This approach could be what transforms your black thumb into a green one.
Honestly, its as easy as grabbing a pot and just starting!
to your outdoor spaceeven if your outdoors is a balcony.
Photo:Peplow/Getty Images
What is Container Gardening?
But whatexactlyconstitutes container gardening?
What are the Benefits of Container Gardening?
But youre not limited to those spaces!
These can range from plastic to concrete and they each have their pros and cons.
Because it looks like plastic!
No matter your pick for the container, the key is that it provide drainage.
What youdontuse, says Phipps, is plain old dirt.
You’d never ever use topsoil or something you’d shovel out of your garden.
Zinners go-to for her professional designs is Miracle-Gro.
It’s so tried and true, she says, and it’s a good value.
While it may notguaranteeyour success, she adds, it gives you a better head start.
Pick Suitable Plants
So what should you plant?
With the world of plants available, it helps to start with a recipe for design, Zinner says.
The formula, according to both experts, is known as thriller, filler, spiller.
The thriller is your statement plant, says Zinner.
Its going to be your tallest piece.
It’s going to be your most eye-catching plant, and there’s only going to be one.
(Lantanais a solid choice.)
Youre not limited to plants and flowers though.Small tomatoes, herbs, even cucumberscan grow in containers.
They bring color immediately and can grow big quickly.
Theyre also less expensive, though you do typically have to replace them every year.
If I feel moisture, then the plant is happy, she says.
If it feels dry, it needs water.
Phipps adds that you should water the soil, not the plant.
Getting the plant wetcan lead to disease.
It’s better to stick your watering can or hose through the plants.
And you want to moisten the entire soil volume, she instructsnot just the top few inches.
And dont worry about irrigation, both experts say.
Thats an advanced and costly method of watering not geared toward beginners.
Your plants will be just fine without the fancy stuff.
Her favorite product is Osmocote.
Phipps suggests buying a ready-made fertilizer as well, noting that there are organic and conventional options.
It comes down to personal preference, she says.
This is part of the fun though!
I love watering, Phipps says.
I like having a reason to get outside every day.
Part of that maintenance includesdeadheading.
Not the nicest sounding word, but its a nice thing!
In nature, the good insects eat the bad insects and everything keeps balanced, she says.
Winterizing Container Plants
All good things come to an end.
But when the season is over, your container garden doesnt necessarily have to be over, too.
