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Container Gardening
Tom Throgmorton

FORT COLLINS, CO (2008-05-07) Container Gardening

My gardening partner should be handling this topic. She’s been container gardening since she lived in an apartment a couple of decades ago. Container gardening is gardening in small spaces. Flowers in containers liven up a deck or porch. Containers are mobile. Move them as they grow and the season changes. Containers conserve water. The first step is to pick the container. The choices are abundant. Pick glazed pottery to match the deck furniture. Use terra cotta for a natural look. Plastic pots molded to look like southwest style pottery. Wooden troughs or barrels stained to match the deck. Over the years we’ve built up an eclectic collection. A little bit of all of the styles.

Second is the soil. Any potting soil will do. Some dry out quicker than others, some are heavier than others. Match the soil to the plants you are using. Try a couple types until you find the one that fits your watering technique.

Use polymers to stretch the water you use. Polymers are crystals that turn into a water holding gel. They keep the soil moisture more consistent and conserve water. Some potting soils already have polymers mixed in or you may need to add the polymer.

Next is the fun part, the plants. Color, texture, shape and size are the palette of the container garden. Contrasting colors create a dramatic planting. Complementary colors blend and flow.

Traditional spikes offer an upright sharp texture. Grasses can do the same. Large leafed plants add tropical texture. A mix of tiny leaves or flowers are contrasts to large leaved plants. A rule of thumbs is don’t use anything taller than twice the height of the container.

The bigger the container the bigger plants you can use. In pots eighteen inches or more in diameter small shrubs or trees can be planted. They’ll need protection to get them through the winter.

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