Container Gardening

Container Gardening isn't just for small gardens (we have 10 acres of garden and lots of containers!). However the term is usually used to refer to gardens where planting directly in the ground is impossible. Typically this is because the garden is raised - perhaps the balcony of an apartment, a roof terrace, etc or because part of the garden is terraced, or a patio, and the intention is simply to soften the lines of the area or improve the enviromnent.

Summer flowers are the most common plants grown in containers, but let your imagination run free - small shrubs and ornamental trees can be grown in containers. Ask at your local nursery about specific plants and whether they are suitable to be grown in containers - many trees can be pruned to keep them at a suitable size, other's can't! Another common use of container gardening is to ensure that a constant stream of herbs and salad vegetables are close to hand for the kitchen.

Bamboo is also sometimes grown in containers as a way of controlling its spread - bamboo in the garden can get out of control quite easily, and this risk is avoided if it is planted in a contained space.

Container gardening needs to be planned in much the same way as any other gardening - colour schemes, contrasting textures and year round interest are all important considerations.

Water is of course another key consideration. In warmer climates containers can dry out very quickly and need almost daily watering - you might like to install an automatic watering system if you plan to have lots of containers, and would prefer to sit among the plants rather than spend all your time watering! Planning this first makes the job much easier. Note that the exposed soil at the top of the container is often covered with a mulch of some type - from chopped bark to pebbles or shells - to slow down the rate at which the soil dries out.

Fertilising the plants is also important if they are to do well - the exact needs depend on the plant concerned, but few plants thrive if this is neglected.

Again depending on your climate, but many plants need protection in winter from the cold and from strong wind - bear this in mind when selecting your plants because you may not want a lounge full of containers through the winter months! Often it is possible to move all the containers to one corner of the terrace for the winter and to cover the plants with protective material (available from your local garden supplier).

The choice of the containers themselves is important, and should fit with the style of your garden area. Although we try and avoid plastic pots when possible, for aesthetic reasons, remember that they are much lighter, hence easier to move when full of soil, and are not prone to cracking in the frost. To be honest, many plastic pots now are virtually indistinguishable from terracotta pots.