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The Container Garden
If you have a small area or don't have the capacity to grow a large garden, consider container gardening. Gardening in containers can be just as rewarding as having a full size garden. Many perennials and grasses grow in pots just as well as they do in the ground. There are a few things to consider when planning for a container garden if you wish to be successful. The first is to consider the plants. If you are planting more than one plant in the same pot, which many do for an attractive interesting container garden, be sure that all your plants meet the same requirements. Requirements to consider are amount of light, amount of water and fertilizer scheduling. Also be sure that the size of the container matches the size of your plant. Some other things you might consider when planning your container garden are such things as height, color, and texture. Variations of these elements will make you container gardens more attractive and very interesting to look at.

The most important thing is to be creative with your container gardens. There really is no limit to what can be done in a container, only the limits of your imagination.

Consider the following guidelines when choosing your container.

• Avoid containers with narrow openings.
• Cheap plastic pots may deteriorate in UV sunlight and terracotta pots dry out rapidly. Glazed ceramic pots are excellent choices but require several drainage holes.
• Wooden containers are susceptible to rot. Redwood and cedar are relatively rot resistant and can be used without staining or painting. Avoid wood treated with creosote, penta or other toxic compounds since the vapors can damage the plants. One advantage of wooden containers is that they can be built to sizes and shapes that suit the location.
• Use containers between 15 and 120 quarts capacity. Small pots restrict the root area and dry out very quickly. The size and number of plants to be grown will determine the size of the container used. Deep rooted vegetables require deep pots.
• Make sure your pot has adequate drainage. Holes should be 1/2 inch across. Line the base of the pot with newspaper to prevent soil loss.
• In hot climates use light-colored containers to lessen heat absorption and discourage uneven root growth.
• Set containers on bricks or blocks to allow free drainage.
• Line hanging baskets with sphagnum moss for water retention. Keep baskets away from afternoon sun.
• If you choose clay pots, remember that clay is porous and water is lost from the sides of the container. Plants in clay pots should be monitored closely for loss of moisture

Growing Mixture
Make sure your planting medium drains rapidly but retains enough moisture to keep the roots evenly moist. Your compost will make an excellent potting soil. Check the requirements of the plants you grow to determine whether you will need to add sand. If compost is not available, purchase a good quality potting mixture or make your own from equal parts of sand, loamy garden soil, and peat moss. Commercial potting mixes are usually slightly acidic, so you may want to add a little lime. Most container gardeners have found that a "soil-less" potting mix works best. In addition to draining quickly, "soil-less" mixes are lightweight and free from soil- borne diseases and weed seeds. These mixes can be purchased from garden centers.

When you add your soil to your container, leave a 2 inch space between the top of the soil and the top of the container. You will be able to add 1/2 inch or so of mulch later.

Sunlight
Your container garden will need at least five hours of direct sunlight each day, and many plants will benefit from even more. Hostas will tolerate a high level of shade, while most grasses are light sensitive and require a longer period of sun throughout the day. The amount of sunlight needed by flowering perennials varies depending on the varieties grown. Check the specifics of each variety for sunlight needs, and group together those with similar requirements.

Fertilizer
When it comes to fertilizing your container gardens, fertilize as needed. Over fertilization will result in a buildup of salts and will burn the roots of your plants. Fertilize your plants during the growing season, and only when and if needed during the dormant seasons. Since potting mixes drain water rapidly, fertilizer will be washed out of the container as you water. Lighter mixes will require more frequent fertilizing than heavier mixes. It's a good idea to use a dilute liquid fertilizer with every other watering. Check the labels on the products in you garden center to be sure that they contain a complete, balanced solution that includes trace elements.

Watering
In an exposed location, container plants lose moisture quickly. Some plants will need to be watered daily, especially during hot, dry weather. When watering your container gardens, the best time to do so is in the morning. Watering in the morning allows your leaves and soil to dry out, preventing diseases and viruses. You should water your plant accordingly. You should check to see if your plants need watering before adding more. Over-watering is the most common reason for container plants dying. If you push your finger into the soil, this should give you an idea of how moist or dry the soil is. Do not water the plant if the soil is already moist.

Ideas for containers
The softness of grasses can wonderfully complement fresh or dried flower arrangements.

Since a container is designed as a focal point in the garden, this is a unique opportunity to make a bold statement and to use colors and combinations you might not ordinarily choose.

A great start is to plant ornamental grass for height and foliage texture as a container focal point. Then surround it with traditional flowering perennials.

Choose a flowering plant for long-season color... perhaps a perennial such as Coreopsis ‘Moonbeam,’ or Scabiosa 'Butterfly Blue'.

Select a plant with attractive foliage as an accent, such as a Hosta, or something with silver, burgundy, gold or variegated foliage.

Choose another plant with a different foliage texture from the first two, but perhaps with either a complimentary (i.e. similar and blending well) or a contrasting (i.e. shockingly the opposite) flower color.

Finally, choose a selection for filler plants. These could be several trailing plants to spill over the sides, or perhaps something with a delicate, airy sort of habit.

Grasses for containers
Use annual grasses that make a show in one year, such as purple fountain grass, Pennisetum setaceum 'Rubrum', that dark purple arching plant that gets about 4' tall with numerous long purple-pink slender "foxtails". It sets no seed and is killed with a hard frost, but it loves the heat and will do very well in a container on a sunny porch or patio. The green form, Pennisetum setaceum is also showy, with green foliage and long, pink, arching flowers. Both of these are native to Ethiopia and love the heat. They tolerate drought well, the leaves just curl up, but in containers, appreciate regular watering.

A showy grass for containers is Miscanthus sinensis 'Zebrinus' zebra grass, or M. sinensis 'Variegatus', variegated miscanthus. These are both perennials and will often come through northern winters OK even in a container, but they are both so showy and striking, that a container with these as the center for tall upright accents is very attractive.

Some of the more compact sedges, Carex buchananii, leather leaf sedge, and Carex ’Cappuccino’ make attractive focal points in a container. Their unusual copper color creates great contrast with variegated foliage and makes flowers explode with color.

Nassella tenuissima (Mexican feather grass), with its delicate foliage and airy seed heads, acts to soften a grouping of container plants.

Acorus (sweetflag) can be used as a bog/wet container. Use a container with no holes to allow for constant moisture of the soil.

Got the blues?
Create a blue container. Try Festuca ‘Elijahs Blue,’ Leymus arenarius (blue dune grass), Hosta ‘Blue Angel’ or H. ‘Blue Cadet.’ Throw in some blue flowering perennials, such as Campanula ‘Blue Clips.’

The container garden is limited only by your imagination.