Gardens Gone To Pot

May 28, 2006|By KATHY VAN MULLEKOM, | 247-4781

Try containers to get gorgeous flowers without all the hassle of weeds

You eliminate a lot of everyday gardening problems when you grow plants in containers. There are no weeds to pull, no hard digging to do and no drainage problems if you pick the proper pots. And there should be no danger of voles eating plant roots.

A container can be anything that holds soil, as long as it has plenty of drainage holes. If the holes are so big that soil sifts out, use a coconut fiber mat in the bottom. Always make sure your pot is large enough to accommodate the plant's root ball when it reaches maturity.

Gardening in containers also means you need to stock up on good potting soil -- not regular garden soil, because it's too heavy for that purpose.

To economize on potting soil and the weight of a heavy container, fill the bottom with pinecones, aluminum cans or small plastic pots. Some potting soils have fertilizers already mixed in, which is an added bonus.

When you choose plants for a container, determine if they will grow in sun or shade and then select them accordingly. Full-sun plants need at least six hours of sunlight daily.

During summer, water your pot when it's dry to the touch. Keeping it slightly moist is OK, but never let plants sit in soggy soil.

Here are some flowering container "recipes" from the Simply Beautiful collection of plants, which are widely available at local garden centers. *

Sensational in sun

This container blooms throughout the summer. Keep the soil moist and fertilize with a liquid formula you mix with water every 10 to 14 days.

1. Showcase Light Lavender Geranium

2. Aromatic Royal Nemesia

3. Magilla Perilla

4. Breeze Upright White Bacopa

5. Jade Frost Lamiastrum

Pretty in partial sun

These vigorous varieties fill in quickly. Give them well-drained soil and regular watering, but don't keep them soggy.

1. Super Elfin Lipstick Impatiens

2. Purple Lady Iresine

3. Silver Falls Dichondra

4. Black Dragon Coleus

Great in heat

These plants thrive in heat and still keep their uniform habit and flowering time. Keep the soil moist and feed them regularly, using a liquid formula.

1. Fantasia Neon Rose Geranium

2. Magilla Perilla

3. Ballerina Rose Gaura

4. Angelmist Light Pink Angelonia

5. Wink Pink Improved Diascia

For more tips on creating container gardens, visit

Daily Press Articles