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
