Starting Your Container Garden

Creating a Container Garden

It’s as simple as it seems! Just about anything can be grown in a container as long as it has the right soil, proper location, good care, and of course your plants of choice. If container gardening is new to you and seems like the right choice for your garden this spring, follow these Country Store tips for success!

All plants need a good quality soil with lots of available nutrients to grow. Gardener in Bloom has a great organic potting mix that offers ample nutrition without sacrificing its texture. Soil texture should be loose or slightly “airy” to provide your plants with proper drainage as well as room for the roots to grow. Plants can exhaust the nutrients in their potting soil after a few months, so consider incorporating some homemade compost or purchasing a bag of Malabo Compost next time you’re at one of our store locations.

Make sure to pick a container that suits your personality! Today, you can select from the more traditional terracotta pots, or the more contemporary plastic pots of varying colors, artistically painted ceramic pots, or even old wine barrel tubs. As long as the container is large enough to accommodate the plants it will holding, the rest is entirely up to you.

Once you’ve selected your soil, compost, and containers, pick the plants you would like to grow. You can use seeds from reputable companies such as Botanical Interest and directly sow them into your pot or get some starter plants found in our garden department. Remember that you can plant more than one kind of plant in a single pot. Just make sure they are organized with the taller varieties toward the back to allow for the right amount of sun exposure to all the plants in that container. Some varieties of plants that do well in containers include; “Tom Thumb” lettuce, “Jingle Bells” bell peppers, “Red Currant” tomatoes, and “Easter Egg” radishes.

With your plants or seeds in hand, consider how you will be watering your new garden. Watering your container plants is essential to their vitality, however, overwatering container bound plants can lead to root rot and decay. Soil should be slightly damp to the touch but not soggy to promote the growth of healthy pants. Alongside watering needs, container plants need proper amounts of sunlight. Be sure to read the back of the seed packets to find out what location will be best suited for your unique plants.

Lastly be prepared to fight off some unwanted visitors. Container plants draw insects and critters to them like any other plant and you will find yourself having to protect them. Our stores offer a large variety of organic, natural, and conventional pesticide. Stop by any one of our locations and speak with one of our friendly associates to get advice about which products would best fit your needs.

Remember to have fun and take your time! Container gardening is simple and can turn your porch into a beautiful sanctuary full of your favorite flowers, fresh herbs, and tasty veggies.

Contributed by Bailie Welton, Community Outreach and Marketing Coordinator