SPRING GARDENING…OOOPS…SPRING CLEANING!!

Seems that spring cleaning and container gardening are a match made in heaven.
What’s not to love about saving money while adding a personalized WOW factor to your outside decor this season. So often we have memories stored in that discarded item in the garage. An article too good to toss but too well used to function efficiently in the manner for which it was originally designed. So with a little imagination I challenge you to create an original work of art with an assortment of living colour and texture in your recycled containers. Here’s a few ideas to jumpstart your creativity that you may not even have known you possessed!! Don’t forget, after selecting your junk turned treasure, prepare for success by following the ensuing guidelines:

  1) Drainage holes are crucial. Plants don’t       like sitting in water and getting wet feet   however it’s also important the drainage   hole isn’t so large that the water rushes  through and doesn’t get a chance to  moisten the soil media. Ideally small holes  punctured in the bottom of the container  with bits of gravel placed on top so the soil  doesn’t clog the holes should suffice. 2) Do    not use only garden top soil which is heavy  and non-porous, great for veggies in the  garden but limited in providing adequate air  and nutrients in your container. Choose a  good quality potting soil which may contain either perlite or vermiculite and peat moss. Then if possible add a little good quality garden soil and compost to give your potting soil some body and added nutrients. 3) Good chance you have heard the phrase ‘Thriller(tall plant for a focal point), Filler(medium sized upright plant for bulk),Spiller(trailing edge plant)’ when it comes to creating a successful container garden. It definitely will give good structure to your planter but do not be limited by this adage. Your preferences should be your guide so when you go to purchase plants for your container don’t hesitate to read labels and question the salesperson concerning the requirements of your selections. Sun, shade, height at maturity, water requirements…these are things to keep in mind when you mix and match your choices. 4) Remember to give each plant a little room to grow. Your planter should be pleasing to your eye after your initial planting but a little dirt showing is not a bad thing, you have a few months of growth ahead of you. 5) Container plants need nutrients on a regular basis. Better a little plant food each week
 than ‘binge feeding’. Sounds like good diet  advice right? And whatever you do, don’t      overwater. That generally won’t be a  problem  when your planter is established  with a good  root system. A good rule is to  water well until  the water seeps from the  bottom of the  container and the planter feels  heavy. Then  leave the planter until it is dry.  Test by touching  an inch plus down from the  top and if the  planter feels light, time for  another good drink  preferably with added  nutrients. Lastly, let no  one mock the result  of your poetic genius!  Satisfactory  gardening is about pleasing  yourself…your  choice of colour, your choice of  texture, your  choice of fragrance. How well it  flourishes  will depend on how you have  anticipated  your plants growth habits, needs  and the  continued care you invest in the  following  weeks. After all it is living art. And remember whether this is a first time experiment or you have had years of practice growing there is always something to be learned and next year there will always be another recycling challenge!!