CONTAINER GARDENING-2017 Project Follow-Up

Remember those pots we did together a few weeks ago? 

I focused for a few posts on container garden tips and tricks

and used a project from our church as the example..

Here are some quick links:

Container Garden tips and tricks-Part 1

Container Garden tips and tricks-Part 2

Container Garden tips and tricks-Part 3

It turned out pretty rad.

I don't think there's been a single project 

this rewarding for me personally.

If you doubt that plants can welcome people

then you should see the faces and hear the comments

of our congregation when they enter.

Our goal was to help our church family 

feel welcomed and lifted up as they 

gather together.

Mission accomplished!

Many people actually touch these 

plants as they walk into the church.

I take that to mean that 

they find the pull of the plant material

and the beauty of the colors irresistible.

As immediately satisfying as these beauties were,

gardening is not something that 

I do for immediate (and only immediate) gratification.

With good planning, gardening 

is the gift that keeps on giving

as the plants mature.

In this post, I want to share some photos that demonstrate

 how the planning we did in the beginning

has allowed for these living creatures

to grow, evolve and change

in beautiful ways.

Late May (2 weeks post plant):

You can see that the plants are bigger.  

They are settling in enough to show their colors but

are still quite small compared to their mature height.

There is a lot of visual interest (different shapes, textures) while they get going

so the viewer doesn't feel like there's a pause happening.

The Dahlia in the middle was showing off quite a bit this week.  

Also, the double impatiens were starting to kick it up. 

Having single doses of an individual plant

keeps the eye from trying to balance everything in symmetrical form.

Keeping the palette similar (lime and purple)

means that in spite of different form/texture, 

everything in the pots seem to 'go together'.

The lime green coleus and sweet potato vines really shine here 

and have started to quickly add on size.

We are seeing height begin to reach

but also seeing the drape over the sides 

begin to add dimension.

These planters are beginning to show us the 3-D design

we envisioned.

Mid-June (5 weeks Planted):

 If we had not planned for this....

we would be freaking out within a month of planting these beauties.

Look at how much size the plants have put on 

within 5 short weeks?

Can you believe these are even the same pots?

Look at that Lantana sending out fireworks!  

You can barely see it in the first picture.  

And the elephant ears have tripled in size.

The fountain grass is a great backdrop, 

 the Canna lily shot up and is blooming!  

I didn't get a good side view on this day

but the sweet potato vine and coleus on the sides

are starting to spill out.

We had to move the pots away from each other

to give them space and keep them

from crowding each other out.

Early July (6 weeks Post-Plant)

Approximately 6 weeks after planting, these pots have

lost their minds.

Can you see those petunias and sweet potato

spilling over the sides?  They reach almost to the ground.

The Canna lilies and elephant ears almost cover the brick.

And the color focus has shifted once again

as the Lantana takes a short pause

before it blooms like gangbusters again.

You can see more of the lime and purple contrast

happening in these photos.

One of the best parts so far is that we've only had to water 

these plants about twice a week.

I expect that to change as the summer heats up

and the plants become even more gigantic.

It's also likely that as the summer continues

and plant growth continues

that we'll have to do some strategic pruning.

The Lantana has already needed some trimming.

The pots on the right side get slightly more shade than the pots on the left.  

It's interesting to see how different plants have 

responded to the slightly different micro-climate.

Well...it's interesting to me the plant nerd.

CONTAINER GARDENING TIPS AND TRICKS- Part 3

You've stepped into the third installment of my attempt to give advice 

relating to container gardening.  

When I started this series, I thought it was going to be one quick post. 

 Because...container gardens aren't that hard right?

Right?

Wrong.

Working on this post made me highly aware 

of many instances where container gardens go wrong.

Or just don't quite go right.

It's also made me more aware than usual of how easy it is to judge.

If you have a tried and true system that you love, then LOVE IT!

I'm glad you know what works for you and you're not required to change for me!

I don't always get it 'right' nor do I always care that I get it right.

There are some examples in my yard right now

of containers that are not display worthy.

I'm writing for the person who is overwhelmed,

has no idea how those containers they saw ended up so pretty,

and no idea that they could do it TOO!

After talking to several people and understanding where they went wrong

I revised my assessment for what could be helpful to non-gardeners.

There is a need for perspective and space assessment.

You can find my thoughts about that here.

Choosing the right size pot and focusing on a palette is discussed here.

Today we're going to talk about how to use the installation step (actually planting stuff!)

to your best advantage (so you can be lazy too)

And then we'll have the big reveal.

As a refresher, I'm using a recent weekend project for my church as the example.

Before picture....

There's a lot of preparation and planning that goes into a successful container garden.

At this point, I know you want to get on with the planting

but I have a couple last things to plug.

Proper drainage and soil.

It is so easy to slam some dirt into a pot and then walk away.

By mid-summer, you're wondering what the heck happened-
why that pot is not draining or why your soil is hard as a rock.

If you've invested in big pots, then you will have a really hard time excavating 

in the middle of the season to figure out what is wrong.

So...we're back to boring old prep work again for a while.

Drainage

Drainage is not a sexy word.
But in the container gardening world, it's important to understand.
Plants need watering-remember goldilocks?
Not too much, not too little...just the right amount.
That means the pot will have to hold water-but not too much.

Never use a pot that doesn't have holes in the bottom.
Pots without holes in the bottom are for decoration.
They need you to place a pot that will drain inside of them
and remove that inside pot to water.
Every time you water.

Your BIG pots should have holes in the bottom.
Sometimes they have a hole provided by 
the manufacturer but it will prove insufficient.

We drilled extra holes in the bottom of the large beige pots
used in this project so they would be sure to drain out.

It's a BIG plus if you can find one with self watering or 
extra drainage like the tall black one below.

Even when your pot has enough drainage holes at the bottom,
it's a good idea to add a layer of gravel.

I have skipped this step a few times and regretted it.
The plants go hog wild and before you know it, 
there's something clogging the holes at the bottom.  
Then they can't drain and it's a mud-pot.

Just bite the bullet, buy a $3 bag of gravel and put it in there.
Each of the beige pots have a bag of gravel in the bottom.

We used mixed river rock in the bottom because it was cheapest...any medium size gravel will do

Stage It

Before you plant....stage the pots where you want them to go.

This is especially important if you are the size of a hobbit (like me).

When you fill these pots with gravel, then dirt, then plants...
then water...you won't be able to budge them.
If you stage them beforehand, you have one last opportunity
to make adjustments before you're committed.

The Dirt

Fill with a potting mix that is made for containers.

There are lots of ways to mess this step up.

I know that there are people who want us to use soil and compost and everything
...and you can do that too...
so long as you have a degree in soil science.

Most everyone else should just buy the Miracle-Gro 
or the extra special potting mix from the big box home improvement store.
You need to fill the soil to within two inches of the top.
This project took 8 bags.
Do not skimp.
If you skimp, your plants will be fighting to be seen over the rims of the planter.
They might also be sitting in water more than they need to be.
They won't get the proper access to sunlight and it will take a while for them to start growing.
They might end up weirdly tall and leggy.

Don't over fill.
If you overfill, your water is likely to run OUT of the pot 
instead of staying inside the pot-where the roots are.

Planting

Now we get to the planting part.  This is often the most exciting part but is...
sadly, an easy place for things to go wrong again.
Some plants you're planting will be brand new babies.
These need to be handled gently when taken out of
 the plastic store bought pots.
Gently....flip the plant upside down and squeeze the bottom
 of the plants while holding your hand over the soil line.
DO NOT PULL ON THE STEMS.
Ever.
The little baby plant should fall out into your hand.
Stems between your first two fingers, soil keeping it from falling through.

Place the plants in the pot in the relative space that you want to put them.
You're trying to be gentle to these little babies.
Once you're happy with placement, then bury the roots so that the line of soil
is even with the depth of the soil in the pot..
If your soil didn't have an added fertilizer
then add some now.  
Osmocote is a slow release option or you can 
use more natural ones like blood meal and bone meal.
(yes, that is really what they are-blood and bone concentrated down)
Finally...you're almost done.
Water that pot until water runs out of the bottom.  
It needs to be thoroughly soaked.

Demo Project?

Before

After.  

Here's what our final project looked like on day one.

It will look very different in two weeks.

The tallest plants get 4-6' high so should stretch to the top of the brick.

The vines that drape over the side get 2-4' long.

I pinched the red tops off of the salvia in the auxillary pot...I may end up going back to pull them out altogether but didn't want to do that right away.

We have almost no repeats in these pots...there is one of everything EXCEPT deep purple petunias. There are repeats across the pots that tie them together (petunias, coleus, gomphrena, dahlias).

We used lots of foliage for color since it shows up better from a distance than flowers.  

Purple and lime green!  the best combo ever!

Side view

Sweet potato vine, dahlia , ornamental pepper, sage and canna lily in the back...

CONTAINER GARDENING TIPS AND TRICKS- PART 1

 Hey!  We're not going to talk about something super emotional and chewy this week!

Are you relieved?

There's a whole lot of gardening stuff floating through my world
 and the general gist of the conversations are..."plants are weird", 
"I don't know why I killed them but I have killed them many times",  
or "plants will just not do what I want them to do".  
Why do people think gardening is so hard?
I guess anything that is unfamiliar can be overwhelming.
It appears to be difficult to remember that plants are ALIVE
they need to be cared for in ways that are not the same as other 
living things we need to care for...say dogs or children.
As a total plant nerd in a family of gardeners....
this lack of general plant knowledge can be hard for me to remember.
I have put my foot in it lately by assuming that people know about plants.
Sometimes my arrogance shows up in odd ways.
Like say....laughing out loud when someone says they're going to grow all 
their produce needs organically in the (tiny) pots on their deck.
Oh wait....you were serious.
oops.

So...for the next few posts I want to share some info 
about how to successfully choose and grow plants-
specifically how to grow them in containers.
I'm offering some long winded advice

with some tips that should help up your game!

As an example, I'm going to use a small weekend redo 
of the main entrance of our church.  
If you like before and after stories, this is a good one for you!

The Peak Connecting the Disconnected

I love love love my church.

I hope everyone who walks towards those doors feels
invited in and welcomed with open arms.
Many people work to make that intention a reality-
they serve with their time, their gifts, their hearts.
The space where we come together is special.
My husband and I recently offered to use our gifts to 
enhance this space and over the next few posts, 
I'll break down the ways that we used our knowledge of plants 
and container planting to get the best result.

PICTURE IT

As you walk up....what do you notice?

 Part of the reason people garden is to add beauty to an area.
I know that beauty is a somewhat subjective topic-not everyone has the same style.
However, as marketers everywhere know....we do find some things universally pleasing.
We're not always aware of our preferences or our perspectives.
It can be easy to distract us from the bigger view by focusing on the little details.
There's an easy way to help shift your perspective now that we have digital cameras built into our phones.
Take a picture.

I take lots of pictures when I'm working on projects.  

It helps put things into perspective.

Here's a picture of the main entrance of our church.

Basically a simple, public space.  
Everything is symmetrical.
Neat and tidy.

When I look at this picture, I am noticing the planters-

I'm noticing that they don't seem to belong.
I'm not just being a plant-freak here...this will look off to most people.

There's nothing wrong with these planters per se.

In a different place, they would be great.

However, in this case, they almost disappear and seem accidentally placed.

It's not obvious what isn't working until you step back.
The picture helps solidify the scale and show you what is off.
They are too small for the space.

Bottom line for this tip - you need to know the scale of the space
before you can fill it appropriately.

A picture will help.

ODD NUMBERS

Take another look.....

In addition to being too small....there is something not right about the number of pots here.  

I mention this because I have fiddled with things for a looooong time 
before I realized that the reason it's not working is because 
I have an even number of things.
Why does it matter if you have an odd or an even number of things?
I don't know for sure but there is scientific data to support our innate desire for symmetry.
Here's a very small set of pictures to help you understand it visually.

One thing? Looks cool. What a statement!
One thing can be as wild and unstructured as it wants to be.
One thing is individual.
It can be small or large.
It can grow sideways or upright.
There's no point of reference.

Look how beautiful that is!

Two things?  The inner critic wakes up!
If you have an even number of objects,
then they better be symmetrical, identical, mesmerizingly perfect.
Two things need to be balanced and twin-like.
If one of the plants grows bigger or broader or just to it's own drummer
it can be difficult for your brain to appreciate it.

why is that one on the right so tall?

Three things? Back to cool. 
We can relax again into a zen-like hippie trance.
Three things can be more free and wild.
We don't expect them to match each other.

 Beautyberry clusters 

Another related thing is that even-numbers scream formality to us.
Even-numbered things are great for some spaces or projects...
formal gardens, castles, government spaces, medicine doses, baking recipes.
Even numbers should be reserved for spaces (or plants) that
can be measured and controlled.
They are not great for things that can grow and change on their own.
They don't give as much room for life to happen.

My advice is....Why risk the inner critic?

When in doubt, stick with odd numbers.

This holds true for filling the planters too.
Buy 1, 3, or 5 plants for each pot (or 7 or 9 or 11)
Avoid buying 2 or 4 or 6 for a single pot.

One small problem...this entrance is already symmetrical!

Has it been decided for us?
Do we automatically have to continue the symmetry?
Well....we could go that route.
In a formal space, that might be the choice to make.

Very formal symmetry here will say
'Come in and do things the way we've always done them'
It will not say 'come on in and bring something different'..
There can be comfort and value in that...it's just not what needs to happen
at the church that connects the disconnected.

Instead....we're going to trick our inner critic.  
We're going to to add some odd numbers on top of the symmetry
to add some energy and welcome without upsetting the balance of the space.
It is possible-I'm not making this up.

Of course....sometimes it's hard to let go of the need for symmetry. 
Even in places where it doesn't belong. 

Consider reading other posts...I recommend anything tagged #controlfreak.

The yellow rectangles are the size of accent you need.  

Back to our picture of the church entrance for a minute.
For this particular space, I will need to have something about 5'x4'.

I don't know what that something is yet...but that's the size I need to fill.

You're probably thinking....5' x 4'....that's pretty darn big.

It is.  

It's bigger than me.

To go smaller will always look just a little bit off.

No matter what, I've got to have something in here that will be about 5 feet high.
I can do that in a variety of ways-with plant material, with trellis or sculpture.

 I'll need a collection of pots or a pot that expands out to fill the space around it to about 4 feet.
And since I want to invite people in, I need to find a way to incorporate lots of 
odd numbered things.

If I can't do that, then I need to just leave it alone.
Go big or go home.

So now what?  How do I decide what to put in here?

Stay tuned......