April is National Lawn and Garden month and All Seasons Landcare can not only help you with lawncare in DFW, but can also help you cultivate new ideas for plants and flowers in your spring landscape. One of the easiest ways to create color and variety in and around your lawn is to incorporate container gardening. Growing plants in containers allows you to move them, as needed, for sun or shade, utilize the best soil possible, and irrigate more easily. You can fill containers with anything you want such as herbs for more flavorful cooking, colorful flowers for fresh cut arrangements, or vegetables for healthy eating.
Follow some of the simple tips below for great container gardens throughout your landscape.
The Containers
GardeningKnowHow.com provides lots of information on the different types of containers you can use for gardening. From less expensive clay pots to metal, wood, and plastic, they give important details about which container will work best for the type of plants you want. For example, since clay pots are porous, they allow more air and water to pass through easily, so they’re more suited to plans that are drought resistant. They can also be more apt to break, but are usually cheap and easy to replace.
The Soil
Due to the heavy clay dirt found throughout DFW, gardening directly in the ground can be challenging, so container gardening is one of the best ways to avoid this. You can fill your containers with nutrient rich soil from your home and garden center to ensure whatever you’re growing is more apt to grow fully. The Texas A & M AgriLife Extension website says that almost any vegetable that you would grow in a backyard garden can grow in a container and, they provide a handy 7-page guide on how to grow vegetables in containers.
Where to Place the Containers
Container placement depends on the plant and whether it requires more sun or shade. However, you can get creative with how you display your container. Instead of just placing containers on the ground, steps, or sidewalk, they can be elevated using a shepherd’s hook, hanging on a branch, or even hanging on a wall or fence. They can also be placed on deck, or balcony railings, but should be heavy enough not to topple over in heavy winds.
Irrigating and Drainage
Irrigating containers can be done by placing them in areas where automatic sprinklers can reach them or attaching a soaker hose to the container. However, it’s usually best to hand water containers to make sure they are watered properly and avoid overwatering.
Pesticides
Most container plants do not need as many pesticides as plants placed directly in the ground. However, this doesn’t mean your container plants will be pest free. Utilizing natural pesticides, and helpful insects such as ladybugs, can ensure your container plants are as pest free as they can be. You can purchase natural remedies from your home and garden store or see this article by Robert ‘Skip’ Richter (CEA-Horticulture Texas Agricultural Extension Service, Montgomery County) which gives great tips on attacking pests naturally.
Container gardening can help beautify your surroundings and provide you with plants that you can enjoy for months and even years. For more ideas on lawn and landscaping ideas for your home, contact All Seasons Landcare today!
