Gardening for Health
Make the Most of Summer Container Plantings
By Maria Price
It’s not too late to plant some summer containers. They are easy and fun to make since there are so many great plants to choose from at local nurseries. Brighten up a sunny or shady or an in-between space with a container of flowers or attractive foliage. Groups of containers can make a spectacular entry way or define the patio area or line a desired pathway.
Think “recycling or repurposed” for your containers. Old baskets, kettles, wash basins, tea pots, and cracked pottery can all be used as containers for the garden, just make sure there are some drainage holes in whatever you use.
Of course, the variety of new pots is incredible along with prices to match your budget. Light weight plastic pots are great because they’re inexpensive and come in a multitude of sizes and colors. Always remember to check for drainage holes as many plastic pots had indentations to be punched for holes but have not been punched. For more of an investment, beautiful pottery is available to accent your home colors or to make a beautiful statement anywhere you place them.
I like to put a few pieces of gravel at the bottom of a pot to keep the soil from clogging the holes. Use a soil-less potting mix for good drainage and aeration. A slow-release fertilizer like Osmocote can be mixed in, about half of the depth of the pot. Make sure to pre-moisten the potting mix as you fill your container. Fertilize your containers weekly with a water- soluble fertilizer at one fourth the recommended dose. When the weather is very hot, try to water the containers late in the day so they are well hydrated in the heat of the next day. Always water a dry container before fertilizing to prevent fertilizer burn.
A classic formula for most container plantings is threefold. Choose a filler, thriller and a spiller. Your thriller can be something that is tall, upright and colorful. Your filler can be several types of plants that coordinate and fill the top of the pot. Your spiller can be something that cascades out of the pot.
The fun part is choosing your plants. It’s a little like painting a picture or coordinating your wardrobe. Keep in mind the location of your pot for when you choose your plants. Will it be sunny or shady?
Three plants you can’t go wrong with are lantana for sun, impatiens for shade and hostas for a shady filler. Some of the best eye-catching flowers for sun are calibrachoas, which come in a multitude of colors and striking combinations. Others sun lovers are petunias, geraniums, violas, pentas, bacopas, Angelonia, coreopsis, mini roses and marigolds. Shady lovers include; astilbe, fuchsia, begonias, torenia and mini hydrangeas. Great foliage additions are ferns, coleus, coral bells, creeping jenny, Hakonechloa grass, caladiums and sweet potato vine.
The pictured container contains the hot tropical colors of red lilies, orange calibrachoas, and yellow marigolds accented with blue corn flowers.