The Advantages of Container Gardening
Container gardening is an ideal way for many people to garden. Limited space may make it difficult to grow the number of plants desired, and limited light may reduce the types of plants possible to grow. Limited ability or time to tend to a large garden makes container gardening an ideal option. Many varieties of herbs, grasses, flowers, dwarf cultivars of vegetables, and shrubs will grow well in containers of many sizes and shapes. Does this Spark an idea?
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Less Time and Work
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It requires a great deal of time and work to prepare, plant and tend garden beds. Container gardening does not require the heavy tilling and soil preparation of garden planting. Many people have limited time or ability for these heavy chores. Beginning gardeners will find container gardening a convenient way to learn about various types of plants and their growing conditions before making a commitment to large-scale gardening plans. Maintenance of container plantings is considerably less than garden beds require, with little or no weeding.
Flexibility
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Container gardening offers the flexibility and mobility that flowerbeds cannot. Containers are movable as the seasons change, either inside or to another location during bad weather. Rearrange them as they grow to better accommodate their space requirements. Reposition individual plants or a grouping on a deck or patio to provide space for entertainment. Use containers for perennial plants on a deck for spring and summer color and transplant them to the garden at the end of the season. Replant the containers with fall bloomers to continue the show of color.
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Focal Points
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Use unique and unexpected containers to create focal points in the garden or on a deck. Watering cans, wagons, old buckets, window boxes, barrels and baskets make interesting containers. Arrange assorted sizes of the same type of planter at different levels to create a container garden in the corner of a patio or deck. Hang containers from a tree or post to add visual interest to a garden bed, or hang them from a shepherd's hook on the deck to increase floor space. Make an entryway a focal point with a grouping of potted plants that coordinate with your home's style.
Invasive Plants
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Many plants will take over a garden bed quickly, by spreading and choking out the roots of other plants. These plants will utilize all of the nutrients in the soil, leaving other plants weak and susceptible to disease and pest infestation. By growing these invasive plants in containers, you are able to enjoy them while controlling their spread. Grow invasive herbs to plant in containers that are set into the ground to contain their roots, or left standing in an herb bed.
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References
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