Container Gardening

Saturday, March 1, 2003

years, the container gardening trend has grown andflourished. Busy people want gardens that are quick, easy to maintain and provide immediate decoration. Container gardening is the solution for everything from patios in high-rise apartment buildings to spacious decks surrounding suburban homes. “Container gardening is like the plug-n-play version of gardening,” said Josh Schneider, Proven Winners spokesperson and host of DIY Network’s “First Time Gardener.” “You don’t have to worry about soil problems because the potting soil used in the containers is perfect. Once you plant your flowers, your garden decorations are ready for use.” Container gardening lets creativity blossom. While pre-fabricated gardening containers are available at garden centers, the fun lies in finding unique items that fit an outdoor decorating style. Anything that can be filled with soil and has a good drain makes an ideal container. Watering cans, wash tubs, wheel barrels and antique coal buckets are great examples. “The ability to match containers with your outdoor decorating theme makes container gardening so much fun,” said Schneider. “Unique containers with vibrant flowering plants are a wonderful way to accentuate your outdoor living space.” The right plant combination is next. Traditional landscaping rules apply to container gardening. Planting in odd numbers and The American Pride recipe container lets patriotism flourish. using a combination of structure, form and color are important steps in designing containers. The structure comes from plants with height and gives the container an airy, fresh look. The form is in the trailing items that drape over the edge of the container and color is provided by flowers. Proven Winners’ Web site, www.ProvenWinners.com, provides easy container gardening combination ideas, such as the American Pride recipe. This provides a great showcase for patriotic colors. The Pennisetum ‘Red Riding Hood’ provides the structure in the center of the container. Lamiastrum galeobdolon ‘Hermann’s Pride’ provides the form around the perimeter of the container. And in between, “Verbena Babylon Red,’ ‘Nemesia Blue Bird’ and ‘Nemesia Compact Innocence’ provide thecolor. “Containers make gardening easy and fun,” said Schneider. “Gardeners have more flexibility and can be morecreative.”

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