Container Gardening

One of the more popular forms of gardening, as of late, is called container gardening. Its popularity is based upon the fact that you can bring almost any type of vibrant arrangement into your garden, home, deck or patio, bringing life to your surroundings in a very neat and tidy way. By adding different types of flowers including perennials, garden variety plants, or herbs of your choice, container gardening will create an inspirational treat for your family and friends alike. Here are a few ways that you can successfully grow plants and create treasures throughout your home with this new gardening fad.

The main focus of container gardening at first is choosing the type of container that you would like to put your plants in. Depending upon your particular interest or taste, you may want to use a variety of different kinds of containers including metal, concrete, and even plastic. Very popular models are wood or wood tone materials that look organic in nature. Also very popular are containers made of stone which give a very earthy feel to any area of your home or even outside your home.

When choosing a gardening container, you must also think about price and weight. Most plastic containers are very affordable and can be found in hundreds of different colors to match any particular setting that you may have in mind. If you are going for a stone motif, if you have had a bad back before or back surgery, perhaps a better choice would be something lighter than stonework, perhaps plastic replicas of stones in a container format that will give the same look and feel as the real thing.

The other thing to consider is the weight of the dirt that you are going to be putting into the container. If you are an organic gardener, and you are using worm castings or some other form of compost that is rich, this will help lighten the load as this material is light and fluffy in the beginning. Although you can grow plants of almost any type in your worm compost, it is better to mix it with regular soil or potting soil which will add density and weight to the container that you are placing it in.

If you are concerned about the quality of containers, you may think about the price you are paying for each one along with the style of each gardening container. Terra-cotta and concrete, depending upon where you buy them and who has made them, will probably last several years. Prices, due to the exponential popularity of this type of gardening, have gone down and you can also count on them not weighing as much as they did in years past with the added benefit of being weatherproof and possibly even more sturdy than before.

Going back to basics, wood gardening containers are still very popular. If this is your choice, it is a good idea to make sure what kind of wood they are made out of and that the wood itself is rot resistant wood. Types of wood that are good for this are Cedar and Redwood because they are made of a higher density than typical pine lumber. Oak may be a poor choice due to the acidic levels in the wood itself. Either way, make sure that you can live with your decision based on price and appearance before you choose a wooden container that may not be there in just a few short months due to natural decomposition.

When choosing plants for your container, your best bet is to choose something that is colorful and matches the surroundings that you are placing it in. Some people, however, like their planters to stand out and will choose very bright colors for the planter as well as the flora that they plant within it. If you are using them inside, make sure that the plant you use are geared to live in warmer climates and likewise the ones outside should be designed to live in colder weather conditions. Also consider where you live and how long you would like your plants to grow. Replacing plants can be costly and therefore you should consider these options before making your purchase.

Overall, like most fads, container gardening may pass in just a few years. However, with the advancement of most people toward a more organic society that grows its own food and creates its own compost to ensure healthier and more nutritious and tasty food for themselves and their family, using containers may play a large role in this advancement and may go a long way into the future as a permanent mainstay in most people's households that are organically oriented. Choose wisely, and make your home a better place by adding a gardening container that is just right for you.

To Your Organic Gardening Success!

Chris Dailey
Composting For Profit

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