Plants Perfect For Container Gardening

Here are some wonderful plants, all perfect for you to grow in window boxes, or in containers. Whatever the circumstances, potted plants always look lovely,both indoors and outdoors. Here are some selections.

1) Biennials.

a) Canterbury-Bells.
This is a choice biennial, with long-lasting bells in purple, lavender, blue, pink, and white. They are certainly worth the effort, even if they die after flowering. In the spring, garden centers offer budded specimens. For dramatic compositions, group several together in a large container. You can grow your own from seeds to be sown in June or July.

b) Foxgloves.
These are delightful plants, with tall spikes covered with bells. Sow seeds in June, or July and winter young plants in a cold frame, tent or some covering like marsh hay, or evergreen branches. The older kinds have bells on one side of the spikes, but the new English hybrids have flowers all around the stems. Pot grown rosettes are available in spring.

c) Herbs For Fragrance.
If you like herbs and enjoy using them in cooking, you can grow a herb garden in containers. Try the sun loving rosemary, marjoram, parsley, sage, fennel, mint and chives, either in individual pots or tubs, or with other plants in larger boxes. Grow some lovely scented leaved geraniums in with them.

2) Perennials.

This includes plants like rose, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon, apple, and peppermint.

I heard of a lady, from Massachusetts, who was unable to raise herbs in her shady garden, so she decided to try them on her nine foot square porch, which had sun until late in the afternoon. She used twelve low bushel baskets and four egg cases, each filled with half rotted compost, to within four inches of the top. Then three inches of fertilized soil was spread on top.

In two of the egg cases, she planted summer savory and a dozen basil plants in the other two. She also planted dill, lettuce leaved basil, narrow leaved French thyme and sweet marjoram.

All these plantings yielded enough for summer salads and winter drying. In a few of the other baskets, she  planted small fruited red cherries, red and yellow pears and yellow plum varieties of tomatoes. Since the deep containers held moisture for a long time, they did not require daily watering. On the shady side of the house, bushel baskets, filled mostly with compost, were planted, with open heads of leaf and Bibb lettuce.

This enterprising lady solved her problem of a cool, shady garden and actually got the best crops ever, from her sunny porch.

3) Vegetables.

Vegetables can also be grown in containers, even if only for a novel effect. Purple kale and cabbage are attractive and always arouse curiosity. Grouped around a small pool, or on a table, white fruiting eggplants, in individual pots, are charming. Rhubarb in large planters, or boxes will make a bold accent for the contemporary terrace. In containers, the feathery leaves of carrots, the linear foliage of onions and the fruits of tomatoes, especially the small kinds, are fun to look at and to eat.

A container garden offers an excellent opportunity to grow miniature plants. This is a relatively new form of gardening and is increasing in popularity. In England, where growing miniatures has become a hobby, it appeals strongly to older people, who like to fuss with tiny plants, in old stone sinks and other containers raised to waist level.

4) Cacti.

In hot climates, with little rainfall, cacti and succulents can be the answer. They can be grown in other areas too, particularly by gardeners who like to travel, without worrying about the container plants they leave behind. Foliage patterns and forms of these plants are fascinating, and many extraordinary compositions can be achieved. Cacti are easy to grow. They need a lean soil and are best grown in small pots.

Water lilies and other water plants can be grown in small, low tubs, perhaps one water lily with a specimen of Cyprus, or floating hyacinth. In a large tub, Egyptian lotus, with it’s enormous leaves and blooms, rising several feet above the surface of the water, is a handsome sight.

5) Bonsai.
 
Bonsai, or Japanese dwarf trees, are also typical container plants, but these comprise a specialty, that is a study and an art in itself. It is becoming increasingly popular and many books are available, that tell how to train and maintain these dwarf trees and shrubs. Plants can be purchased from nurserymen, who specialize in this unusual aspect of container gardening.

6) Still More

Other perennials and biennials to grow in containers, are heuchera, or coral-bells, veronica, showy stonecrop, or sedum, helenium, Japanese iris, scabiosa, shasta daisy, lythrum, platy-codon, or balloon flower, pentstemon, peony, Oriental poppy, monarda, or bee-balm, lavender, liatris, tritoma, heliopsis, anthemis, gaillardia, gas plant, columbine, and butterfly weed.

Do not overlook such rock garden plants as arabis, aubretia, basket-of-gold, snow-in-the-summer, thyme, viola, ajuga, dianthus, primrose, and auricula. A well-illustrated catalog will help you select.

Well, now you have a whole selection of plants that can be grown in containers. No more excuses and pleading ignorance! Get started now.

Get the Container And Vertical Gardening Book. This book is full of detailed information on how to grow your own plants and veggies in limited spaces, without digging and weeding.  This helps save money on groceries and trips to the supermarket. Get it here:  http://www.dersalsites.com/gardeningtips/prod/containers/

Sally Robson is a South African Internet marketer, who together with her husband Derek, have a vision of empowering all fellow South Africans and other non U.S folk, to have equal opportunity and success on the internet, by overcoming the many obstacles facing them. They have started a string of sites, resources, courses and articles, as part of Dersalsites. Sally has a passion for gardening. For more articles and advice on gardening topics, visit Sally at: http://www.dersalsites.com/sallysgardeningtips/ 

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