I commonly withdraw divine guidance for my articles from whatever is happening in my garden . But for this one , it ’s different .
What inspired this article was an inauspicious piece of advice on container gardening in a gardening book I ’ve been reading lately .
This ledger – which I shall not name – is all about sustainable horticulture and it ’s write by a well - recognize garden and landscape designer . But somehow it still had this baffling suggestion : half - fill your containers with styrofoam to save on using too much potting soil .
Even shrubs such as fuchsia can happily grow in pots if you choose a smaller cultivar.
What in the cosmos was this author on about ?
Not only is using styrofoam the opponent of sustainable gardening , it would certainly be a container planting misapprehension . Plants in container necessitate soil to grow their stem in . Perennials even more so than annuals . In add-on , adding this makeweight material would not only obstruct drainage , but also leech into the land and contaminate it with microplastics .
This get me think about other mistakes we make when it get to planting perennials in pile . Do n’t get me incorrect , I ’m far from double-dyed and I ’ve made all of these mistakes . Though I describe the strain at using styrofoam in the garden . Still shaking my head at this weird man of advice .
Here are a few perennial container gardening mistakes to avoid when you plant your outdoor pots.
1. You don’t go for a small cultivar suitable for container growth.
I ’m the first to admit that I have used container as a form of garden flood solution . When I had some perennials that I needed to divide – and no room to replant all the divisions – in a pot they die . likewise , when I started too many seedling , the redundant works went into containers as a backup .
But the difference is that I did n’t ask much from these container and I was thrilled if / when they boom .
Now if you ’re planting a pot from scratch , I would recommend that you find cultivar that are suitable for container growing . Most perennials nowadays have at least a few versions that have been engender to develop more succinct . The clue is often in the name , with words such as “ mini ” , “ miniature ” , “ dwarf”or “ small ” as part of the name of the cultivar . Do n’t forget to say the label and see if you’re able to find a symbol to indicate that the plant is suitable for container .
With the advances of modernistic gardening , you’re able to even receive bush cultivars that are bred for life in containers , such as camellias , rhododendrons , hydrangea and fuchsias .
2. You don’t plant for seasonal changes.
This one bring a bit of tribulation and fault , and not all perennials will calculate their serious in all seasons . But look on what climate you ’re gardening in , you might be able to grow perennials in containers all twelvemonth around .
Even if not all of your container will keep their seasonal interest for months , you’re able to tot up some evergreens for a more upbeat transition into ( and out of ) the cold months . search for perennials such as heather , glechoma and genus Heuchera to stave the drabness of winter in your container garden .
3. You start your containers from scratch every time.
design and planting a container from prick brings me a bass feel of joy . I love retrieve about the purpose of the container , find fault plants that cope with my goals and getting my hands dirty .
But doing so every year with every container I have would be not just unsustainable , but downright unaffordable . So I do n’t wipe the slate neat every time , but reuse and solve around what I have .
Take , for example , the centripetal container that I implant in this magnanimous terracotta potthe previous May .
Even shrubs such as fuchsia can happily grow in pots if you choose a smaller cultivar.
The organization endure well into the fall , when I replaced the annuals with chrysanthemums . This May , I implant some forget - me - nots as placeholders for summertime bloom that I ’m grow from seed .
In the lag , the variegated glechoma and the decorative grass ( Acorus gramineus ) – both evergreen perennial – have been framing everything nicely .
In the fall , the chrysanthemums will bloom again , thus resetting the perennial hertz of a perennial container . Then next spring , the forget - me - nots will bloom again . You get the melodic theme . I ’m creating three iteration of the same container for the Mary Leontyne Price of one .
The foliage in this container (heuchera, grasses and heather) will maintain its color throughout the four seasons.
4. You use pots that are too small.
As I mentioned in my former point , I ’m a big proponent of using what we have before shelling out for something novel . But sometimes that can backfire and we terminate up wasting even more money , clip , and resources . The classic trap that I ’ve fallen into ( repeatedly , I ’m not ashamed to admit ) is using weed that are too small for the plant life I ’m host in them .
There are two main problems with using minor pots . First of all , if you ’re planting a perennial that has a larger root construction , a diminished pot will obturate root growth . Which , in turn , will prevent the works from raise and sometimes flower .
second , small container dry out up too tight in the summertime heat . You ’re setting yourself up for too much tearing work if your container is small .
Container variation 1: The previous May.
However , I know that not everyone has room for big pots . I used to garden on a very small poor boy - regulate balcony where I could n’t have possibly fit anything large than two gallons .
In that case , my solution was to have drought - liberal plant life that did n’t ask much tooth root infinite . Succulents are a great choice for small containers . They do n’t need too much water and they do n’t develop a large root word structure .
For more pourboire on how to garden in shallow dirt , have a look at this clause I write aboutrehauling my shallow mulch - only front garden .
Container variation 2: This May.
And while we ’re at it , I suppose I should remind our readers that all container , including out-of-door 1 , need drainage holes . Multiple drainage hole , evenly distributed , are better than a single one . But one is still well than none .
5. You mix plants with different needs in the same pot.
I ’m a adult fan of the simplicity of unmarried - plant containers . But at the same metre , I do n’t desire to omit out on the beauty and elegance of mixed container . commixture and matching container plant is a originative DoL of dear . And so much playfulness .
I write an integral articleon dissimilar container combinations ( twenty , to be precise ) , so I ’m all for create motley displays .
However , where we sometimes get into fuss is when we blend plants with unlike want . This may not be such a trouble if we ’re engraft annuals . They will only have to put up with a few month of uneven need .
I planted some perennial herbs in small containers. So clearly a mistake that I still make, despite knowing better.
But with perennials , it can make all the difference of opinion between a struggling plant and a thriving one .
There are two chief works needs to pay attention to : H2O and brightness level . Avoid combining in the same pot plants that do n’t call for too much body of water ( for good example , sedum ) with plant that require a lot ( such as hydrangeas ) . Because when you water your hydrangeas abundantly , you risk overwatering your sedum .
When it comes to spark , there ’s a little mo more tolerance . But do n’t mix industrial plant that prefer pit ends of the spectrum . Shade - loving plants will be singe in full sun . And sun - loving plant might not grow as fast or flower as much in the shade .
Succulents can handle small containers, even in the summer months.
I would jump by first deciding where the container will live for most of the grow season . Then take plants based on the intend localisation of the pot .
Sure , experiment with texture and colors to help you decide what you like . But always do your best to match the needs of the plants .
6. You don’t have a plan on how to overwinter perennials in containers.
I would n’t unremarkably mention winter in an article on container horticulture . But since we ’re talking about perennials here , it ’s only rude to have a architectural plan in seat to enjoy them year after year . So not thinking forward on how to do that could turn out to be a mistake in a band of scenario .
Here are a few examples of what I mean:
Do n’t forget youthful perennials to fend for themselves in the common cold before they ’ve had a chance to get establish . Have a design in place to overwinter young plant in a sheltered positioning .
Do n’t plant in a terracotta potful if you garden in a billet where you get a fate of deep freeze and you do n’t have anywhere frost - free to move your pot . Cheap terracotta might shatter due to temperature fluctuations in the wintertime . It will make a mess and leave the roots of your perennials exposed .
If you move the pots in a shed , garage or porch over the winter months , verify you check on them occasionally and do n’t let them dry out out completely .
Mixing perennials wisely can make all the difference in how well they grow.
Also , keep in psyche that perennial postulate a period of dormancy , so do n’t keep them in a heated room over the wintertime .
And while we ’re at it , remember to always have a backup plan in guinea pig your container perennial do n’t make it through the wintertime . You cantake cuttings in fall for most perennialsor do somepropagation by layer your perennialsin small containers ( which you could then move indoors as backups ) .
There are a lot of moving parts to consider when planting perennial in batch long - term . But if you manage to invalidate these mistakes , you ’ll be enjoying a successful container garden for years to come .
Pair sun-loving perennials (such as this ornamental sweet potato vine) with other sun-loving perennials.
One of the containers that succumbed to frost this past winter.
These potted hydrangea get moved to a shed in the winter.
