Hot Trend: Container Gardening

Is it summer yet? With these cooler-than-normal temperatures, it sure doesn’t seem like it. However, it is perfect weather for digging in the garden and for adding new plants.

One garden project you might want to contemplate is planting outside in containers — and this could be anything from large wooden boxes to hanging planters to glazed pots.

In fact, there’s a class in Gilroy you can take this Saturday on container gardening. Garden Accents in Gilroy will feature designer Astrid Gaiser, who will demonstrate “Using Containers for Tropical Gardens” from 10:30-11:30 a.m. To RSVP, call (408) 846-4555. See the website at www.garden-accents.net for further details.

Container gardening is a big trend right now, and here's why.

If you have a small yard or no yard at all, containers are a way to be able to garden in limited space. Even an apartment balcony can hold a few pots with green or flowering plants, or even zucchini and strawberries, if you want to try edibles.

The next situation that’s ideal for container gardening is for someone with little energy, time, or mobility. Taking care of a few containers of plants is far easier than tending a whole yard. If you have a busy life but still want to garden, it’s a way to still have some plants; it’s also a great activity for people who are elderly or disabled.

I remember visiting my great-grandmother’s tiny apartment when I was a kid, and marveling at all the plants and orchids that she kept there. She was in her 90s and still loved plants and having living things around her.

For disabled people, container gardening is also easier than gardening in the yard, as long as the container, water, supplies and tools are accessible to them.

Containers are also great if you live in an area where the soil is lousy or there are ravenous pests, like gophers, that want to eat your plants. Containers and pots give you perfect control over your soil conditions. Nothing gets into the container unless you put it there.

Another thing I like about containers is that they lend visual interest and color to your yard. It’s a way to please the eye with varying heights and textures; containers and pots can also give a stamp of individualism to your garden. I have a motif of smiling sun items on the outside of my house, and one of the smiling suns is on a large clay urn, and it’s the first thing people see when they pull into my driveway.

However, containers still require care, and it varies a little bit from ordinary garden care. Here are some things to keep in mind:

• Commercial potting soil is recommended for plants in containers. It’s a bit lighter than ordinary topsoil and won’t compact as much; it’s also formulated for this specific use, and doesn’t contain viruses or other plant diseases that may be living in your garden soil.

• You’ll probably need to water your container plants daily, because they will dry out quickly, especially during the hot dry summer months. Some people with a lot of container plants will install a drip system just for those plants to save on all that handwatering.

• Special attention to fertilizing is also a must. You need to fertilize to get proper nutrients to the plants, but overfertilizing can burn roots and kill the plant. Experts recommend using liquid fertilizer and diluting it even further than the instructions on the package.