DIY Network

Foolproof Container Gardening Learn how to plant a container garden. From "Home Made Easy" episode DHME-115

Guest Fran Sorin joins host Stephanie Lydecker to demonstrate how to plant a beautiful container garden.

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	Fran shares tips on building a beautiful container garden.
	Figure A
	Figure B

Materials:

kneeling pad
container of choice
broken pottery pieces
good quality potting soil
fertilizer
water retaining crystals
container plants of choice (centerpiece, inner circle, outer circle)

Foolproof Container Gardening

• There are several types of containers to choose from--terra-cotta, plastic, wood and ceramic to name a few. Be really imaginative with your pots. You can use hanging baskets, the classic wheelbarrows, tires, or even a drawer from an old dresser. The best part is everyone can do this--if you have a home with a lawn or if you live in an apartment.

• Terra-cottas are the classic containers--they are porous so water evaporates quickly in the heat. They can crack in the winter, so faux terra-cotta made from polyurethane solves that problem and works great as well. Plastic containers are cheaper and easier to transport. Wood or ceramic containers work great as well.

• To properly fill the pot, you have to have at least one drainage hole. You also need some kind of "feet" so that the excess water can drain out.

• Inside the pot it is important to cover the hole with broken pottery to facilitate steady drainage (figure A). Make sure when you pour the dirt in, it doesn't fall out.

• Fill the pot with the correct dirt. There are a few key things to fill the pot with--wood chips, good quality potting soil, water-retaining crystals and fertilizer. Fill the pot half the way up with wood chips.

• Do not use soil from your garden or top soil which is often heavier in texture and doesn't allow for proper drainage. Container plants are different from the plants in your garden. If you can find it, a bag of potting soil with slow release fertilizer is good to use. Fill the container with potting soil up to approximately three inches from the top of the container.

• Pots dry out faster and to help prevent that there is a relatively new invention--a crystallized material that you add to the soil that helps retain water. These crystals (figure B) are like sponges and hold lots of moisture from watering that gets released as needed.

• Some potting soils have fertilizer in it, if not made sure to add some. Mix it in with the potting soil and granules. After placing the broken pottery in the pot, adding wood chips, potting soil, water granules and fertilizer, mix the potting soil, water granules and fertilizer. Add a bit more potting soil and start positioning your plants.

• Think of container gardens in three ways--a centerpiece, a ring of plants that cluster together and lastly, an outer ring of plants to drape over the edges.

• You can choose so many different plants for your container. Try and be creative and try to pick only three to four different colors. You don't want things to look busy.

• Start with the centerpiece and add the plant and then add soil to the sides and poke it gently with your fingers to firm it as you go. Every now and then hit the pot firmly on your floor to settle the soil. You don't want air pockets because the roots will dry out.

• Add your ring of plants the same way, and finally the outer ring.

• You can plant annuals or perennials. The fun of container gardening is that you can change it up with each season. With annuals, you will get lots of bright color and growth throughout the season. With perennials, you get great shapes and leafy textures that bloom throughout the year. Again, it is up to you--be creative!

• Some suggestions are calamagrostis--"variegated grass". Use this as a centerpiece. It is a high grass. Calibracoa--"petunia" use for ring of plants because they cluster together. Salvia is also a ring of plants that cluster together. Lysimachia--"creeping jenny" can be used as an outer ring of plants to drape over the edge.

• Watering plants is so important. Soak the plant the first time with water until it urns out of the bottom of the pot. Unlike house plants, container plants in sunny locations tend to dry out very quickly--even with the water granules. So, water early in the morning. Only water when it is bone dry--which may not mean every day.

RESOURCES :

Gardening Tools
Fiskars
Website: www.fiskars.com

Pruners
Smith and Hawken
Website: www.smith-hawken.com

Flowers
Proven Winners
Website: www.provenwinners.com

Extra Gardening Supplies
Website: www.lowes.com

GUESTS :

Fran Sorin
Author, Digging Deep: Unearthing Your Creative Roots Through Gardening
0446531669
April, 2004
Warner Books
Website: www.fransorin.com