Container Garden

If you thought creating a container for your garden would be hard – think again. Here are our top tips for creating an amazing container for your garden, no matter the size and how to care for it. From what to use, what compost and what to plant.

What can I use?

The simplest answer to this question is anything, from an old colander to an old tin bath. There are a few requirements for any container though, regardless of the actual item used.

Firstly it must be able to hold the compost in place without a risk of it spilling out or the container collapsing. It must also be the right size for the plant you intend to use. It should be no bigger than twice the size of the root ball of the plant that you intend to use.

The root ball is the entire root system of the plant and the compost in which it has been grown. If necessary, you may need to pot the plant on again in order for the plant to reach its full potential.

But the most important aspect of your container is drainage. It must have adequate drainage for the plant that you intend to use. Most outdoor containers will already have drainage holes in them. If the item you intend to use doesn’t, then you will have to drill holes into it before you plant it up. This is very important as the vast majority of plants will die if they have too much water sitting around their roots.

How often should I water?

The only answer that can be given to this question is as and when required. It will very much depend on the type of plant, compost, size and type of container, position, time of year and weather conditions. All these factors will determine how often you should water your container.

The most important points to bear in mind though, are as follows:

• The wind is much worse than the sun for drying plants out. Bear this in mind during the winter. If there is a mild & windy spell of weather during winter, this has the potential to dry containers out, particularly if planted with evergreen shrubs.
• Rain is not enough. Very often people will think that the rain is enough to water their containers. Unfortunately this is not the case, especially if the weather is windy or the container is in a sheltered position against a fence or wall where the rain doesn’t really reach.

What Should I Plant?

The answer to this is simple: any plant can be planted in a container, as long as the container you are using is appropriate for the plant that you have.

Speak to our team about what container you have and what plants your like. 

You can also watch our how to create a container video HERE