Article by Rita Zamluk
With a bit of forethought, growing plants in containers can be very rewarding. Unlike growing in a garden bed, plants in containers have a very small area in which to grow so the gardener needs to pay extra attention to the needs of the plants they wish to grow and subsequently, where they wish to place the container.
The first step is to design your container. What do you wish to grow? What effect do you wish to create? Flowering annuals are a good place to start as they live for one year, present a colourful display and can be replaced the following year. When designing a container, one idea is to start with a central taller plant, surround the taller plant with some medium height plants, and then add trailing plants to fall below the medium height plants.
Some suggestions for flowering annuals in sunny locations are: geraniums, petunias, marigolds, heliotrope, and trailing nasturtiums. For shady locations, some examples are: lobelia, fuchsia, begonias, and impatiens.
The next step is to match your location and the size of the pot with the needs of the plants to be sure that the plants you intend to use have similar light and moisture requirements. Also consider your own needs as you will be watering regularly as well as removing the dead flowers during the growing season.
Once you have an idea of a few plants for your container that will grow in the location you have chosen, the last step is to take your design and ideas to your local plant nursery. Nursery staff will be able to advise you further on your plant selection and may be able to show you others that will grow best in the location you are considering.