I am so tired of grey, dreary skies, frigid temperatures and biting winds And snow, so much snow covering every inch of the yard! I’m sick of being trapped indoors by slick sidewalks and icy roads. To counteract my descent into the winter blahs, I’ve done what every serious gardener does this time of year. I've been intently studying my collection of favorite catalogs, magazines and websites for new ideas to liven up my landscape this spring.
Over the last nine years, I’ve come to realize that most non-native plants simply will not thrive here without extreme intervention. As a result, we’ve created a beautiful, and sustainable, garden of locally grown native plants that have become home to dozens of pollinators and lots of urban wildlife. As much as I love it though, I have to admit that I miss the season long vivid color that the more delicate annuals bring to a garden.
Last year, in an attempt to bring an old fashioned flower garden to our yard, we placed a combination of pots in a bed and planted them with what was still available in late June. Nice, but definitely not award-winning! (Honestly, just okay at best.) This season, I intend to try again, but this time using plants that are uniquely suited to a container garden.
With so many gorgeous annuals to choose from, it’s tempting to simply grab everything that looks good. Without a plan in mind though, all those random choices may not work well together, or, even worse, may not be suitable for container growing. To avoid disappointment, it’s important to spend some time thinking about both what you envision and what you have to work with. For example,
- Will the pots you plant sit in full sun, part sun, part shade or full shade?
- How high do temperatures typically reach?
- What kind of moisture can you expect? How easy will the plants be to water?
- How large are your containers? What size plants will they support for a season?
- How much maintenance do you want to do?
- What time of day will you be enjoying your garden?
- What style of garden do you prefer?
- What color scheme will “bring you joy,” as the saying goes?
Once you have some of the basics in mind, then it’s time for the fun part – choosing the plants that will make your vision a reality. As I’ve scoured the possibilities, I’ve run across a few new varieties of old favorites. Based on what I read, these are sure to be winners in next summer’s container garden. I can just see it now!
Just in case you’re thinking of adding some container plantings to your yard, I’ve included a few sun-loving suggestions to look for this spring. Click here to view. Next week we’ll look at shade loving plants. See you then.
