Using Garden Pots To Start A Container Garden
Its simple to start a successful container garden from scratch by just following a few guidelines. For the gardeners that already have them, one of their reasons is the flexibility you have with containers. Not only are they interesting, but they can also be very beautiful and for urban environments, your only option may be to place all your plants in garden pots.
Choosing Your Containers
Having a variety of pot sizes is key to a successful container garden. Starting with a few larger sized pots (three or four) and increasing the quantity as you go to medium and small garden pots. By picking out a bright color for one of your large pots, you will definitely draw attention to that particular area - which is OK if that is your intention.
Placement Of Your Pots
If you have the room, start with larger pots about two to three feet tall. These will be focal points that will draw your eye in. Try to place these pots in areas that are already seen as existing focal points, like a corner, next to an important piece of furniture, or near a permanent pole. You can also pick areas as focal points to draw the viewer\'s attention away from sore spots such as electrical boxes, air conditioners, etc.
Once you have placed all the large pots where you like them (they aren\'t permanent so you can move them at any time), take your medium sized pots and place a few around the larger ones. Since they will be pretty close to each other, try and imagine how it will look when there are trailing plants coming down from the larger pots. In most cases, two to three medium sized pots will be enough.
Fill in the remaining areas with the smaller pots. This should be done randomly as there are no set rules to this. Place them where they look good to you!
Pot Preparation
Terracotta pots should be sealed on the inside with a good water sealant and all the pots should have drainage holes in their bottoms. If they don\'t, you will have to drill them (especially if they are made of wood). Cover the holes with either a piece of screen, shards from broken pots or, a couple of layers of newspaper. This will keep the dirt from falling out the bottom. If the pots will be on a wood deck or patio, you will want to place them on bowls to catch any water from coming out the bottom.
Plant Selection
Its best to have up to three types of plants in the larger pots - a trailing plant that falls down the sides of the pot and covers up the top rim, a cover plant that fills in the middle and an upright plant that stands out tall from the rest. Experiment with different types and colors but stick to plants that require the same amount of watering. Have fun and use your imagination!
Chuck Wherty has been working in gardens since his early childhood and has always been interested in educating others regarding garden pot and landscaping techniques. If you like to know more about garden pots, visit AllGardenPots.com
