Container Gardening for EVERYONE
I know that for some folks, space is a huge issue when it comes to gardening.
I spent years gardening on my front porch in any vessel that would hold soil. Fortunately, I now own a home with a modest lot and manage an entire vacant lot to grow on - YES, I am blessed.
That being said there are a few reasons I still love growing cut flowers in containers:
1) It increases the amount of space I can cultivate. Even with all my gardening space, I still feel a little greedy in this department - I want more!
2) You can line a porch or patio with them, creating cozy outdoor “rooms”.
3) They are inexpensive to start.
4) They bring your gardens and flowers closer to your home, creating beauty you can view from inside your home (I love positioning all my gardens within view of key windows).
5) If arranged in a sheltered area around your home, you can often plant earlier and harvest later since they are growing in a warmer microclimate (the potted dahlias that I grow on my porch usually get a solid 2 weeks of additional bloom time in the fall.
Grow your dahlias and eat too! Kale planted next to dahlias is both beautiful and utilitarian.
Not sure what to grow in pots?
Here are some of my favorite varieties to pop in a planter:
Calendula
Ammi
Dahlias
mini Sunflowers ( I love growing these en masse in a large container. This is any single stem sunflower, they are simply spaced 4 inches apart in the container. The close proximity will keep them small)
Bachelor buttons
Snapdragons
Cosmos
Borage
Lavender
Nasturtium
Poppies
Sweet Peas
Salad mixes
Greens (kale, collards, etc)
Radishes
Cucumbers
Tomatoes
Pumpkins
Herbs
Space everything a little closer than you would in the garden.
I try to squeeze as many plants into a container as possible. Just remember that overcrowding can lead to less than robust plants. In general, space most plants 6-8 inches apart. If growing dahlias, they need 5 gallons each as a minimum.
So what kinds of planters do you need?
The sky really is the limit, but to get you started here are some ideas. Half whisky barrels, large containers from the garden store. In general anything around 2 gallons and larger. Single herb plants will thrive in a gallon container, but that’s the smallest I ever go.
If using old whisky or wine barrels, ask the garden store if you should line them. Sometimes this is needed if there is alcohol residue in the wood - this will leach into the soil and kill your plants.
Make sure any planters you are using have good drainage. If not, drill small drain holes in the bottom.
Once you’ve got your containers, you’re ready get dirty and fill em up!
Here’s what I fill my containers with: 1/3 garden soil, 1/3 compost, 1/3 potting mix. You can re-use your soil year after year, just treat it like your garden soil and amend it with compost and organic fertilizers every year.
When can you plant?
The great thing about growing in containers is that if you position planters in a warm and sheltered place in your yard (usually close to your house), the soil thaws out quickly each year.
You can often plant earlier than you can in your in-ground beds.
I start my early-season salad mix in April (my last frost date hovers around May 15th). Warmer season crops I still wait until there is no chance of frost.
With this planting schedule, I can easily squeeze two crops into the same container: first my cool-season salad (planted in April and harvested through May), then my warm-season dahlias (planted at the end of May and harvested through September).
Final notes.
The main downside of container growing is the time committed to watering. During a warm summer, when plants are mature, you can plan to water at least once per day, sometimes more.
In addition, any cut flower will grow tall and beautiful. Don’t let a windstorm ruin all your hard work. Stake and support your flowers early. Check them periodically to make sure they’re secure!