Ultra Outdoors
Do you have a limited garden space or have always desired to dress up your patio, balcony, or porch? Container gardening can make your dream come true, especially for beginners. Depending on the look you want to achieve, you can have single or multiple plants on each container. Some of the popular container plants include veggies, succulents, flowers, herbs, and grasses. Better yet, you can switch the plants seasonally to ensure that you have nonstop color all year round. Read on for more details on how to build a container garden.
Benefits of Container Gardening
Here are reasons why you should start growing plants in containers and pots.
- Mobility: You can move plants in containers to sunny or shady areas or even move them indoors if you wish.
- Versatility: By using containers to plant your trees or plants, you have the freedom to grow them on your patio, balcony, indoors, courtyard, or even on rooms and windowsills with ample light.
- Flexibility: You can rearrange plants in pots to suit your taste of the current season
- Accessibility: Anyone can reach your container plants, including the elderly and those with limited mobility
What Plants and Trees Grow in Containers and Pots
Several plants can thrive in containers and make your space more beautiful and valuable, including:
Japanese Maple
The Japanese maple has stunning foliage and delicately shaped leaves in shades of yellow, orange, plum, and red. The Japanese maple is perfect for creating a focal point in your backyard or a perfect accent in your courtyard. However, when growing it on a balcony or patio, choose a sheltered area since this tree grows best with minimal exposure to wind.
Boxwood
If you love having some green plants around your home, boxwood shrubs are an excellent option. They are various species to choose from, and they all thrive in containers. Some species, such as Golden Dream, have branches that casually drop over the pot or container, while Petite Pillar Dwarf has a uniform oval shape.
Kumquat
Kumquat is one of the best fruit trees to grow in pots since it can bear citrus fruits for about two to four years after planting. Kumquat will also brighten your terrace or patio in zones nine to 10. If you are in colder zones, you’ll need to take the plant indoors and place it in front of a sunny window before the first frost.
Italian Cypress
Italian cypress is a tough and hardy tree and probably one of the best trees to grow in containers. You can place this pencil confer on either side of your doorway or gate. Although Italian cypress trees are water tolerant, you will need to regularly water container-grown ones.
Dwarf Meyer Lemon Tree
Even in a limited space, you can grow the best fruit trees for containers. With the dwarf Meyer lemon tree, you have a chance to enjoy fresh-squeezed lemonade on a hot summer afternoon. This lemon tree also produces scented white blossoms and reaches an average height of six feet.
Where to Buy Garden Containers
Whether you want to grow single or multiple plants, it’s essential to get quality containers for gardening. Here are some ideal places to get the best pots or containers.
Home Depot: From outdoor and indoor plants, herb planters to Home Depot pots for plants, you’ll get them under one roof. You can choose a variety of container plants that will significantly transform your patio.
Amazon: Amazon has a wide variety of pots and raised garden containers that suit your preference. Search for Amazon garden containers and find the best option for your space.
Wayfair: Wayfair features some of the best outdoor pot planters, raised garden beds, and stylish pots. You can even enjoy free shipping for some big items like the Wayfair garden box.
How to Maintain a Container Garden
Below are some maintenance tasks that will keep your container plants looking their best throughout the year.
Water Frequently
During the hot, dry, and sunny weather, ensure that you water the plants about once or twice a day. Saturate all the soil because the container plants get water from a limited space.
Fertilize Container Gardens
You should fertilize your container plants to replenish the lost nutrients. As the plant grows, they use up the available nutrients in the soil, and some get washed away as you water the plants.
Change Plants Seasonally
Once the container plants begin to look tired, replace them with fresh ones. You can grow season themes such as pansies in autumn, annuals in summer, and bulbs in spring.
Groom and Remove Dead Flowers
Prune the leggy stems to remove the damaged and off-colored foliage. Most of the plants will still produce new flowers, so your backyard or patio will still look elegant. Makes sure you pinch the flower just above the bud or leaf.
Key Takeaway
Most landscapes today offer little or no space to grow your favorite plants and trees. However, growing plants in pots and containers doesn’t require a large piece of property. If you have a balcony, patio,orporch, container plants will still thrive in these small spaces with little maintenance.
