Monday, May 19, 2008

Guide To Container Gardening


By Janet Combs

If you love to garden, but have a limited amount of space, don't worry. Lack of space need not put gardening out of your reach. Even if your space is limited to say a balcony, patio, deck, or even just a sunny window, you can use container gardening to grow virtually anything you desire. Container gardening can not only bring you joy from flower gardening but, herbs and vegetables as well. So, are you ready to start container gardening yourself ?

Nowadays, however even apartment dwellers can grow their dream garden with little or no fuss. Your dream of growing beautiful flowers, herbs and even fresh vegetables can be fulfilled through container gardening. It is exactly as it sounds. Using containers (Baskets, pots, etc.), to grow your garden.

Container gardening allows the delights of landscaping without the weekly mowing, weeding, and other chores. You can raise perennials, annuals, and even small shrubs and trees.
Container gardening isn't "chore free". Even though the space is smaller container gardening does requires proper planning much like traditional gardening.

Part of your planning is to determine your USDA zone (this will help to identify the suitable plant variety of your zone), amount of daylight your apartment receives and where in your apartment is the best location for your particular variety, and finally to choose your plant variety.
If you are planning a window box garden or a balcony garden you can probably get your plants from the nearest nursery. However, for indoor container gardening, I would advise finding the nearest greenhouse. In temperatures below 45 degrees F or in high winds you should keep the tender plants of container gardening inside. There is a false notion that plants sprouted in the ground won't grow in containers. This isn't so.

Moreover, any container with holes for drainage can be used. Container gardening requires a small investment to start. But it is low maintenance and can produce good results. There are numerous vegetable varieties that do very well in containers. By using a good quality potting soil many vegetable plants require only sufficient sunlight and water. By providing only these two things you can easily grow your own fresh vegetables for your ratatouille or salad.

Don't despair if you don't have a balcony or deck. Chances are you can get permission from your landlord to install window boxes. It's very common to grow blooming annuals year-round as well as a number of varieties of vegetables in your sunny window. And, you can continue your container gardening through the Autumn by selecting hardy plants that can withstand the frost.

Some common plant varieties that stand up well to the frost are Eulalia grasses, Mexican feather grass, Cornflowers, Lavender cottons, Jasmine, Million bells, Stonecrops, etc.

In order to extend the life of your garden from early spring to fall, you can replant to match the conditions. You can contact some of America's best gardeners online to get advice for your container gardening. They offer suggestions such as caring for particular plants, choosing the right containers, and how to grow tips for succulents, and even roses, and bulbs, in containers.

Get your free copy of Container Gardening Secrets. In our special free report we share the best kinds of containers to use, the ultimate potting mixes for huge harvests, how to make your own self-watering container, which pots never to buy, and much more!

http://www.verticalgardeningsecrets.com/freereport.html

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Janet_Combs

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