Gardening provides serenity needed in turbulent times
Life as we knew it changed forever March 11 as the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. And no one seems to know what the new normal means, or even is.
Gardening will provide a guaranteed respite from the stress we are all currently experiencing. And container gardening offers both homeowners and apartment dwellers myriad opportunities to indulge one’s creative side. The benefits are numerous — not the least of which is that connecting with nature is good for the soul.
START WITH A PLAN
Job one is to be mindful of the parameters of your terrace, balcony or garden. Which direction does it face? How much sunlight/shade is there? Is wind a factor? Do deer and rabbits like to visit? How much time will you have to take care of your containers? What is the overall look you wish to achieve? Do you have pets? Which type of containers/pots do you currently have or are looking to purchase? Are you looking to start plants from seed? How you answer these questions will guide what type of plant material to consider.
GOING TO POT
When purchasing a pot or a container, size and scale are paramount. If you have a small balcony, for example, one large container will actually make the space seem larger as opposed to several small ones that reduce the space visually.
With dozens of shapes and sizes to choose from, be mindful of the esthetic you wish to achieve. Pretty much any type of vessel can be used as a container. An old washtub, wine barrel or kids’ wagon could work. Do try to stay away from the kitschy, pre-fabricated, donkey-withcart planter if at all possible. This type of look is untenable when coupled with garden gnomes.
If the industrial vibe is your thing, faux concrete (real concrete weighs too much), metal or anything with clean simple lines is the way to go. Glossy black containers, or those with lots of embellishment, conform to a neoclassical esthetic. Terracotta or Chinese egg pots evoke a naturalist vibe. Regardless of the container you choose, ensure it has drainage holes in the bottom. Consider purchasing a plant dolly on which to set larger pots, allowing ease of movement should you wish to rework your outdoor space layout.
If you garden on a balcony, the dolly will let you reposition the container so it can benefit from the sun throughout the day, or move it to protect it from wind. Place several bits of broken pottery or various-sized rocks over the drainage hole (this ensures the hole will not clog up with soil which defeats the drainage principle) and then add a layer of pea gravel. Good potting soil that is rich and porous is added next and don’t bother saving a few dollars by reusing last year’s soil. Keep the soil a few centimetres below the top of the container so the soil doesn’t wash over the rim when watering. Consider drip irrigation or self-watering containers depending on your availability to water frequently enough. Container gardens require more frequent watering – sometimes multiple times each day if it’s hot and windy.
RIGHT PLANT, RIGHT PLACE
Hopefully, you have started with a plan so you will know the parameters within which your containers will operate and you’ll purchase the right plant for the right place. The rule of thumb for containers is a thriller, filler and a spiller. The thriller is the focal point while fillers are the plants surrounding the thriller and the spillers, as the name implies, are trailing plants. Rules, however, are meant to be broken and a pot with a singular planting can be quite effective. Imagine a mass planting of only marigolds for example.
Or a singular Mandevilla vine as the centrepiece on an outdoor table. Shade plants will obviously not do well in full sun and conversely, plants that do best in full sun will not thrive in the shade. The ‘it’ item this year I predict will be mixing veggies with annuals. Rainbow Swiss chard, radishes, herbs, leafy greens/ lettuces and cherry tomatoes would all be interesting companions for container annuals.
Texture is also au courant and a pot consisting of textured plants only — no flowers — can be very interesting. Think oxalis, creeping Jenny, ivy, grasses, ferns and coleus, to name a few. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the old tried and true grouping of a dracaena (thriller), geraniums (the fillers) and trailing lobelia (the trailers), although I find this to be a bit boring. Why not notch it up a peg and try these combinations: vinca, angelonia and dichondra; petunia, verbena and calibrachoa (million bells); dahlia, bacopa and million bells; or even a pot of perennials (treated as annuals) featuring echinacea, gaillardia and lavandula.
I would think we are pretty safe to plant annuals now. But before doing so, harden off annuals by increasing outdoor exposure over a number of days until the plants acclimatize. Cool-tolerant annuals the likes of pansies and sweet peas can be planted as soon as you have purchased them as evening temperatures in the low single digits or even slightly below freezing does them no harm.
Watering and fertilizing pots regularly is key. For my money, the best fertilizer going is Organic Rage Plus. Be careful to not overdo it though as this can make plant material leggy. Deadheading (removing spent blooms) ensures a profusion of flowers all season long. And never allow sweet peas to set seed or they will stop flowering.
So here’s wishing you all a florally fabulous summer. And in the immortal words of Audrey Hepburn, “To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.”