The secret to creating a professional looking seasonal container is to leave no open space between young annual transplants. When planting annual flowers in the ground generous spacing allows plants to grow bigger. However, planting in pots is different because the limited soil means plants need supplemental water and regular feeding and therefore more plants can be supported in a smaller area. A couple plants may be smothered by larger plants after a few weeks, but by then the lush growth will be a sight to behold.
Container Gardening Complete by Jessica Walliser (Cool Springs 2017) covers the basics of growing plants in pots and also has many fun “recipes” for thematic containers such as “butterfly garden tubs” and building a “beet box” from repurposed CD storage boxes.
A collection of articles on design, recommended plants and more.
An article from Mother Earth News with details on soil mixes, fertilizing, and recommended crops.
It’s time to plan and plant your summer container gardens. But what plants will you select? “Container Theme Gardens”, a new book in the Miller Library, will help you choose, with 42 different designs that will meet almost every need: sun or shade, flowers or foliage, ornamentals in your favorite color or a mini-kitchen garden that will fit on your balcony, deck, or windowsill.
Salad greens and herbs are naturals for this treatment; more unusual are plants grown for their berries or for making tea. Other selections are designed to attract: hummingbirds, butterflies, even your kids. Best of all, this is only the newest book in our excellent collection on containers that will help you plant a garden no matter how limited your space or time!
A list of the best books, articles and websites on gardening in containers and window boxes.
This publication from University of Illinois Extension covers the basics of growing plants in pots, and also includes sections on topiary, “blueprints” for container designs, and how to make a hanging basket.
As a first time vegetable gardener, I was looking for a resource for planting and growing vegetables from a small space: my deck. This handy book, Patio Produce: How to Cultivate a Lot of Home-Grown Vegetables from the Smallest Possible Space by Paul Peacock really helped me start my garden. It simply showed me how to make the most out of my pots and how to plan for a reasonable crop yield. I especially enjoyed the chapters on how to grow vegetables on the patio. The author has an A-Z plant list and inside there are detailed step-by-step instructions on how to grow on the patio, including an “at a glance” table that contains helpful information on the plant’s pot size, sowing dates, care, and harvest information. The short but thorough snippets on specific plants, such as raspberries, strawberries, potatoes, and tomatoes helped me understand how to plant and take care of my crops.