container gardening tips

If You Dream It, They Will Grow
Achieving Your Vision: 7 Quick Tips for Success

1. Mix it up. You can find containers and pots in every size, shape and material. Traditional pots, hanging planters and boxes are everywhere, but you can also look for less conventional containers around the house, at garden centers, thrift or antique shops and hardware stores. Get creative and recycle—a retired set of wooden salad bowls, kiddy pool, cooking pot, plastic-lined wooden crate or even an old worn-out grill can give your environment a dash of the unexpected.

2. Select your plants by starting with your favorites and building around them with an eye for color, texture and size. Herbs (great for cooking) add fragrance and color indoors or out. Artistically shaped bushes at an entrance make a remarkable statement.

3. Create lively groupings within the same pot or cluster several pots for more impact.

4. Make sure your container is right for the plant or plants. The roots should be able to get enough air and water and have sufficient space to grow.

5. Choose a potting soil that’s right for your plant and add appropriate amendments (peat, compost, fertilizers and moisture retaining products).

6. Provide optimum drainage by using Better Than Rocks at the bottom of all your pots and containers.

7. Water regularly and remove the spent blooms and leaves. Fertilize when you pot your plants and periodically throughout the growing season.