A Guide to Container Gardening For Beginners
Discover a fun and exciting way to enjoy gardening in limited spaces and create colourful displays of potted plants
Containers can be hung from a roof, suspended on hooks, or mounted on walls, opening up a whole world of growing spaces. Plus, they have the added benefit of acting as beautiful showpieces or decorative accents in the garden. Better yet, they’re easy to achieve without spending a lot of time or effort. Check out these container gardening ideas and tips, and be well on your way to becoming a container gardening pro.
How to choose container gardening plants
Using your imagination you can combine upright and trailing plants, for pleasing and colourful effects. Ideally, a well-composed container should include
A spiller is basically several plants that spill over the edge of the pots, such as petunia, various kinds of Bacopa or Ipomoea (such as I. batatas or ornamental sweet potato), creeping zinnia (Sanvitalia procumbens) and so on.
A filler is made up of plants with smaller leaves and flowers that add colour and fill in the arrangement all season long. Good fillers include salvia and verbena, as well as foliage plants such as parsley or licorice plants.
You might also want to include a plant for height, such as purple fountain grass. Add a moss stick to the container and you can use a creeper to add height to the composition.
Here are a few examples.
Using your imagination you can combine upright and trailing plants, for pleasing and colourful effects. Ideally, a well-composed container should include
- a Thriller,
- a Spiller, and
- a Filler.
A spiller is basically several plants that spill over the edge of the pots, such as petunia, various kinds of Bacopa or Ipomoea (such as I. batatas or ornamental sweet potato), creeping zinnia (Sanvitalia procumbens) and so on.
A filler is made up of plants with smaller leaves and flowers that add colour and fill in the arrangement all season long. Good fillers include salvia and verbena, as well as foliage plants such as parsley or licorice plants.
You might also want to include a plant for height, such as purple fountain grass. Add a moss stick to the container and you can use a creeper to add height to the composition.
Here are a few examples.
Purple glory
Pictured here, the thriller plant is clearly the purple Eranthemum, with Hedera helix acting as a graceful spiller and a few fillers adding more pops of colours with their foliage and flowers.
Pictured here, the thriller plant is clearly the purple Eranthemum, with Hedera helix acting as a graceful spiller and a few fillers adding more pops of colours with their foliage and flowers.
Red riding hood
Garden sorghum is the featured thriller here, with pink Kalanchoe blossfeldiana adding a complementary colour and foliage plants providing the necessary balance.
Garden sorghum is the featured thriller here, with pink Kalanchoe blossfeldiana adding a complementary colour and foliage plants providing the necessary balance.
A tinge of pink
Pink and green Cordyline is the thriller of this show, with the pink tinges mirrored in the pink begonias and the pink-and-green spilling caladiums.
Tip: On an average, you’ll need a total of five or six outdoor or indoor plants for an 18- or 24-inch container.
Pink and green Cordyline is the thriller of this show, with the pink tinges mirrored in the pink begonias and the pink-and-green spilling caladiums.
Tip: On an average, you’ll need a total of five or six outdoor or indoor plants for an 18- or 24-inch container.
Container materials
Plastic and fibreglass plant pots and planters are lightweight, relatively inexpensive, and available in many sizes and shapes. Choose sturdy and somewhat flexible containers; avoid thin, stiff ones, as they become brittle with cold or age.
Wood is another natural-looking material and protects roots from rapid temperature swings. Choose a naturally rot-resistant wood, such as cedar or locust, or use pine treated with a preservative. Moulded wood-fibre containers are a sturdy and inexpensive option.
Plastic and fibreglass plant pots and planters are lightweight, relatively inexpensive, and available in many sizes and shapes. Choose sturdy and somewhat flexible containers; avoid thin, stiff ones, as they become brittle with cold or age.
Wood is another natural-looking material and protects roots from rapid temperature swings. Choose a naturally rot-resistant wood, such as cedar or locust, or use pine treated with a preservative. Moulded wood-fibre containers are a sturdy and inexpensive option.
Container size and colour
It’s easier to grow garden plants in large containers than small ones because large containers hold more soil, which stays moist longer and resists rapid temperature fluctuations. Small hanging baskets are especially prone to drying out, and during hot summer weather, you may have to water them twice a day to keep plants alive.
Choose a large pot or tub for a mixed planting, one that will offer enough root space for all the plants you want to grow. Light-coloured container gardening pots keep the soil cooler than dark containers.
The maximum container pot size (and weight) is limited by how much room you have, what will support it, and whether or not you plan to move it.
Tip: If your container garden is located on a balcony or deck, be sure to check how much weight the structure will safely hold.
It’s easier to grow garden plants in large containers than small ones because large containers hold more soil, which stays moist longer and resists rapid temperature fluctuations. Small hanging baskets are especially prone to drying out, and during hot summer weather, you may have to water them twice a day to keep plants alive.
Choose a large pot or tub for a mixed planting, one that will offer enough root space for all the plants you want to grow. Light-coloured container gardening pots keep the soil cooler than dark containers.
The maximum container pot size (and weight) is limited by how much room you have, what will support it, and whether or not you plan to move it.
Tip: If your container garden is located on a balcony or deck, be sure to check how much weight the structure will safely hold.
Gardening pot drainage
Whatever container you choose, drainage holes are essential. Without drainage, soil will become waterlogged and plants may die. The holes need not be large, but there must be enough that excess water can drain out.
The minimum size for a drainage hole is 1/2 inch in diameter for small or medium-sized pots. For larger containers, look for at least an inch in diameter.
Nowadays self-watering, double-walled containers, hanging baskets, and window boxes are easily available. These are a useful option for dealing with smaller plants that need frequent watering.
Whatever container you choose, drainage holes are essential. Without drainage, soil will become waterlogged and plants may die. The holes need not be large, but there must be enough that excess water can drain out.
The minimum size for a drainage hole is 1/2 inch in diameter for small or medium-sized pots. For larger containers, look for at least an inch in diameter.
Nowadays self-watering, double-walled containers, hanging baskets, and window boxes are easily available. These are a useful option for dealing with smaller plants that need frequent watering.
Soil mix for a container garden
When used in a container, even the best garden soil has a tendency to settle and harden – a condition that stunts root growth. Garden soil also contains a certain percentage of insect larvae, weed seeds, and harmful spores. On the other hand, prepared potting soil is specially formulated for potted plants and contains a mix of sterilised peat moss and perlite, which provide the correct levels of aeration and water retention. If you are using an extra-large container and want some additional bulk, fill the bottom of the container with a layer of gravel or sand before adding the potting soil. The gravel will also improve drainage in the pot. You can also use pot feet to keep the drainage holes open.
When used in a container, even the best garden soil has a tendency to settle and harden – a condition that stunts root growth. Garden soil also contains a certain percentage of insect larvae, weed seeds, and harmful spores. On the other hand, prepared potting soil is specially formulated for potted plants and contains a mix of sterilised peat moss and perlite, which provide the correct levels of aeration and water retention. If you are using an extra-large container and want some additional bulk, fill the bottom of the container with a layer of gravel or sand before adding the potting soil. The gravel will also improve drainage in the pot. You can also use pot feet to keep the drainage holes open.
Container placement
Be careful about where to plant a container garden. Containers near a wall or fence or sitting on a step or deck may become much hotter than you first think. A hanging container on the corner will be subject to greater wind gusts. Also, because the container itself absorbs the sun’s rays and heats up, potted plants tend to dry out faster and grow faster than those planted in the ground.
Be careful about where to plant a container garden. Containers near a wall or fence or sitting on a step or deck may become much hotter than you first think. A hanging container on the corner will be subject to greater wind gusts. Also, because the container itself absorbs the sun’s rays and heats up, potted plants tend to dry out faster and grow faster than those planted in the ground.
You can use large single containers for outdoor decoration, but also consider arranging groups of pots, both small and large, on stairways, terraces, or anywhere in the garden. Creating your first batch of container gardens is an exciting proposition, now that you are armed with this knowledge.
Read more:
Zen Gardens for Urban Homes
8 Best Shade-Loving Plants for Gardens That Get Less Sunshine
Tell us:
Add more tips to our container gardening guide. Share your thoughts in Comments below. Join the conversation!
Read more:
Zen Gardens for Urban Homes
8 Best Shade-Loving Plants for Gardens That Get Less Sunshine
Tell us:
Add more tips to our container gardening guide. Share your thoughts in Comments below. Join the conversation!
Pots or tubs overflowing with flowers add appeal to any garden, but container gardening can serve a practical purpose too. It adds versatility to the garden. For example, a pair of matching containers on either side of the front entrance pathway serve as a welcoming decoration, while container gardening pots on a deck or patio can add colour and ambience to such outdoor sitting areas. Once you get the hang of container gardening you might find yourself getting more and more pots each year.
Here are some basics that can help you along the way.