Container Gardening

You may think that if you have no yard, you have no space for a garden. But if you have space for a flower pot, you have space for a container garden. You might fill a patio or deck with pots and planting boxes, or have window boxes, or containers of segregated plants in your regular garden. Container gardens can be any size. Large rooftop gardens in cities are created using containers. Small pots of herbs for kitchen use can also be called a container garden.

Container gardening is a wonderful alternative to regular gardening for elderly or handicapped people with mobility problems. It is a great way to keep tender plants alive over winter in harsh climates by moving them to proper shelter. A container garden itself is a portable garden. You can move your garden as needed, and change the layout of your plants as the blooming and growing season progresses. As a rule, plants grown in containers need less fertilizer and pest control than their counterparts in a traditional land-space garden. It is much easier to recognize problems in potted plants, and you can quarantine a plant from the rest of your garden for treatment if need be. You can also practice beneficial companion planting by simply moving friendly plants next to each other.

Patio and balcony gardens can be lush escapes filled with container grown trees, hanging baskets and tower garden plants, as well as assorted containers of various types and sizes. Plant dollies make moving heavy plants possible. Both flower and vegetable gardens can be successful in containers. Even a potted tomato plant on your balcony or doorstep brings a bit of garden to your home.