Writer Designer Consultant
Roses in the Garden A relationship is like a rose, How long it lasts, no one knows. Love can erase an awful past, love can be yours, you’ll see at last. To feel that love, it makes you sigh, To have it leave, you’d rather […]
Setting the Foundation for your Dream Garden “Nature has undoubtedly mastered the art of winter gardening and even the most experienced gardener can learn from the unrestrained beauty around them.” – Vincent A. Simeone I look forward to January and the New Year with its […]
“August rushes by like desert rainfall,
A flood of frenzied upheaval,
Expected,
But still catching me unprepared.
Like a match flame
Bursting on the scene,
Heat and haze of crimson sunsets.
Like a dream
Of moon and dark barely recalled,
A moment,
Shadows caught in a blink.
Like a quick kiss;
One wishes for more
But it suddenly turns to leave,
Dragging summer away.”
– Elizabeth Maua Taylor
My favorite type of gardening is container gardening. I love the simplicity, ease, and instant gratification that potted plants can provide. Potting up a simple planter with flowers and putting it on my deck always brings a smile to my face. Container gardening can be very creative. I love coming up with new and different color combinations. This summer I really got interested in all those new sedums and succulents. Their varied textures fascinated me and their minimal needs thrilled me. Container gardening affords endless possibilities. This is the place to try something new, be it a vibrant color or unusual plant or a funky pot.
Here are a few tips to creating some successful containers.
Container Gardening 101
1. Wow, do I ever love shopping for containers. I have always had an appreciation for old Italian terra cotta pots. I also love using those wire baskets in any shape and style. So what do I look for when choosing a suitable container? It must have a drainage hole. If not, then either drill a hole using a masonry bit or you can place the plant in a liner and then put inside your container with crushed stone in the bottom for drainage. Another idea is to use found objects. Tree stumps, shells, feeding troughs, baskets, and watering cans, are all possibilities for containers. Let’s allow our imaginations to run wild and really think out of the box.
2. Place some clay shards or pebbles in the bottom to help drainage and to keep the dirt from washing through.
3. I recommend using a good quality soil mix. Fafard and Monrovia make excellent soil mixes. Moisten the dirt before planting. This allows the soil to settle. Please leave space at the top of your pot, 1-2”, for mulch and ease of watering.
4. I like to set the plants in the pot and rearrange until I get the desired effect. This is the really fun part. When planting, keep the soil level the same. Plants can rot if the dirt or mulch touches their stems.
5. Mulching our containers not only is aesthetically pretty but it provides organic matter, preserves water, cools plants in the summer and warms them in the winter, and keeps the dirt from splashing up. I prefer the small pine bark mulch or moss.
6. Okay, now we get down to the maintenance. Watering, deadheading, (removing spent flowers), pruning and fertilizing are the basic needs of plants. Out of all of these, watering I find is the number one reason for plants not thriving or surviving.
Frequently Asked Questions about Container Gardening:
How much do I water?
The amount of sunlight, the size of the pot, the type of plant, and the season greatly influences the water needs of plants. When buying your plants it is helpful to inquire about the water needs of each plant and only group plants in a container with similar water needs. When watering, water until you see the water coming out of the bottom of the pot.
What vegetables can I plant in pots?
I have had great success with lettuce, bush beans, peppers, radishes, tomatoes (plum, roma, cherry and grape). Herbs also work great, rosemary by far being the easiest. When planting edibles, please use only organic soils and fertilizers and add compost which creates better tasting vegetables.
What plants can I use at my front door?
Front entrances generally are dry and shady. I like to use houseplants such as Dracaenas, Cast Iron, Pothos, Crotons, Spider plants, and Sansevieria in these locations. Leave them in their plastic liners and set inside the container. This way they can easily be pulled out and placed inside during occasional freezing weather.
I have shade and deer. What can I plant?
Begonias, coleus, and torenia will provide color. Also think in terms of texture and leaf color. Ferns are a great choice mixed with Huecheras and Vinca vine.
What evergreen plants make good container plants?
My favorite here is boxwood. This plant is so versatile in sun or shade and handles quite a bit of neglect. Podocarpus and Ligustrum are my next favorites followed by Palms.
There are many ways to attract butterflies to your garden. Butterfly gardens can be as simple as a container filled with pentas, lantana, or marigolds. They can be entire environments in which butterflies are encouraged to visit, eat, move in and multiply. Let’s see what butterflies want in order to bring them into your garden.
I love the idea of always having something in bloom in a garden. With each season comes a new treasure to behold. I have created a table of fragrant plants that work well here in the lowcountry.
“The first gatherings of the garden in May of salads, radishes and herbs made me feel like a mother about her baby – how could anything so beautiful be mine. And this emotion of wonder filled me for each vegetable as it was gathered every year. There is nothing that is comparable to it, as satisfactory or as thrilling, as gathering the vegetables one has grown.”
– Alice B. Toklas
This is the beginning of my second year with my vegetable garden. I am completely in love. I visit my plot at Heritage Farms almost daily now with anticipation and delight. It warms my heart with such joy as I watch my children pull carrots from the ground, give them a quick rinse and devour them. Hunting for strawberries has become a favorite after school activity. As a child I liked very few vegetables with peas topping my “yuk” list. I was pleasantly surprised to discover their delicate flavor when fresh. Now they are a constant addition to my spring salads. Growing my own fruits, vegetables, and herbs not only provides my family with nurturing wholesome food but it fills our souls with a love and respect for Mother Nature. Placing a seed beneath her earth, watching it sprout and grow then bear fruit for us to eat is truly a magical experience for young and old alike. This month let’s create an edible garden that awakens our senses and enlivens our connection with the earth.
Where on Earth do I put an Edible Garden?
“Might I have a bit of earth? To plant seeds in–to make things grow–to see them come” – The Secret Garden
Let’s think about space. Do you want a large plot, a simple area by your back door or maybe just a pot to grow some herbs? If you are just starting out, I suggest you start small. I began with a few pots of basil, parsley and rosemary on my deck. I then tried Early Girl tomatoes, a pepper plant, lettuce and even some Blue Lake bush beans. Now I have a full size plot with Japanese eggplant, Edamame, Sweet onions, Snow peas and more. My style is more of a cottage garden with herbs and flowers mingled in with fruits and vegetables. This companion and varietals method of planting I find helps attract beneficial insects. Whatever space you choose, pick a place that receives lots of sun. Six hours of sun is a minimum for good growth, however I did have luck with less when doing my pots on my deck.
What comes next is the laying of a good foundation. Proper soil amending is the key to successful gardening. Your edibles will be taking up their nutrients from the earth. Their flavor is dependent on the quantity and quality, even the ph of the organic matter present. I have listed some sources to help you with soil preparation and everything that follows in creating a beautiful and bountiful edible garden. Bon Appetite!
Sources
Two books I love and use frequently are The New Victory Garden by Bob Thomson and The Handbook of Southern Vegetable Gardening by Barbara Pleasant. The Victory Garden is written for Northern climates so the planting season will need to be adjusted but the plant information and soil preparation is fabulous. Both Clemson’s extension (www.clemson.edu/extension/) and the University of Florida’s extension (www.edis.ifas.ufl.edu/) have great information on soil testing, companion planting and seasonal planting guides. They are excellent in sharing with you what, when and how to grow edibles and ornamentals.
I love the Seeds of Change Company for organic seeds. I have gotten asparagus, strawberries and potatoes from them. www.seedsofchange.com
This year I ordered my heirloom tomatoes from Laurel’s Heirloom Tomato Plants. www.heirloomtomatoplants.com
If all of this planning and planting is a bit too ambitious for you but you still yearn for the taste and experience of fresh vegetables, then the Bluffton Farmers Market is the place to go. This is their second season and between the new location and the addition of new farmers, it promises to be better than ever. Mibeck Farms will be selling all cuts of beef that is free range. The Savannah Bee Company is bringing honey and occasionally a live bee hive. Adcote Acres will be bringing organic eggs. There are new organic farmers this year in addition to last year’s great group. Let’s support our local community and eat green and healthy.
Farmers Market of Bluffton
Carson Cottages – 40 Calhoun Street
Old Town Bluffton
2009 Season: April 23 – November 19
Thursdays: 2:00pm to 6:00pm
Events
22nd annual All Saints Garden Tour
May 16, 2009
Spring Cleaning: Now is the time to clean up our gardens. I love this process of creating a clean slate. I like to start this rather daunting task by dividing it into (3) separate jobs.
“In the night the cabbages catch at the moon, the leaves drip silver, the rows of cabbages are a series of little silver waterfalls in the moon.”
– Carl Sandburg
I had a fantastic opportunity to go to the annual Garden Writer’s Association symposium this fall, which was held in Raleigh, North Carolina. My trip was the most inspiring and exciting work experience I have ever had. Driving up I-95, I followed a rainbow for over 2 hours. I was transfixed by its beauty and its ever changing depth of both light and fullness. There were moments that the rainbow became a double. I truly felt like a Leprechaun who was chasing after the pot of gold, only in the end, I found it.
The four day event was a whirlwind of visits from one incredible garden to the next interspersed with lectures that both intrigued me and had me laughing out loud. I met authors of my college textbooks and other famous gardening authors, architects and photographers. I felt like a teenager who got to go backstage and meet her rock star or movie star idols.
Tony Avent’s Plant Delights Nursery
Tony Avent’s Plant Delights Nursery is a must see for any gardener. There are six acres of botanical display gardens with over 17,000 different plant specimens. I fell in love with his vast fern collection, shade gardens as well as his succulent and xeric gardens. Beware, this is truly one of those places that you will want to take home many new, never seen before, plant varieties. They also mail order, so the safe excuse of not having enough room in your car will not work.
Sarah P. Duke Gardens
The Sarah P. Duke Gardens are just breathtaking with its photogenic vistas, colorful formal terraces, grand water gardens and wide variety of plant material. It is an impressive 55 acre historic public garden that really invites one to stroll and relish the beauty of this well designed landscape.
The Garden of Montrose
The Gardens of Montrose located at Nancy Goodwin’s home are enchanting. I was drawn to the large scale trellises that created a series of garden rooms overflowing with dahlias, asters and helianthus all in full bloom. The style of the gardens here are informal with drifts of color and texture weaving throughout the maze of paths.
North Carolina Botanical Gardens
The North Carolina Botanical Gardens are noted for their native plant collections representing the state’s three geographical regions: Coastal Plain, Piedmont and Mountain. By the time I arrived here, I was feeling satiated and even a little overwhelmed by the numerous plants and spectacular gardens I had seen so far. It was a welcome surprise then to me that in addition to the botanical garden that the 21st annual “Sculpture in the Garden” was taking place here. The theme this year for the 24 artists was an interpretation of “Celebrating Life Forces-earth, air, fire, water, spirit” Laced throughout the garden were forty works of art in a wide variety of media. I love art sculptures in the garden. I feel they can bring personality, intimacy, and whimsy to our gardens. I equally enjoy the formality of a beautiful statue to that of a stepping stone created by a child. In addition to the thought provoking art, the garden that had everyone’s attention and cameras snapping, was the Carnivorous Plant Collection. This collection of insect eating plants was simply fascinating. We all stared in wonderment at these marvels of nature.
S.E.E.D.S
Another stop on the tour was to S.E.E.D.S., which is a non-profit community garden whose goal is to teach people to care for the earth, themselves, and each other through a variety of garden-based programs. It was refreshing to see and meet the kids that were involved in this project. Their faces lit up when you asked them questions about their gardens. Their enthusiasm was inspiring. This garden truly encompasses the meaning of community. They have after school programs and half-day camps appropriately named SEEDlings. They offer workshops targeting the basics of vegetable gardening and how it relates to healthy eating for both children and adults.
Downtown Raleigh
On the final morning of this enlightening trip, I decided against more garden touring and instead chose to walk around downtown Raleigh and explore a bit. I am so glad I did, because otherwise I would have missed seeing some of the most ingeniously designed, well maintained commercial color pots that I have seen. Not only were the colors, textures, varieties, and habits of these plants artfully arranged, they were impeccably groomed. If that was not enough to impress you, the fact that there were probably over 100 of these pots lining the street did.
I took my final pictures, got on the road and headed back home filled with appreciation, joy and thankfulness for this wonderful journey.
Information
Plant Delights Nursery www.plantdelights.com
Sarah P. Duke Gardens www.sarahpdukegardens.org
The Gardens of Montrose (919)-732-7787
North Carolina Botanical Garden www.ncbg.unc.edu
S.E.E.D.S. www.seedsnc.org
JC Raulston Arboretum www.ncsu.edu/jcraulstonarboretum
October is filled with gardening delights. The summer flowers in our gardens have mostly faded and the nurseries are brimming with new and exciting ones to choose. I often get asked, “When is the best time to plant?” and the answer is October. This is the month for planting shrubs, perennials, annuals, herbs and vegetables. October is also a great month for evaluating your garden design and attending garden tours.