Little plants make big impact

Time was when we thought of color as coming in corner-to-corner beds across the fronts of our houses.

Those days are essentially gone. Most of us tired of the effort those big beds required, plus they became expensive to prepare, plant, and maintain. We’ve opted, instead, for small pockets of color strategically placed for maximum impact.

Containers work well…
Whatever you grow in ground beds you can also grow in pots, hanging baskets, and other containers. Granted that might exclude tall or expansive plants, but those aren’t our stars for this story anyway.

We’ve been blessed with an almost endless array of patio pots in all sizes, styles, and finishes. Choose pots that go well together and that are in harmony with their surroundings. If they don’t have drainage holes, have someone drill one for you.

Large pots should feature a tall plant (the “thriller”), short, sprawling plants to tumble over the edges of the pot (the “spillers”), and plants to grow in between them (the “fillers”). With hundreds of types from which you can choose, the combinations are endless.

Smaller pots, especially used for plants with very specific growing requirements, are best left individually potted. They can be grouped creatively for an imaginative arrangement.

Don’t overlook wall pots. That’s pretty much wasted space in many landscapes, so hang plants there. Nurseries and hardware stores offer several types of sturdy plant anchors and hangers. Use lightweight planting media to lessen the load.

You can even grow edibles in patio pots. From dwarf fruit trees to cold-tender citrus, as well as many of our most popular herbs and vegetables, many are attractive as well as delicious. You may not harvest enough fresh produce to feed your family for an entire year, but you can certainly have fun growing many types in their peak seasons.

Keep all your container plants growing with a weekly application of a diluted solution of a water-soluble, high-nitrogen fertilizer. Nutrients are lost quickly as often as you water plants in pots, so frequent feedings will be necessary. Supplement it with a complete-and-balanced, timed-release product.

Finish off your container gardening season with a small backyard greenhouse. You can bring those prized patio pots into protection before the first freeze. It’s the perfect way to extend your growing season to 12 months a year, and nothing is more enjoyable than being able to garden when the rest of your neighborhood has put the tools away for the season.