container gardeneing made easy

I can't say enough about the benefits of container gardening. It is the least expensive, easiest, and quickest way to update your landscape. When choosing your container opt for larger rather than smaller-smaller containers will dry out quicker during the heat of the summer. Make sure to choose a potting mix or soil versus a garden soil. Potting mix contains additives like perlite and peat moss which lighten the mix but also improve moisture retention. The sky is the limit when choosing plants to containerize. Look to ornamental grasses, shrubs, perennials in addition to the traditional annuals. Choose plants that are aesthetically pleasing to you-let color, texture, and light requirements be your guide. Have fun and know that there are no wrong choices, only endless possibilities.

privacy screen revisited

Back in January I had had enough of my neighbors and set out to create some sort of visual boundary. I planted three Formosa azaleas in large containers and promised pictures when they began to bloom. Yesterday I looked out my kitchen window and saw some vibrant purple blooms some 100 feet away. Today I trekked back there and took some pictures.

I also have been promising pictures so here are some various shots from around my property. The second picture is to the right of my front door. I found this amazing japanese maple with a braided trunk and have decided to leave it containerized and added a breckman arborvitae and some gold mound spirea along with some annuals and perennials. The next picture is near the lower driveway and its a collection of shade lovers-ferns, heuchera, spirea, hydrangea, daylilies, and confederate jasmine on a trellis. Below that is the view of our creek bed from the street- oh so pretty in the spring! And the last picture is a view of the lower creek bed that I am "naturalizing." This piece of wood washed up the last time it flooded and I am slowly adding plants to improve its appearance while maintaining my Backyard Wildlife Habitat standing.

vegetable and herb garden grows

In addition to my lettuce garden, today I added cilantro, basil, and seedless cucumbers-all in containers. The cilantro and basil are in terra cotta pots on the steps to my backdoor and the cucumbers are in a growers pot inside a larger decorative pot with a pot trellis. We've had a significant amount of rain lately so any lettuce growth has been minimal. No sign of any pest problems yet...

container vegetable garden

As you all know, I have a thirty year old house that has thirty year old trees. This being said, I have very limited full sun exposure. I am also very interested in growing some of my own produce. Because fruits and vegetables need full sun for optimal health, I have decided to think outside of the box and create a rotating container vegetable garden- on my driveway. First up-lettuce. I purchased a pre-formed pond liner and drilled drainage holes in the bottom. I then went to my local shipping store and asked for some packing peanuts. I filled the container 1/4 full with the packing peanuts(for ease of movement, and because lettuce has a shallow root system) and then layered in organic garden soil, premium top soil and good old composted cow manure. I planted 7 Buttercrunch and 7 Red Sail lettuces as well as three marigolds for good measure. As we all know, rabbits love lettuce and because this is approximately two feet off the ground and is solid, my thought is that they won't climb and can't burrow but if that doesn't stop them the marigolds will. My final step is to locate an old whiskey barrel half to mount it in so it looks more intentional from the street. Will follow with more pictures when the lettuce has matured a bit.

more about container gardening

While I love my house, my sloping backyard does prove a challenge when it comes to the usual backyard staples (fire pit, deck, patio, etc). We do have an amazing screened in porch-thank God due to my propensity to attract mosquitoes, but I do want something else. Something that would allow me to sit and enjoy the creek and birds more at ground level. I think the answer is a boardwalk or low deck just below the screened porch. In an attempt to recycle, I am going to use 5 pallets as the base and will attach decking material for additional support. I am going to use grasses, boxwoods, camellias and other shrubs in terracotta pots to decorate and fill the visual gap between the boardwalk and the screened porch. Flowering annuals don't have to be the only container option. Slow growing shrubs and dwarf trees make great container plants-just choose a pot that is 2-4" larger than the root ball to ensure you won't need to re-pot after the first growing season. Clay pots can dry out a bit quicker than plastic or other mediums so be sure to water regularly and often during the hot summer. Pictures to follow.

privacy screen

I love my house with the exception of some annoying neighbors way behind me. They seem more interested in what is going on in my back yard then minding their own business. Oh the joys of urban living! I originally thought about doing a bamboo forest-but upon further research and speaking to someone who was trying to contain 15 foot tall stalks-I've shifted to some Formosa azaleas. They explode with tiny lavender blooms in the spring, are evergreen, thrive in dappled light, and the best part is that they mature to 8x6. That's just large enough to help me forget the neighbors behind me and also help to add some color to the other side of the creek. I'm going to containerize the shrubs this year for ease of movement and placement. I can't wait for my 8x18 living screen. When they burst with color in a couple of months, I'll add pictures.