Preparing Your Container Gardens

A step-by-step on preparing your container gardens

By: Christina T.

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At Lynde Greenhouse & Nursery we take pride in creating new container combinations year after year. Over the years we have perfected popular designs that our customers come back for while integrating fresh, new designs into our Lynde Design Program. Each Spring our garden center crew works hard hand planting all combination patio pots and hanging baskets that are unique for our customers. We know that container design can be intimidating to a new gardener or new ideas can be hard to come up with, so that’s why we wanted to help make that process a little easier. Here are 5 steps to creating a successful container garden.

Step 1: Choosing the right Container

Always choose a container with drain holes. Proper drainage is key to growing healthy plants. Plants like water, but they do not do well if they are standing in water. Too much water can cause roots to rot out and the plant to struggle. If you have a container with no drain holes, consider finding a container that does have proper drainage that fits perfectly inside it.

Tip: A plastic container that drops nicely into your decorative containers will make cleanup simple and seasonal switch-out that much easier.

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Step 2: Proper Soil

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Use a quality, light-weight potting soil with good nutrients. We recommend our homemade blend of Lynde Potting soil which is a blend of compost for plant food, perlite, and peat moss as an aeration that will help promote quality root growth.

 Tip: Fill your container to about an inch below the top providing space for your new plants. Make sure once everything is planted the rim of the container is higher than the soil level. This way the water will be able to drain down into the soil and not spill over the edges.

Step 3: Finding the right Plants

 

The first thing to consider is the sun exposure. Full sun means about 5-6 hours of sun or more. Neutral means morning sun or early afternoon sun. Shade means morning sun or no sun at all. It’s important to find the right plants that can withstand the amount of sun or lack thereof. Also consider how your container will be viewed. Will it be viewed from all the way around or just from the front?

 Tip: Experiment and have fun trying new plants. Always keep the tags from plants you enjoyed so you know for next year.

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Step 4: Planting your Container

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The thriller, filler, and spiller method is a great way to find the right balance of plants when creating your container design. The thriller provides height and acts as the focal point. The filler provides volume and adds color. The spiller provides length and texture over the edge of the container. Start by laying out your design before planting. This will help establish proper spacing between each plant.

Tip: Before you plant, water everything in gently so that you are not planting your plants into dry soil. Not soaked, just a little damp.

Step 5: Caring for your new container garden

 

It’s important to establish a regular watering schedule. Plants do well with consistency, but some are more forgiving about neglect than others. Find a watering schedule that works for your specific plants. We generally tell customers to just check the soil by feeling how wet or dry it is.

 Tip: Regular deadheading, trimming, and pinching can help promote a fuller plant and more blooms.

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So, there you have it, 5 steps on how to create a successful container garden. For more help please stop by our garden center for a little one-on-one help with a team member. We offer a wide selection of annuals that prefer any type of sun exposure. Keep in mind each plant requires a little bit different care, so for specific questions stop by the garden center for all your garden questions.