A Gardeners Forum Forums General Discussion Landscape trials and triumphs Container Gardening Container Gardening..

Container Gardening..

Here's some ideas..
Share yours.

Here's a type of container..
I used cinder blocks
*used to build the base of house's*


And some old shoes

good ideas weezie
i used cinder blocks years ago, even planted petunias in the holes,

I like the cinder blocks too,
and I did Hens~n~Chicks too..
*it's good cause they like hot and dry
if you don't get there to water often..

I made raised beds, on either side
of my Rhubarb pile with those cinder blocks too..
and then I put up a fence, stuck it in sideways,
and made like archway with it, and had some
climbing veggies *spaghetti squash* growin' over it..
Double duty..

I haven't taken a picture of that, or I would have
added it too...

I go to thrift shops and find little planters for my succulents. I usually can pick them up for .25

Those are sooooooooo cute...

That's what makes container gardening so
much fun..
The different sizes and shapes one can grow in...

Thanks Cinta..

Weezie, do you find that you must transplant the plants in your containers after some time as they become too big for the container and their color fades from a rich green to a pale green color?

Because of our windy area here, I'd love to have more containers with plants on my porch, but I'm finding they outgrow the container too fast and don't look good after a while.

I do seasonal crops, in containers..
Like my peas, or nasturiums, or tomatoes,
or Swiss Chard... something that would die
at the end of the year..

I don't keep anything in pots'/containers'
that need to be interchanged..
*except some dahlia's and I just plop those
in the basement and pull'em back out come summer time*

*I do put alot of compost in my pot's/containers' though..
1/2 the container.. because I don't have that much money for
potting soil really.. so, I don't have the problems' maybe a bagged soil would have.. because the compost is food for the plants, so the color stays'...
and I have big containers...
*I don't have many smaller ones'*

What sized one's are you using????

And do you place them on top of blacktop, concrete,
full sun???????

I usually have mine standing on my porch where they get sunlight till about 2 or 3 in the afternoon. I did buy big pots last year, but maybe my biggest problem is too many plants in one pot? I'll try something different this year.

I have a porch, a side patio, and a back balcony. I do a lot of pots and do not have trouble with them fading or looking bad. They look better and better as summer goes on.

Your area light conditions sounds like my porch. I use shade loving plants for that area. Caladiums, coleus, Elephant Ears. The abutilon flowered all summer.

This is another plant that did good. Purple Heart (Setcreasea Pallida) and I put a fushia in the middle.


Here is a close-up of the plant.

Love it Triss...

And I especially LOVE lemon thyme..
Gosh, nothing nicer when you're down, or it's a glowy day,
or even in a good mood...Smellin' a whiff of that stuff,
just sends you off to yummy land!!!!!

Hey thanks for the encouragement, I'm going to do more container planting this year. I planted a tea rose in one large container and can't wait to see what it will do this year.

Very pretty, I haven't done much container planting but plan to throw myself into this year.

The plants that Cinta put in her small containers, are ones which do not grow quickly.. i know , I have them and they just stand still..LOL

cactus is like that too.....I started some from seeds and they are only a few inches tall in about 10 years.

Hi Weezie! Just thought I'd tell ya' I let my son plant 2 roots of strawberries, one in a 5 gallon bucket & the other in a huge pot. Just gonna let 'em drape over into the mulch to have space to grow. Also planted Midnight Madness Petunias in my 2 pots on the porch, & 2 pots of Peruvian Daffodils, one on each side of the south flower bed. Will get some pics to post for ya later when the pots start to bloom. Also, love your idea of planting your plants in old shoes! I will have to go to the discount barn, they have some cute,old shoes there that would look adorable as planters.

Now that makes me smile..
I love to hear when kids get to plant
things and get a "taste" of the garden..
That's the time they get hooked..
And you know, maybe even later on as teens
they might quit it, but those times in the garden
are not forgotten by most and inturn, get them to
garden later on in life when they have a place to do it..

****And the shoes were my mothe'rs ideas'..
I have two sets, and she's got more for me to do,
but I always seem to get sidetracked and haven't gotten to them.. but I will sometime..*****

I even want to plant in an old vacuum cleaner up right vac bag too.. someday I will...*(when my husband isn't looking)*
hahahahaha..

Keep up the great work and pictures are always appreciated..

Weezie, my son told me those are HIS pots to plant NOT mine! I just said, "YES SIR!!" It was so cute! He put all the dirt in the pots(AND on the ground!) and I put in the strawberry roots for him. He goes and looks at them everyday to see if they are "popping" up yet! Of course, I have been doing that with the Peruvian Daffs, too I hope he keeps the gardening skills, I used to help my grandma in the garden as well as my parents and I think that is how I got hooked. Nothing tastes better than a homegrown tomato, or anything else out of the garden for that matter. I think I might try to find some granny boots, those would be adorable planters, don't ya' think? I will get pics as soon as the weather decides to straighten up Holler at me if ya get pics in your PB of that vacuum cleaner bag planter planted while the hubby isn't lookin'!!! I'd LOVE to see it!

I may be doin' it from my wheelchair
the rate I am going..
*or the rate he's going*

I once did four o'clocks in cinder blocks. I had the blocks around my compost pile and needed "decoration"

They're like perfect pots, aren't they????

Clever you .

Tonya
Good Luck......



Only drawback on those......They do get root bound later.
You must be on your toes about watering them ..Daily in the summer......
However I do them too for Hanging basket types of flowers. They are much larger than the silly pots they give us ..

b....any time call again,.........

That's great .Are you going to stake them?

When they get tall they will bend over........
Good start.

b

My mistake......
2 inches maybe tooth picks..ha ha ha

I just planted some new tomato seed today , just to see what will happen to them .........I have other older ones , but just want to experiment.
Lotza places seel them, but I need about 40 each year, cause I can them.........Gets costly..
b

I have been thinking about buying a few of those coconut lined hanging baskets for my walkway in the front of the house. I need to find some prennials that I can put in them that will look good. I have been doing a bit of research for them.

I'm also debating whether to plant herbs in pots this summer so they don't die off in the winter (I can bring them in).

Since I'm going out of town on thursday, I can't really start them right now, but I'm seriously pondering....


I also wanted to add to the cinder block idea: a friend that I work with put sedum in the holes. She said that it works wonderfully, and since they're succulents, they don't wilt when it gets hot and dry, and they also work well for a trailing plant.

Is it expensive in your areas to buy tomatoe and other veggie plants?

I

In the USA tomatoes are more expensive all the time.. ALso the flowers..........This is why I grow all from seeds.
And the reason I am on this site.........

I raise about 50 tomatoes from seeds, and it keeps us enought for canning.....Which I cant live withour.. Stewed tomatoes are a must in my home......

Also......USA ships in Oodles of flowers from Canada..
Yep walmart included.........

b

Never knew that. Here you can buy a flat of 6 veggie plants for 80 cents at Wal-mart. Annuals are in packs of 4 for 80 cents and perennials are 3 for 5 dollars.

Yes ......Your winning in that war.
I could never afford all the plant I use now, if it wasnt for the seed swappers.............

Yep.....$4.95 for one potted bleeding heart.
$8.00 for pansies.6 pkt..Home Depot

Tomatoes can be any where from $1.98 to $10. each.
Perennials potted , noting under $3.00

Glad your prices are good there......Fertilizer is nuts in prices.......
Fortunately I live on the farm an get lots of manure.

Smile ...........You have a good reason to.

Well, I'll be... Finally found something that's cheaper here than there.

We live on a farm also and I use manure. I had posted a question about fertilizers though. I have bags and containers of it and don't know what is for what.

8 foot apple trees are on sale for $23 this week at the garden center in town.

Have to see if I can find your question.
OR give me the numbers on the bags and my man would know.. Or namess......