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Container Chic
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There's really no mystery to container gardening. With the right conditions and regular fertilizing, you can grow practically anything in a pot. Larger pots and urns work better than smaller ones, and groups of containers in the corner of a deck or patio make quite a statement. Pots overflowing with blooms and foliage at your front door will also make you the envy of your neighborhood.
Follow these simple instructions, and happy gardening!
Choose flowers, starter vegetables and foliage that have the same sun/shade needs. Use only a potting soil mix, such as Miracle Gro potting soil for best results.
If you use a terracotta pot, you may need to water more than once a day when it's very warm, since these containers dry out quickly. Fertilize every other week and pinch back stray shooters so your flowers keep their blooms all season.
To set up your container, choose a flower or ornamental grasses with some height for the center. Then draw two circles out from the center with your finger in the soil. These circles are your planting guides. For a bright container, mix your colors; for a more formal look, use only one or two colors. You can mix flowers and vegetables as long as they have the same care needs. Use dwarf varieties for your vegetables.
The outer circle is your guide for inserting the trailing plants, such as ivy, sweet potato vine or bacopa (snowstorm). These trailing plants soft the edges of your pots or urns. Don't scrimp on how many plants you use, you want to overcrowd your pot. After filling your container, water thoroughly. Now stand back and enjoy your container garden.
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Ethnic Accents
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Could your accessories and accents use a bit updating, a bit more drama? It doesn't take much to make your statement pieces, well, make a statement.
Take our before and after photos. In the before photo, above, this framed art piece and the African masks are a nice, but they could use a little livening up. In the after photo, below, a large green plant, accented with dried branches was moved next to the framed art piece. The foliage adds some life, not to mention a welcome shot of complementary color.
  
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