My garden would not be complete without the many plants that I have in containers. I would be the first to admit that perhaps I go overboard, but I greatly enjoy my many containers and the plants in them. There have been ‘hits’ and ‘misses’ in what has been planted in them, but it is fun to experiment.
Choosing the Right Container for Your Climate
Consideration of the container itself is important and depends on the particular climate zone. My garden is in the usually mild winter area of the Willamette Valley, and types of ceramic containers would be different for me as compared to someone in Bend. Generally, wooden and plastic containers would be suitable for most all areas. Ceramic containers vary in their winter hardiness, because some will crack with a winter freeze. I’ve found that those from Vietnam with thick sides are the most reliably ‘frost proof’. ‘Frost proof’ meaning that during the winter, a pot with wet soil will not crack during a freeze. I have had some of these pots in my garden for over 15 years and they have never cracked.
The Importance of Drainage
Be sure to select containers with drainage holes in the bottom. Sometimes during the season, the hole in a pot may become clogged. The plant will tell you that something is wrong because it may look wilted, yet the soil is wet. It may be necessary to turn the pot on its side and insert a stick in the hole to unclog it.
Selecting the Right Potting Mix
Most general purpose potting mixes are usually fine for summer annuals. There are special potting mixes for plants like cactus, succulents, and other similar plants that have less water requirements. For containers that are going to be in full sun, a potting mix containing coir may be a benefit. Coir is the outer husk of a coconut and has excellent water holding capacity. I like to add an organic fertilizer at time of planting and usually use blood meal and mix it thoroughly in the potting mix.
G&B Organics, 4-6-2 Rose & Flower Fertilizer
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Wilco, Professional Potting Soil
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G&B Organics, All-Purpose 4-4-4 Fertilizer
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G&B, Blood Meal, 3.5 lb
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Down to Earth, Blood Meal 12-0-0, 4 lb
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Consider Sun & Shade for Plant Placement
Think about where the container is going to be. Will it be in the afternoon hot summer sun or a mostly shady location? For a shady location, try hostas. Known primarily for their foliage which can vary from many shades of green to bluish tones with some having leaves that are variegated. They can provide a stunning statement in a shady location. Impatiens are a good choice for a mix of sun and shade. SunPatiens will grow well in full sun with flowers all summer.
Best Plants for Sunny Containers
For a sunny location, the choices are vast. Calibrachoa, which has a flower like a small petunia, will easily fill a pot with flowers all summer. There are trailing types of calibrachoa that will spill over the sides of a pot. Try growing Salvia ‘Black & Blue’ in the center of a large pot and trailing calibrachoa along the edge. The salvia is a hummingbird attractant and will bloom with blue flowers on erect stems all summer. Cuphea is another sun-loving, all-summer-blooming plant and is a hummingbird magnet. Visiting a garden last summer, I saw a mix of cuphea and lantana in a large pot and it looked spectacular.
Colorful Fuchsias & Geraniums
Fuchsias were often considered a shade-loving plant, but there are hardy fuchsias that will withstand the sun and well as a sun/shade location. Multiple colors are available, and they bloom all summer. Geraniums are an old-fashioned flower that has never lost its popularity and do well in pots. Whereas coleus were long considered shade plants, there are new selections called ‘Sun Coleus’ that can provide color with their brightly colored leaves.
Herbs & Vegetables in Containers
We always have a pot of basil on our deck, and it thrives in full sun and provides fresh leaves all summer. An easy growing herb combination is creeping thyme to spill over the sides of a pot with upright rosemary growing in the center. When space is limited, try growing vegetables in a container. There are many tomato varieties that have been selected especially for growing in a pot. In a large pot, try growing lettuce, very easy to start from seed, and cucumber, squash, or beans on a trellis with lettuce growing in front.
The selection of plants is unlimited, and it is fun trying new plants and new combinations. Gardening is meant to be enjoyable, and you should pick the plants that give you pleasure.
Happy Gardening!
MIKE’S GARDEN IS LOCATED IN OREGON’S WILLAMETTE VALLEY AND HIS ADVICE IS CONSISTENT WITH THE MILD CLIMATE THERE.
We would love to see your garden growing, use #mywilcolife on Facebook, X, or Instagram and tag Wilco Stores.
