Container gardening is a whole little world of gardening fun. Anyone, regardless of space can plant a container of foliage and flowers somewhere around their house. Many of the basic concerns and tips that go into ground planting apply to container gardening. But some unique aspects of container gardening require some extra thought. This makes it both exciting  and sometimes a little tricky. The results however are so rewarding. Here are a few tips when starting a container garden:

Just about anything that will hold soil and drain freely can be used in container gardening. Get creative! People use traditional wire or wooden hanging baskets, planter boxes, and plastic or terra cotta pots. But I've seen people plant flowers in an old cowboy boot, in an old sink or even an entire herb garden in a tub. Just remember that the container must hold the soil well and drain freely. Be mindful of where your container is to be placed when making your selection. Dark colored containers in full sun will collect heat and may dry out too quickly or damage more tender plants. Terra cotta wicks moisture away from the soil and also dries out more quickly. For Mediterranean herbs this can be great, but for plants that need constant moisture like pansies this might be too stressful.

One of the advantages of container gardening is that the soil is isolated from the other parts of the garden and is less likely to contain pests. You should consider using a type of soil needed by the particular plants that you intend to grow. Many experts recommend a soil-less potting mixture to avoid pests and because of the often superior drainage it provides. Whatever you decide, always leave an inch or two of space to the top of the container so that there is room for air circulation under the plant.

This will vary by plants, soil, container and location. The growing conditions for the plants are the same whether they are in the ground or in containers so you must maintain these needs. Containers generally dry out faster because there is no surrounding supply of moisture to wick up. If you place containers in full sun or use a porous container such as terra cotta, the soil will dry out fast during warm dray days. The main thing to remember is that with container gardening, the time between waterings is more frequent and damage can occur quickly if plants are left to dry out.

Fertilizer is always important. Typically we grow flowers in containers for their beauty and these require a lot of nutrients to keep blooming. Containers tend to drain and dry quickly which leeches nutrients from the soil faster. A good balanced fertilizer applied at half strength every other watering during the growing season and then once a month during any dormant stage will likely do best. Liquid fish emulsion or liquid seaweed are both very good for this. It's a good idea to use fertilizer at half strength to avoid any possibility of burning plants.

Sun

A great benefit of container gardening is the chance to move your containers around to get more or less sun. When you plant into the ground, you must carefully site a plant based upon how much sun it needs and how much it will receive. With container gardening, you can often grow plants that need hours of full sun in a small hot spot around your garden. Or you can move more tender plants out of the way of harsh direct sun. By having the mobility of containers, you get to take advantage of the many micro-climates around your garden!

Gardeners like myself love container gardening because of the endless creative possibilities. Part of the fun is the selection and arrangement of plants in their new container.

It's a challenge to pair an the right container with the right plants but so rewarding to see a your creation take off and thrive.

Here are some typical annuals used in container gardening:

Annuals: Begonias, Geraniums, Marigolds, Nasturtiums, Pansies, Petunias and Zinnias

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