Summers are fleeting in our Northern part of the world, gone in the blink of an eye, especially here in Alberta. So, we want to make the most of that time, relaxing, dining and entertaining in our outdoor spaces. And, we want to make these spaces attractive and inviting with comfortable furniture, interesting art and pots overflowing with plants.Container gardening has grown far beyond plastic pots filled with old standbys, such as spikes and petunias, and into the realm of the exotic – an art form in itself, an expression of creativity, painting with plants and sculpturing with foliage.
If you don’t have a yard, no problem – a balcony will do. Containers allow you to maximize the space you have by using hanging baskets, wall pots, window boxes or through vertical gardening using vines on trellises. Large area or small, creative containers can fill that empty space, add a punch of colour, provide a focal point and soften the look of walls or fences. They’re portable, too, (the smaller, lighter ones anyhow) and can be moved to the safety of indoors to avoid being pummelled by hail or wiped out by frost. No need for weeding or cultivating, just watering, fertilizing and removing dead blooms. And of course, days spent in your comfortable outdoor furniture, beverage in hand, admiring your handiwork.
Potted pleasures
The style and selection of containers available today is mind-boggling but don’t be afraid to think outside of the (planter) box and use whatever strikes your fancy. If it holds soil, it can be planted. Drainage is important. If the pots you choose don’t have drainage holes in the bottom, then drill some to allow the excess water to flow through.
Choose container colours and styles that complement your house and garden, and group different sizes and shapes of your planter pots together using similar plants and colour schemes in each to visually tie them together.
As for the soil, although you might be tempted to fill your containers with earth dug from your outdoor garden, don’t. It’s heavy, doesn’t drain well and can possibly contain insects or diseases. Instead, buy good quality potting soil. Don’t fill containers too full. Stop five to – 10 cm from the lip of the rim to the top to allow some room for watering.
The right spot
Now comes the fun part – planting. Consider where you are planning to locate the pots and plant accordingly, placing all of the sun-worshippers together, and saving the darker corners for the shade-lovers. Combine different sizes, colours and textures together in pleasing combinations.
Thrillers, fillers & spillers
The tried and true formula for successful container planting involves three main elements – the thriller, the filler and the spiller.
Thrillers are your tall focal-point plant located in the middle of a pot if viewed from all sides, and toward the back if viewed from one side. Fillers comprise various sizes and shapes of plants – foliage and flowering – to fill in around the focal point, while spillers are almost self-descriptive; these are trailing plants that cascade (or spill) over the edge and soften the look of the pot.
Cram in lots of plants for a full, lush container. Contrast fine textures with coarse, use colours opposite each other on the colour wheel for a pleasant jolt. Although in the past gardeners tended to mainly use annuals, that has changed. Mix in perennials, then move them to a permanent home in your flower beds in the fall. Use tropicals to transform your outdoor space into an exotic getaway, with vibrant hibiscus and gently waving palms. These can be brought indoors in the winter, although they may have to adapt to the reduction in sunlight.
Pot-to-table
Container gardening can provide not only a feast for the eyes but a literal feast for the table by mixing in vegetables with flowers or devoting entire containers to vegetables.
Hang upside-down tomatoes, plant Swiss chard to complement some flowers, have cucumbers climbing up a balcony railing, or plant a small herb garden. Root crops such as carrots and potatoes can be planted in deep containers. Full sun is needed to grow all vegetables, ideally six to eight hours a day.
Container care
Containers require more frequent watering and fertilizing than plants in the ground, and hanging baskets especially need to be watered daily or even twice daily in hot weather. Mix slow release fertilizer in with soil before you plant. Use a diluted solution of a balanced fertilizer such as 20-20-20, or if you choose the organic alternative, use compost tea or diluted seaweed or fish fertilizer.
Contain your creativity, and you can eat it too!