Planning & Planting Containers

With so many choices, choosing the right plants for your containers can be intimidating.  Once the choice is made though, creating your own combination can be exhilarating!

Let your plants be an expression of your taste.  Walk around the garden center, see which plants speak to you.  Luckily there are people on hand to lend one if you need it.  Here are a few tips:

Gather Your Plants

Make sure they’re sun/shade compatible.  Add a few accent plants such as vinca vine, sweet potato vine, or creeping jenny to add contrast and pop!

Experiment

Try the Thriller, Spiller, and Filler method.  Steal ideas from our arrangements.  Find some inspiration from our Pinterest page.

Drainage

What’s you’re drainage situation?  Plants don’t do well without good drainage.  The best scenario is having a container with built in drainage.  If you don’t have a hole built in, you can often drill a few pretty easily, especially if it is a lightweight container.  If it’s just not possible you might consider planting in a removable pot with drainage holes and dropping it into the decorative pot.  You can remove the drop in pot to water it, let the water run through, and then set it back in the decorative pot.  Hanging baskets work well.  Just snap off the hanger and plop the basket in a container.  Easy peasy.

Mix It Up

Don’t go looking for the least expensive potting soil.  An economic, lightweight potting soil will work fine.  Don’t hesitate to add good stuff to it!  Starter fertilizers, slow release fertilizer, peat moss,  and even a dash of nutrient rich compost are good additives to help your plants thrive.

Be Careful

Gently remove plants from pots and give the roots a little rub. They like that, and they’ll root into their new home faster.

Fill In

Fill the pot with soil to the root line, arrange the plants how you want them, then fill in between with the remaining soil. Be sure not to bury the area where the plant meets the soil line. Slightly elevate the crown of the plant for best plant health.

Looking Good

Enjoy your work. Brag to your friends. With our without our help, you get all the credit!