All gardeners love having beautiful containers and hangings baskets in their gardens.
By carefully choosing varieties that are ideally suited for your garden, along with providing regular routine care and maintenance, you can enjoy having everlasting blooms all summer long.
First, take a look at your gardens natural environment. It is important that you know how much daylight the area receives.
Does it get unusually hot and sunny in the summer months? Will the planters be in a windy location?
Also, keep in mind the natural colour scheme of your garden. What colours complement your surrounding garden and home such as the colour of your house, front door and window frames.
The soil-planting mix you choose is as important as the quality of plants that you select. Use a combination of sterilized humus, peat moss and compost, along with moisture retaining particles and fertilizer.
Many garden centres sell pre-mixed soils, which are ideal for containers and hanging baskets.
When choosing the appropriate vessel, look for containers that support adequate drainage.
For planters without built-in drainage, create your own reservoir using layers of tiny rocks.
Bigger really is better when it comes to pots. Larger planters retain more moisture and give way for plants to develop stronger root systems.
Clay pots, along with cocoa and moss-lined planters, tend to require more maintenance and watering than glazed, ceramic and plastic planters.
When shopping for plants, choose varieties that excite you.
When selecting the best-quality plants from your local nursery, choose plants that are well-formed, hardy and not overgrown. Carefully check plant labels to find plants that are ideally suited for your garden.
Colour is a key element in the garden. Whether you choose complementary colours or monochromatic schemes, the application of colour can stymie even the greenest of thumbs.
With any container garden, watch the watering. Vessels that lack adequate drainage need to be checked carefully before watering. Put your fingers into the soil to see if it feels moist to the touch.
Planters with drainage will need to be watered more often, often twice per day during the heat of summer.
Hanging baskets tend to dry out quickly, especially when placed in windy areas.
Fertilizing your plants is as easy as N-P-K. All fertilizers are labelled using three numbers representing nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) content.
Nitrogen promotes foliage growth, phosphate encourages flower production and healthy root growth, and potassium builds disease resistance and supports the general health of the plant.
To get the most out of your containers and hanging baskets, fertilize using a water soluble fertilizer once every week.
Enjoy spending time in your garden this summer with beautiful planters and hanging baskets. With a little extra attention and careful selection you are sure to have blooming results.
Shari Morash is a gardening enthusiast and an accredited designer. Contact her at [email protected].
