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Containers Books
Bill Marken
Suzanne DeJohn
The Editors of the National Gardening Association
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Published:
January 15, 2010

Container Gardening For Dummies, 2nd Edition

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Overview

This is the easy way to get a green thumb in container gardening! Want to spruce up your indoor or outdoor space with annuals, perennials, vegetables, and succulents? This edition of Container Gardening For Dummies gives you clear, concise step-by-step instructions for cultivating delightful gardens in everything from a redwood window box to a hanging basket to an old watering can. It also includes color photos to inspire your designs.

  • Getting the dirt on container gardening ― discover the advantages of growing plants in containers and learn how to maximize your garden conditions to help plants thrive
  • Picking a pot to plant in ― take a look around your living space and determine the best location and type of container for your garden
  • Enjoying a summer fling ― get the lowdown on the best single-season flowers, vegetables, and bulbs for container growing

class="a-text-bold">Putting down roots ― find out which perennials, trees, shrubs, fruits, and berries give year-round impact

  • Designing and decorating ― take advantage of ideas and inspiration for creating eye-catching container gardening displays

    • Open the book and find:

    • Things you need to know before planting
    • A quick primer on climate
    • What to look for in a soil mix
    • How to work with perennials and annuals
    • Information you need to help you choose plants
    • Why and when containers need water and fertilizer
    • Guidance on replanting, repotting, and pruning
    • Tips for preventing insect pests and diseases
    • Ways to liven up your space with trees, shrubs, and vines
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    About The Author

    Bill Marken is the author of the first edition of Container Gardening For Dummies and coauthor of the second edition.

    Suzanne DeJohn is an editor with the National Gardening Association.
    The National Gardening Association is the leading garden-based educational nonprofit organization in the United States, providing resources at www.garden.org and www.kidsgardening.org. The National Gardening Association offers plant-based education in schools, communities, and backyards across the United States, through the award-winning websites garden.org and kidsgardening.org.

    Sample Chapters

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    container gardening for dummies, 2nd edition

    CHEAT SHEET

    You can create beautiful container gardens with a little planning and some ongoing attention. It all starts with picking the right plants and arranging them in an attractive container. Then, after you’ve got things growing, you’ll want to keep the plants pest-free to keep them looking their best.
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    Articles from
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    Of the thousands of insect species that call your plants home just a handful pose problems for gardeners. By far, most insects you see on your plants are benign, or even beneficial, so carefully identify an insect before deeming it a pest to be controlled. Here are the most common insect pests that you’re likely to find infesting your container plants and the best ways to control them: Aphids: Aphids are tiny, pear-shaped pests that come in many colors, including black, green, and red.
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    Although plants in containers can survive without plant food or fertilizer, making sure you plant have required nutrients will keep them healthy and attractive. Through photosynthesis, plants manufacture their own food. In fact, all life on earth relies on photosynthesis — the process by which plants (using the energy of the sun) convert water and air into sugars.
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    Choosing the right perennial for container gardens requires the same considerations as those planted in the ground. Do your perennials need sun or shade? How much water? The following popular perennials qualify as good candidates for container gardening. Everything on the list blooms for a fairly long season and is relatively easy to grow.
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    When you know what nutrients your plants need and what type of fertilizer you prefer, you can choose the fertilizer that’s best for your houseplants. A fertilizer’s guaranteed analysis (the amount of nitrogen, phosphate, and potassium) is one of the most important guidelines for choosing the right fertilizer, but there are other considerations, too.
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    Having the right tools available when you’re growing plants in containers can make some of the chores easier. Most of the following items are available at garden centers or through mail-order suppliers. Hose-end bubbler: Screw this attachment to the end of the hose and use it to soften the flow of water so you don’t wash out soil.
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    Plant diseases are often named by the symptoms they cause. Some diseases affect only one type of plant or part of a plant, for example the leaves. Here is a list of fungal and abiotic plant diseases that might cause trouble in your container garden: Fungal diseases: Fungi are the culprits in many plant diseases.
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    You can create beautiful container gardens with a little planning and some ongoing attention. It all starts with picking the right plants and arranging them in an attractive container. Then, after you’ve got things growing, you’ll want to keep the plants pest-free to keep them looking their best.
    Read More
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    After investing time and money in your container gardens, the last thing you want to find is bugs or other pests munching on the plants in those containers. Here are some ecologically sound ways to prevent pests from feasting on your flowers and vegetables. Choose pest-resistant varieties that are adapted to your climate.
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    Apples, peaches, and other tree fruits are ideal candidates for containers. Beautiful spring flowers followed by luscious fruit — what’s not to love? Fruit trees do require a bit more care than other fruits, especially when it comes to managing insects and diseases. The results are well worth the extra effort.
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    To stay in top condition, sun-loving houseplants need to be in a container in a south or west window. These houseplants require and direct light much of the day. If you have the spot for them, give these plants a try for an interesting indoor container garden: Aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis): Long, succulent spikes grow from the center of the plant.
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    When you water a container plant, the goal is to moisten the entire root ball and apply just enough water so that some drains out the bottom. Now, if the container is properly planted, a space exists between the top of the soil and the container’s rim that you can fill with water. It may be anywhere from 1 inch in small containers to 4 or 5 inches in larger ones.
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    Potted plants’ water needs vary with the weather and the seasons — plants need less water in cool weather, more in warm weather, and so on. Thus, even an automated system requires adjustment so that it waters less in spring and more in summer. Practice your powers of observation and make watering adjustments accordingly.
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    For a really self-sufficient indoor garden, try making a terrarium. Closed up in a large jar or aquarium, this kind of garden creates its own atmosphere and moisture. A terrarium needs only a good start in life, an occasional breath of fresh air, and, if necessary, the removal or addition of a plant here and there.
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    When choosing bulbs to plant in container gardens, planting just one bulb variety per pot ensures that all the bulbs in the pot will bloom at the same time. Mixing varieties in a container, on the other hand, results in flowers coming at different times, which has much less impact. If you want different flower colors and bloom times, grow different varieties in separate containers.
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    Divide and repot perennials to alleviate crowded roots. Because perennials tend to grow larger — in some cases much larger — than annuals, you may find your plants outgrowing their pots. (A sure sign is roots that fill all available soil space or bulge out at the top. An even surer sign: roots bursting the sides of the container.
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    While growing flowers and vegetables in containers can be a snap, growing fruit trees and berries takes a little more forethought. You need to become familiar with such things as rootstocks, pollination, and climate adaptation. You may need to prune and thin. Many types of fruits and berries adapt nicely to growing in containers.
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    To make your own planting mix for container gardening, buy a wholesale mixture of a general peat-based growing mix and then customize it to meet your needs. For example, you can save money by purchasing a large bale of compressed seed-starting mix at the beginning of the season. Use as much as you need to start seeds; then, when it’s time to grow plants in larger pots, mix in some sterilized compost (or composted manure or composted bark mulch) to add nutrients and lighten the mix.
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    In cold-winter climate areas, many container-grown perennials, trees, and shrubs can’t be left out in the elements — even if the same plants growing in the ground are perfectly hardy. When you choose perennials for containers, you need to consider their climate adaptability. Check locally to find out exactly which plants survive outdoors all year where you live and remember that plants that are hardy in the ground in a certain climate may not be hardy in a container.
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    Planting just one variety of bulbs per pot ensures that all the bulbs in the pot will bloom at the same time. Mixing varieties in a container, on the other hand, results in flowers coming at different times, which has much less impact. If you want different flower colors and bloom times, grow different varieties in separate containers.
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    Planting wire baskets isn't as easy as planting plastic hanging baskets. But whichever type of basket you are planting, begin by choosing the right type of soil. A successful soil mix for hanging baskets must be lightweight and able to retain moisture.Make your planting mix.One way to achieve a suitable mix is to start with a bag of high-quality potting mix and add perlite or vermiculite at the ratio of three parts soil mix to one part additive.
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    Strawberry pots, also called strawberry jars or pocket planters, have holes cut into the sides as well as an open top. The pots come in a range of sizes, but most have between 8 and 15 pockets sized for small plants, including herbs and flowers. Alternating themes or repeating patterns work well if you don’t want a different plant in each slot.
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    Only a few diseases really do much damage to container-grown plants, and most of those can be prevented or at least reduced in severity with good cultural practices or by planting resistant varieties. If you know a certain disease is a problem on a particular plant in your area, simply growing something else is the easiest solution.
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    In general, you can follow the same basic techniques for repotting a plant as you do for regular planting. Your biggest challenge may be getting the plant out of its current container. This may be easy, or it may take some effort if the root ball is a tangled mess. For small to medium plants, turn the container upside down, tap the rim, and slide the plant out.
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    Certain characteristics make some fruits better than others for growing in containers. But first and foremost, grow what you like to eat! If you love fresh strawberries on your cereal, by all means give them a go. If blueberries are your morning fruit of choice, plant those. And if you live in Minnesota but still dream of having a lemon tree, containers make it possible.
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    Combining the right plants with the right container can make for a traffic-stopping display. Follow these guidelines for creating container plantings that suit your style: Choose a combination of tall plants (thrillers), shrubby plants (fillers), and trailing plants (spillers). Select plants with contrasting forms — tall and spiky, gently arching, soft and flowing.
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    The plants in your container garden can benefit when you let certain insects and animals hang around your yard. Invite these beneficial creatures into your landscape to help you control pests: Lady beetles, green lacewings, tachinid flies: They feed on small, soft-bodied insect pests and their eggs. Plant a variety of flowers, especially umbrella-shaped ones like yarrow and dill.
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    Place plants that adapt well to low light in east or north windows, foyers, stair landings — anywhere that receives little or no direct sun. But remember, if it’s too dark for you to read a book, it’s too dark for a plant to grow there. The following plants fall into this category: Cast-iron plant (Aspidistra elatior): Dark green, elongated leaves grow vertically, reaching a height of up to 3 feet.
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    Some direct light is fine for plants that prefer medium light, but for the most part, they need bright but indirect light. Place them near a west or southeast window where they receive bright daylight but no direct sun, or in a window with sheer curtains. The following are well-suited for medium-light locations: African violet (Saintpaulia): The fuzzy leaves on this 4- to 6-inch-tall plant form a rosette, with flowers that come in white, pink, lavender, and purple.
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    Container gardens satisfy your love of scented plants and flowers if you're short on space. Plant this container garden "recipe," and enjoy the wonderful fragrances that drift on the breeze. Reserve a spot for this display near your outdoor seating area so that you can enjoy the subtle scents and captivating colors in this colorful, highly textured ceramic bowl.
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    Celebrate spring with blooming bulbs and attractive annuals in this colorful little mix perfect for an outdoor table or front doorstep. The design features a repeating theme from three types of narcissus and accents from a rainbow of annuals and perennials. Anchoring the bowl in the center are stunning, tall, two-toned daffodils, set off by bright yellow mini-daffodils; a third type of bulb — fragrant paper-white narcissus — adds height and continuity.
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    Enhance the elegance of your home by planting a container garden that has a formal flair. Choosing a planter with classical lines and made of stone or concrete sets the tone. With this container garden "recipe," you'll greet your visitors in style with a glorious combination of flowers perfect for a sunny front porch.
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    Growing vines on trellises and other supports is a good way to add height to container plantings. A vine-covered arbor makes a lovely garden entryway, and vines growing on lattice can shield a porch from hot summer sun — and from your neighbors. Many perennial vines get too big too quickly to make them practical for containers; Here are few that are more manageable.
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    Many hardy trees and shrubs are suitable for container growing. When choosing trees and shrubs to grow in pots, remember that the hardiness zones given are for plants growing in the ground, and that plants growing in containers may need protection from extreme cold. Common deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs are listed here: Deciduous: These plants drop their leaves in fall, go dormant in the winter, and begin growing again in spring.
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    A common lament is that nothing will grow under trees. That’s not entirely true, though. It’s true that tree roots growing near the soil surface can outcompete smaller plants for water and nutrients, and a shady spot does limit the selection of plants. Instead of struggling to grow shade-loving plants in the ground, why not set a few containers of plants under the tree?
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    Because the nature of garden soil changes when you confine it in a pot, it’s important to use a soil mix specifically formulated for containers. If you take a look at the ingredients on a bag of soil mix, you may notice that there’s very little, if any, real soil listed. Two things are really essential to growing plants in containers: Good water flow, optimal drainage, and moisture retention: In garden soil, water is pulled down to the roots by gravity, capillary action, and the attraction of small clay particles.
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    When does a plant need repotting? Any time its roots are overcrowded in the container. But don’t wait for outward signs that a plant needs repotting The following clues tell you it’s time to repot: You see lots of roots coming through the drain hole. You find matted roots near the soil surface. You slip the plant from its container and you see more roots than soil.
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