Containing Your Ornamental

 

 A  collection of container plants can add interest and pizazz to any landscape, home or office. The needs for each of these places will vary so should the plants, plant mix and watering and fertilizing needs.


Some of you will want to containerize out of need. What might the needs be.

A small patio.
A splash of color
Terrible native soil.


Using just one plant makes a bold statement and attention is drawn to the decorative pot This plant in a plain terra cotta pot would disappear.

 Adding height adds a lot of interest and is easily done with containers by using inexpensive wire shelves, milk cans, cement blocks pillars, old metal stools even tree 
stumps .
 Depending on your likes they can be formal and pristine or rustic with wood and rust. If you make a collection more interest comes from differet heights and uneven numbers.
The colrs of the pots should somehow councide with each other artistically

Using just one plant makes a bold statement and attention is drawn to the decorative pot This plant in a plain terra cotta pot would disappear.

 Some plants like to be crowded and will bloom better in shallow tight containers. Gain all the information of your plants needs before potting since some will need special soil. Also BE A PACKAGE READER! this goes not just for chemicals but the soil. Their is a Rose soil in a pink bag that I caught a glimpse of saying, do not use in containers. Potting soils are light and airy and not heavy like a bag of composted manure. You can add pieces of broken terra cotta, old screen pieces or coffee filters to cover the drainage hole. There are soils with additives to help keep your plant moist if you tend to be forgetful. Do not ignore your pots

Most of the pots I get are from yard and estate sales.  People just cannot move with them or have lost interest. These large cement bird baths are lovely to look at but WAY to deep for birds. I have started to collect them and pot them with plants,since there are no drainage holes I use water loving plants like impatience since they are bound to get soggy.

 Try as I may putting plants in painted furniture didn't fare to well for me.  It looked great at first but next time I would use MARINE paint on the furniture! Will admit though that plants hanging out of open drawers, this against a garage,
 is definitely a conversation starter.


If you plan on house plants or office plants keep in mind that the air conditioning and heat blowing on a plant can really cause a plant to decline or possibly die so have plan b placements in mind. Check also that your plants are non toxic if you have small children or pets  in the house.
For good air quality one houseplant pre 100 square feet is recomended,. Especially consider this if you are in a new or remodeled home since many materials will outgas chemicals for up to 7 years

Be Patient. My goal was cupcakes, and I got,,,, CUPCAKES with a cherry on top
 ( white impatience and a dwarf red penta)

I have actual cored out tree trunks that make great pots for awhile but I happened upon this lovely fake tree stump that only needs  a fairy to be perfect,unfortunately my free range chicken consumed every blossom before any fairies landed.