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Tinkering Through the Tulips: Container Gardening Can Beautify Any Space

Container Gardening Administrator — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 07:54:13 +0000

Tinkering Through the Tulips: Container Gardening Can Beautify Any Space

When you think about gardens, what comes to mind? Lush, green lawns? Vibrant flowerbeds bursting with a kaleidoscope of color? Or maybe exotic plants for as far as the eye can see? Once upon a time, those things were some of the only characteristics of a garden. To have a garden, you had to have land to spare. But not anymore. These days, even if you live in an apartment you can have a garden. Container gardening lets you enjoy all the benefits without needing the space.

Whether you choose to grow flowers, herbs or vegetables, you can be successful at container gardening. If you follow these tips, you’ll be enjoying all the benefits of a garden in no time, no matter where you live.

Tip 1: Not just any container will do

Experienced green thumbs will tell you that a garden can be grown in any container. Although that may be technically true, some containers will offer more chances for success, particularly if your thumb is of another shade. Inexpensive plastic may be a natural go-to for those who don’t want to break the budget on their gardens, but those containers can deteriorate easily in the sun, and they are not built to last. However, if you are looking for something temporary and lightweight, this can be good option. Terracotta pots are more durable but will require you to water the plants in them more frequently, as terracotta dries out much more easily than other materials.

You may want to get creative and use something unconventional, like a teapot, to plant a small container garden. This is a great idea, as long as you remember to ensure it has a drainage hole in the bottom. If your chosen container doesn’t already have a hole in it, you can always drill one.

Tip 2: Cleanliness is next to godliness

Before you get up to your elbows in potting soil, it’s important to sterilize the container in which you will plant your garden. This is particularly important if you have purchased second-hand planting containers; the plants that grew there previously may have had a disease that can affect your plants, too. All you need is an environmentally sound, all-purpose cleaner; just rinse and pat dry before planting.

Tip 3: Plan, then plant

Much like traditional gardening, the placement of container gardens will depend on what you plant. Do your research! Some plants will require full sun, others partial shade, and still more might flourish in just about any conditions. The good news is this: unlike traditional gardening, if you find that your container garden isn’t flourishing in the chosen spot, you can pick it up and move it!

Knowing this ahead of time can do more than help you determine where you will place each container. You also can roadmap where you will place each plant within each container. For example, you wouldn’t want to plant tall-growing plants around the edge of a container with shorter ones in the middle. Similarly, plants that trail over the side of the container should be planted, obviously, on the perimeter of the container.

Tip 4: When in doubt, fertilize!

Plants love to be healthy. If you want to get full and beautiful flowers out of your container garden, it’s imperative that you keep up the soil’s nutrient levels. To do that, you’ll need to fertilize – a lot. It wouldn’t hurt to fertilize every time you water. If you are growing vegetables, manure tea is an effective fertilizer, even though it doesn’t sound very appealing. Manure tea is essentially water extracted from manure, with soluble nutrients. It increases the organic content of the soil, which, in turn, improves drainage and helps the soil hold on to the nutrients.

Tip 5: You can lead a plant to water

Container plants need to be watered more often than a standard garden, particularly during extreme heat and dryness. Watering container plants is a daily affair. Keep adding water until you see some spill out through the drainage holes in the pot. Then stop! Go any further and you’ll be in soggy soil territory. If you aren’t the type to dedicate some time each day to watering, consider getting a self-watering device. These contraptions have a reservoir at the bottom that keeps your plants hydrated for a few days at a time.

Container gardening can afford you the chance to have a beautiful garden without a lot of space. And your thumb can be a little less than green. With a little bit of time and planning, container gardening could be just the form of expression your thumbs having been craving – no matter what color they may be.

James Mitchell has created several online resources dealing with Container Gardening and other related topics, as well as publishing articles on numerous subjects.

Article from articlesbase.com

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Container Gardening Administrator — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 14:28:15 +0000

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Do you know what the best feature is in All New Square Foot Gardening? Sure, there are ten new features in this all-new, updated book. Sure, it’s even simpler than it was before. Of course, you don’t have to worry about fertilizer or poor soil ever again because you’ll be growing above the ground. But, the best feature is that “anyone,” “anywhere” can enjoy a Square Foot garden. Children, adults with limited mobility, even complete novices can achieve spectacular results. But, let’s get back

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Planters – A Decorative Fixture For Your Outdoor Space

Container Gardening Administrator — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 04:43:19 +0000

by bill barber

Planters – A Decorative Fixture For Your Outdoor Space

As you look around your outdoor space, you realize it looks kind of empty and even boring for that matter. Sure, you have the typical patio furnishings, a grill, and even an umbrella, but that is about it. If your space is lacking in the decoration department, there is an easy way to spruce it up and that is with beautiful planters, an ideal choice for any deck, porch, or patio area.

Planters have an inherent beauty about them that really adds to the overall look of the space that you decide to put them into. They get that beauty from the many lovely substances that they are crafted from. For example, you can get one that is crafted from redwood trees that are over 100 years old, which have a breathtaking appearance with their rich, bold cinnamon, brown tones. Or, you could get one crafted from teak, which is another wood that is also very appealing to the eye since it has a fabulous natural, golden brown appearance. Other wood options include Northern White Cedar, Western Red Cedar, Southern Cypress, and synthetic materials like EnviroWood, which are available in many lovely colors. All of the wood substances also come in a number of different finishes that makes them even more beautiful.

Now, planters are available in a wide variety of shapes and styles, which makes it a synch to find one that will perfectly fit into your space. Like, maybe you just want to add some nice accent touches throughout your space, then ones with a nice round or triangular design would be the way to go since they will easily fit in any corner or in between furnishings. Or, maybe you want to create a barrier between your lawn and patio area, a great option would be ones that are long and rectangular, you could even put a few side by side to make the barrier even more dramatic. Really, there are many selections to choose from including ones that have square shapes, others that have a vase design, and ones that are v-shaped.

Plus, not only do planters enhance the look of your outdoor space because of the beautiful materials that they are made from and lovely styling, but they are also a great way to introduce a little green into it. The smaller versions are perfect for flowers and shrubs and the larger versions are ideal for planting smaller trees along with herbs and other garden plants. Through online shopping, you can easily see all the wonderful selections that you can purchase without having to leave the comfort of your very own home.

If you end up realizing, like most people, that your outdoor space is lacking in the decoration department, do not panic. Instead, turn to wonderful planters to dress up your porch, deck, or patio area. They are a fantastic outdoor fixtures that are sure to please. Get one for your space today, every time someone compliments you on your decorating skills, you will be glad that you did.

Jesse Akre, author shares with the online consumer about teak planters, planter boxes and teak garden planters.

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