If your yard or deck could use a boost of color, texture and shape, try planting a container garden. Likewise, if you have a small patio or balcony, or poor soil conditions, you can still grow a beautiful oasis in a variety of pots, urns and raised beds.
Container gardens are like living bouquets, a microcosm of larger landscapes. Depending on space, plant preferences and climate and light conditions, consider the following types of potted gardens:
Food production. Many fruits and vegetables are well suited to containers such as strawberries, cherry tomatoes, lettuces, bell peppers, pole beans, citrus trees and blueberry shrubs.
Herbs and medicinal plants. Grow ready-to-cut fresh kitchen herbs like chives, parsley, oregano and thyme. Popular medicinal and tea plants include lemon verbena, skullcap, sage, and goldenseal. Mints are especially well suited for pots, because they tend to spread too rapidly in the ground.
Habitat. Create a haven for butterflies, honeybees, hummingbirds and other colorful pollinators.
Drought tolerant. Native California plants and succulents like sedums, agave and cacti do well in pots, and require less water than other plants.
A successful container garden needs good potting soil, drainage, occasional fertilizing and the right size container for the plants. Place large, heavy containers on rolling casters to move them easily. And be sure to group plants with the same water requirements to avoid over- or under-watering.
Just as importantly, have fun with your container garden! It’s a terrific way to “artify” your outdoor space. Think wine barrels, urns, glazed pots, washtubs, maybe a vintage claw foot tub. Combine foliage textures: spikey chives planted with soft, furry sages. Paint a palette of color with flowers, whether annuals or perennials.
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Dig deeper:
- Learn more about patio and container gardens from the California Native Plant Society.
- Balconygardenweb.com is loaded with information on container gardening for all kinds of outdoor spaces.
- For jaw-dropping inspiration, check out Sunset Magazine’s
50 Cool Container Gardens.
The Equinox team can design and install a container garden that fits your outdoor space, vision and budget. Let us know how we can help: 707-789-9786.
