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The easiest gardening in terms of preparation is container gardening. No need to clean up a garden bed--just fill a container with potting mix and plants! But there are a few things to keep in mind when creating your container gardens. First, you need to select a container. You can, of course, use something basic like a plant pot. Anything that can hold dirt, however, can be used. Whatever container you choose does need to have good drainage, so you may need to make holes in the bottom of your more unusual containers. Next, you need to use a good quality potting mix. Top soil and inexpensive potting soils tend to be too heavy and hold too much water for container gardens. Miracle Gro potting mix, which we carry in our stores, is a great choice. It includes a slow release fertilizer to help your flowers look their best all summer. (We do, however, recommend fertilizing every two weeks with a water-soluble fertilizer in addition to the slow release.) If your potting mix doesn't include a slow-release fertilizer, you can purchase one separately and mix it in with your soil.
Now you need to choose plants for your container. The first thing to consider is the sun exposure of the container. Six or more hours of sun per day is considered full sun. Less than four hours per day is considered full shade. Next, you should think about the types of plants you'll use. A well-shaped container garden should contain plants of three different categories: thrillers, fillers, and spillers. Thrillers are tall plants, placed either in the center or the back of the container. Fillers are rounded or mounded plants that fill in the bulk of the space in the container. Spillers are trailing plants that hang over the edge of the container. Sometimes, you might use the same plant as your filler and spiller, depending on the plant's growing habit. You also need to consider the size of the plants and the size of the container. Remember that the plants are going to grow once you transplant them, so it's best to leave some space around the plants in the container. They'll fill in the gaps in no time at all. Color combinations are another thing to think about. Do you want a monochromatic combination, one with complementary colors, or something with contrasting colors? All can be beautiful; you just have to decide what look you want. I know this is starting to sound complicated, but it's not as hard as it sounds. If you need a little help, feel free to ask someone while you're shopping. We'd be happy to help you plan your containers. Now get planting!
Container garden information from Proven Winners
We grow a lot of petunias. When I say a lot, I mean over 145,000 petunia plants. They become more than 2200 flats, over 7200 Wave Petunia baskets, 1800 Supertunia baskets, and 7300 4 - 4.5 inch pots. Petunias are a great choice for sunny garden spots, and the wide range of types of petunias means there's something for everyone. The petunias that we sell in flats are great for garden beds as well as containers. These petunias will reach a height of 8-15 inches (depending on variety). Wave Petunias create everything from great hanging baskets (Wave, Easy Wave, Shock Wave) to hedges (Tidal Wave) to groundcover (all varieties). Both the traditional petunias and Wave Petunias are grown from seed. Supertunias, on the other hand, are propagated by cuttings. Cutting propagated varieties of a given plant should grow better than the seed varieties and should be more disease resistant. Supertunias are Proven Winners plants. They're great for hanging baskets and containers but can also be used in garden beds. Petunias are heavy drinkers and eaters, so don't let them dry out, and be sure to fertilize regularly. All petunias can benefit from a little trimming with scissors if they start to get leggy or unshapely, but Wave Petunias and Supertunias don't need to be deadheaded.
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