Container Gardening - Anyone can have a garden, even if they don't have a yard. How you say? With a container! Container gardening is a perfect way for anyone to enjoy beautiful flowers and even grow their own produce. Almost anything that can be grown in the ground can be grown in a container.
The World of Container Gardening
Now just because pretty much anything that you can grow in a garden can be grown in container doesn't mean that container gardening is just like growing a garden. There are differences in planting and care that you need to keep in mind if you want to become a successful gardener of containers.
The first difference is the soil. The soil for container gardening cannot be soil straight out of your garden. Containers need soil that allows for proper drainage, while preventing the plants from drying out. Most garden soil is too heavy for the job. You will need to either buy potting soil or make your own container gardening soil mix by mixing garden soil, peat moss, and compost together.
You can read more about making your own potting soil here.
Another difference in container gardening is how close you space the plants. In a regular garden you give the plants plenty of space between so they can spread. But in a container space is limited so the plants need to be put closer together. This is effective because the plants will grow upward instead of spreading. Since the plants are planted closer together they will shade the soil. This will help the soil stay co0ler and retain moisture better.
However, there are some plants that will do better if they are spaced further apart or are the only plant in the container. Many vegetable plants and spreading plants such as cucumbers, squash and strawberries are such plants.
Now when we say you can grow almost anything in a container, you need to keep in mind that the size of your container will be your biggest restriction in planting. Think of the mature size of the plant and then plant it in a container that will fit that size.
Good Plants for Container Gardening
When people think of container gardening the first thought is beautiful pots of flowers. But you can grow vegetables as well! In fact, one of the prettiest containers you can plant is one that contains both flowers and vegetables. Have you considered adding a cherry tomato plant to your container of petunias and snapdragons? The bright red fruit is a striking addition to the flowers. Pepper plants are another choice to add to your flower containers for visual interest. How about planing some red potatoes among your flowers? The foliage is beautiful and after you dig the potatoes, the flowers can fill in.
Strawberries grow best in a container since they like to spread. By putting strawberry plants in a shallow pot, their spread will be restricted. After the plants have filled the container they will put the energy into producing beautiful berries. Strawberry shortcake anyone?
Container gardening can be just a rewarding as growing a traditional garden. Use your imagination and plant colorful and delicious choices and you will enjoy both the beauty and the flavor all season long!
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