinth border in one of my raised beds.

I think that the best kept secret about these plants is that the tiny, bell-shaped flowers are so sweetly scented. A small bouquet of grape hyacinths won't scent a room, but will delight you every time you raise it to your nose. I keep a little vase of them on my desk for a bit of springtime inspiration. The flowers also last--in the garden and in the house--for a long time.

If you have a container or window box garden, you can plant a spring assortment of daffodils, tulips and grape hyacinths. Layer your planting scheme by installing the daffodils first, about seven inches down. Cover them with soil, and then arrange the tulip bulbs in the next layer, which should be about five inches down. Cover the tulips, then arrange the grape hyacinth bulbs, which should be about four inches down. Cover the small bulbs and top off the container with potting mix. In the spring you will have a succession of blooms in a single pot.

I had such success with my traditional grape hyacinths that I branched out and ordered some of the sky-blue 'Valerie Finnis' variety. They now flourish at the base of a long privet hedge You can also buy white grape hyacinths, which look especially nice in an all-white planting scheme or combined with blue varieties.

One of the best things about the little bulbs is that you don't have to plant them one by one. Dig a big hole or a trench and install a handful at a time. The effect is more natural and the strain on your back will be much less.

Aster Admiration

Elisabeth — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 19:51:00 GMT

Those of us who love our gardens often spend lots of time thinking about color combinations, trying to solve the riddle of "what goes with what." Even if you find the answer, you still have to worry about whether your color coordinated blooms will open at the same time. In the fall there is a great solution to this conundrum--plant asters.

Asters, those free-flowering members of the daisy family, are always color coordinated. Plant any aster with any other aster and the colors will get along. Plant any ten different asters and the colors will still look wonderful together. Why is this? Because all asters, except those with white blossoms, have greater or lesser amounts of blue in their color profiles. Even the dusty pink and rose varieties veer ever so slightly towards blue (rather than yellow). Since the white asters go with everything anyway, all asters work together.

This means that you are free to plant an entire sunny corner or bed with a mixture of tall and short asters. Planting the short ones in front of the taller varieties also covers up the tall asters' one flaw--ugly stalks. You can also grow several different varieties of aster in a large pot for an impressive fall display.

So worry about color matching in some other part of the garden. Let asters set you free.

Moss Rose

Elisabeth — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 20:06:00 GMT

At this time of year I am always trying to get the purslane out of my sidewalk cracks. Now its relative, portulaca or moss rose, is growing out of some of those same cracks and I couldn't be happier. Purslane is a creeping, succulent plant, with plump green leaves. It's edible, if you are into such things, and it's vigorous to put it mildly. I don't eat it, so I pull it out.

Portulaca is also succulent, though its little leaves are not as fat as those of purslane. The flowers are somewhat poppy-like and come in an array of colors. Individual flowers only last one day, but the plant produces blooms repeatedly over a long season. You can encourage the reblooming tendency by deadheading the spent flowers.

The beauty of portulaca, for those of us who experience very dry summers or who grow plants in infrequently watered flower beds and containers, is that it can get along without much water. Like most succulents, it stores moisture in its leaves.

Portulaca can be started from seed or from garden center cell packs. Either way it is easy to grow and a flagrant self-seeder. (That's how it got into my sidewalk cracks.) Since it is a low-grower, it is best for the edges of beds and the front of borders. You can fill pots with single colors or plant a seed mix and enjoy the rainbow. Either way, it's one less plant to worry about--which will give you more time for the purslane in the sidewalk cracks.

Container Care

Elisabeth — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 12:33:00 GMT

Now that it's nearly mid summer, those of us who garden in containers may have noticed that our potted plants look a little care-worn. A few easy steps can fix this

First, if you haven't mulched your pots with fine bark mulch, pebbles, beach glass or whatever suits your fancy, do so now. It helps the soil retain moisture. Second, if your plants look leggy--with long stems and fewer blossoms--they need to be cut back. Shear annuals back by one third to one half. Deadhead perennials as well. The annuals will respond to this by producing new leaves and new blooms in short order.

Even if annuals aren't leggy, remember to deadhead the flowering varieties regularly. This convinces them that their primary mission in life continues to be producing new flowers.

After you cut the plants back, feed with a balanced fertilizer, preferably an organic one. Annuals in particular are heavy feeders and need this mid-summer nutrition boost to give them the energy to keep producing leaves and flowers.

If you are growing herbs in the mint family, especially basil, be sure to pinch off any blossoms that appear, and continue to harvest the leaves. If you let the plants blossom without this intervention, the leaves become bitter.

And finally, if you are lucky enough to be able to take some vacation time, have a neighbor water the plants. To make things easier, group all the containers together in a semi-shaded location. That way, if the neighbor forgets them for a day, the plants will be less stressed by the baking sun.

Container Herbs

Elisabeth — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 12:41:00 GMT

On a recent trip to the garden center, I saw a variety of large pots planted with herbs. These assortments were billed as "Herb Garden in a Pot" or, more evocatively, "Veranda Herb Basket." Each one contained four or five common herbs and each sold for a premium price.

The container herb gardens made me think about how easy it would be to create your own herb assortment in any kind of container--from a standard pot to an old roasting pan. All you really need is good drainage, which you supply by putting holes in the bottom of the container. After that you cover the bottom with a layer of drainage material. Thrifty gardeners used to use bits of broken terra cotta posts for this. I vary that theme by using pieces of old plastic nursery pots, which I cut up and save for the purpose.

Most of the garden center herb assortments contained at least one basil, plus thyme, oregano, parsley and a mint of some variety. In your own container, the sky's the limit. Plant several different basils, using one of the purple-leafed varieties for color contrast. You might also create and all-thyme assortment or one combining different mints. Chives make a nice addition to the center of an herb arrangement, with the added bonus of producing lovely purple flowers.

Most herbs do best in the sun, so make sure yours receive four to six hours of direct sunlight per day. When you plant your container, leave expansion room for the young specimens. Water regularly and remember to harvest the herbs. Once you have used fresh herbs in your cooking, you'll find it hard to go back to the dried variety.

Making Pictures

Elisabeth — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 14:37:00 GMT

The great English garden designer Gertrude Jekyll was celebrated for her long, Impressionistic flower borders. These planting schemes were based on the color spectrum, with monochromatic plant masses flowing seamlessly into plant masses of the neighboring color.

To keep these borders vibrant, Miss Jekyll relied on clever succession planting--organizing plant species and varieties so that one plant begins blooming just as another fades.

Even with a well-designed planting scheme, the great garden designer sometimes experienced gaps. When that happened, she filled the "holes" with pots of annuals in the appropriate colors. These were easily dropped in and just as easily removed as horticultural necessity dictated.

Most of us do not have Jekyll-esque color borders, but many of us experience gaps in our planting schemes. Pots are the answer.

Right now, for example, the spring flowers are blooming in my garden, but there are lots of bare spots that won't be filled until the perennials and shrubs leaf out later. I have used pots of pansies and primroses to fill in those spots. The effect is colorful and pleasing and the cost was minimal.

I even saw my neighbor peering enviously over the fence. His grill may be bigger, but because of the pots, my garden is more colorful.

Pots and Perennials

Elisabeth — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 12:35:00 GMT

For years people have been filling pots with annuals. If I had a dollar for every lovely pot of red geraniums or purple petunias in my town, I would be a rich woman. There is absolutely nothing wrong with red geraniums, purple petunias or any other colorful annual, but if you are really into container gardening, you probably want to experiment with perennials as well.

If you want to try perennials, you can do one of three things: work with perennials that rebloom, combine non-rebloomers with interesting foliage plants, or use removable liners in your pots so that you can rotate the contents.

Reblooming perennials are becoming more common every year. If you like daylilies in your pots, try 'Stella de Oro' or 'Rosy Returns'. Neither blooms continuously, but with enough sun and regular watering, both will bloom again and again. They are also relatively compact--another plus for pots. Underplant your lilies with a dwarf catmint, like Nepeta 'Little Titch'. Catmints have attractive gray-green leaves at all times and will rebloom repeatedly if you shear them back after the flowers die.

There are many plants with variegated foliage, and most work in pots. For pots in shaded locations, I like hostas. For small to medium pots, try one of the small-leafed hosta varieties. Most hostas also flower in the mid to late summer, but the leaves are the stars of the show.

By using removable pot liners--pots (usually sturdy plastic) that are just a bit smaller than your ornamental containers--you can rotate perennials so that your pots are always filled with blooms. One liner might be filled with tulips and daffodils, for example. When the last tulip is gone, you might replace the liner with one containing a compact rosebush, underplanted with one of the dwarf lavenders. You can keep this up throughout the growing season. The only downside is that it is extra work to rotate the liners and you have to have some suitably sunny or shady place to keep and cultivate your out-of-bloom plants.

Whatever you decide, remember that the only thing that really limits your container garden is the size of your imagination.

Creative "Pots"

Elisabeth — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 14:31:00 GMT

One characteristic that most gardeners have in common is creativity. If we really want to do something--whether it's growing an exotic plant or finding a way to deter pests--we figure it out. It's part of the fun of gardening.

Recently I have noticed that we are finding lots of innovative ways to get things growing. In England container gardening is taking on a whole new dimension with people growing potatoes and other vegetable crops in 14"x20" reusable "containers" made of woven waterproof fabric. The containers, which look a little like flat-bottomed tote bags, have handles on the sides, making them easy to move around. On both sides of the Atlantic enterprising gardeners grow everything from petunias to strawberries in long plastic sacks that can be filled with potting medium, planted up and hung from hooks or fence posts or porch railings. When the plants are leafed out you can't see the sacks. The method also allows people with limited porch, deck or patio space to grow things by using available vertical space.

Seed starters are using recycled egg cartons, trimmed down plastic bottles, and recycled yogurt containers to house seedlings. Some make tiny seed starting pots out of newspaper using a little wooden gadget to form the "pots".

I think that the more resources and money that you save on innovative growing methods, the more money you have to spend on plants. It's a win-win situation!

In Praise of Nasturtium

Elisabeth — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 15:29:00 GMT

Whether your garden is a series of containers or a multi-acre spread, annual nasturtiums (Tropaeolum majus) are a must-have. They are beautiful to look at, easy to care for, drought tolerant and even edible. What more could you ask?

Most nasturtiums have a low, mounding habit, with five-petaled flowers in colors ranging from white and shades of cream and pale yellow to orange and darkest red. Many have contrasting streaks or blotches. The flowers compliment the shield-shaped, bluish green leaves.

Last summer I combined two antique varieties, the white 'Milkmaid' and pale yellow 'Moonlight' with the flashier 'Peach Melba', which is yellow with red markings. Positioned in the front of the border and spilling out onto a walkway, the nasturtiums were a triumph. Once they were established they never needed supplemental water and they bloomed from late spring until frost killed them late in the fall.

Climbing or trailing nasturtiums make a good choice for tuteurs, arbors or large pots. I like the trailing 'Variegated Queen' mix, which contains flowers in an array of colors, all of which have green and cream variegated leaves.

If you like red flowers, try the scarlet-flowered traditional favorite, 'Empress of India', or the dark red 'Mahogany'.

Nasturtiums, whose seeds can be sown directly in the ground come spring, love poor quality soil and flower better if you don't fertilize them. I mulch around mine, as I do with the rest of my plants, but that's about it as far as maintenance goes.

Supermarkets sometimes stock their produce departments with packaged edible flower mixtures, which almost always contain nasturtiums. Grow pots of nasturtiums by the kitchen door and next summer you can enjoy their peppery taste in salads without depleting your pocketbook.

What to Do With a Strawberry Jar

Elisabeth — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 15:48:00 GMT

For the last couple of weeks I have been trying to decide what kind of strawberries I want to grow in my garden this spring. After studying various types and varieties I have decided to put some June-bearing plants in my front beds and grow an everbearing variety in an extra large strawberry jar. Why an extra large jar? Because I want more than a handful of berries at a time.

My survey of strawberry jars got me thinking about other plants that might work well in the pocketed containers. Two summers ago I had wonderful results growing a mixture of coleus varieties in a big blue strawberry jar. The display looked great from all four sides and the coleus were extremely happy. Last year one of the nearby garden centers featured a jar filled with an array of herbs. I can also imagine a jar planted with one genus of herb--say basil or thyme--and a different variety in each pocket. There are so many nasturtium cultivars available these days that you could find more than enough to plant a different one in each pocket of even the largest size strawberry jar. Other compact annuals would work equally well.

Of course I have already committed to buying an extra large strawberry jar and filling it with actual strawberries. Right now I am on the lookout for "two for one" sales, so I can get a second jar to fill with something else.

Pots and Plans

Elisabeth — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 18:00:00 GMT

If you read anything about gardening these days, you will read a lot about two topics--climate change (or global warming) and containers. Gardeners are better equipped to cope with climate change than almost anyone else, because most of us are very aware of the environment. Many of us also do some form of outdoor container gardening every season, either by grouping containers on the deck, porch or patio, or by using containers to fill in gaps in the garden.

Though gallons of ink have been expended on the subject of container gardening, it all comes down to just a few basic principals. The first one is: anything can be a container--from a tin can to an enormous urn. The only real limitations are the available space and the ability of the gardener to lift or otherwise manipulate the container. Second: containers should have drainage. If you have a great container but cannot put a drainage hole in the bottom, find a slightly smaller ordinary container that has a drainage hole. Insert it in the great container and you have the best of both worlds. Third: container gardening is pretty much like in-ground gardening, except on a smaller scale. In both situations you use plants to create an artistic composition that changes over time.

Sometimes I put only one type of plant--say violas--in a container for visual impact. Sometimes I mix things up with several varieties that offer contrasting colors, textures and heights. Managed properly, container gardening can ensure that you have color and bloom almost nonstop. The only thing you have to worry about is making sure your containers get enough water and fertilizer.

This year, as I grow more vegetables and herbs among my ornamentals, I plan to make major use of containers. There will be plenty of pots in my plans.