Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Patio Pots and Hanging Baskets




Summer is here and so are the beautiful flowering planters and hanging baskets.  These charming container gardens add sparkle to your home.  Place them on a patio, porch, and deck or even tucked among your gardens for a wonderful highlight to your outdoor plantings.  Using structures like garden stands, shepherd hooks, furniture, and tables adds a whimsical touch.
So now that you’ve got your outdoor space ready to enjoy, how do you keep these small container gardens looking good for the whole season?  Four words apply:  location, water, fertilizer and grooming.

When deciding where to put your pot or hanging basket, choose a spot that is suitable for the plants.  The amount of sun or shade available is important.  For instance, begonia and impatience plants prefer locations that have part to full shade.  While geraniums and petunias thrive in full sun.  Knowing this will keep your shade plants from burning and your sun loving plants from getting straggly. 

Remember that these miniature gardens have lots of plants. They are easily affected by the heat, sun or even too much rain.   It is important to keep them moist, but not standing in water.  Check on the soil moisture daily (especially in hot, sunny and windy locations) and water often.  Likewise pour off water that stands in a saucer or the pot.

Fertilize regularly.  Containers of plants are using lots of nutrients.  Use any commercial plant fertilizer, but be sure to follow the directions for potted plants.  These contained soils hold fertilizer longer than ground soils.  Too much fertilizer will burn your plants. 

And finally, remove spent flowers.  This will encourage more blooms and keep your display pretty.


Posted by Mary