Will these
decorative boxes be sitting in the hot sun during the middle of the day or will they be in the sun all day long? Will they be able to handle strong breezes or heavy winds? When you decide on container gardening just remember that these pots dry out much quicker than your ground soil and therefore need to be watered more often. Containers that are not porous are the best to use if they will be sitting in full sun. The terracotta pots are better if used in areas that are shady or where they only receive partial sun because they dry out so quickly. Many of the synthetic resin containers will start out cooler and hold on to moisture for longer periods of time. If you are unable to water the pots daily be sure they have a reservoir or a drip tray so you can fill them from the bottom and as the plant needs it will soak up the water. If you let a plant strain from not enough water it may not recuperate and you will have to start over.
If your are going to have your container garden in an area where you are going to enterain a lot you may want to purchase pots that are going to be easy to move around. Sometimes you may want to be able to move the garden to a shady area or to place it where there is more sun, so it is best not to purchase a container that is too heavy or overly large in size. Concrete urns are beautiful but they should be placed in an area where you will not have to move it around.
Wood decorative containers are good for water retention. The hard woods hold up better against rot, but wood planters if treated with preservatives will hold pretty well. Wood has a tendency to expand and shrink depending on the moisture so make sure the joints are well constructed and it is best to not let them sit right on the ground. Decorative metal containers can be pretty heavy and are good for the steadiness of tall plants. These containers will not just become dry they will heat up, so more watering is going to be needed so the roots will not cook. These metal containers are a good option for winter plantings. Some fiberglass and resin containers can fool your eye and make you think they are made out of a natural material, particularly when they age. They are inexpensive, light-weight, very durable, and very often are resistant to frost. Decorative plastic containers are also light-weight and they conserve moisture. There are semi-flexible pots that are excellent to use as container liners. You can plant your flowers, vegetables, or herbs into plastic pots and then place those pots into a decorative container.
If you make the right choices in the containers and plants for the location, the growing conditions, and the size of the container garden it will usually make a world of difference in the results. The newer materials used and the ways they are made usually produce outdoor containers that are much more responsive to extreme weather conditions, less bulky and light-weight, and give us an array of decorative textures, colors, and styles. Now you can find new features such as self-watering, extra large, and illuminated outdoor decorative boxes.
There are many advantages to gardening in containers such as adding fragrance, color, and style to any patio, deck, balcony, entry way, or your front yard landscape. They are very good at hiding any eyesores that are around the house with planted flower pots or
hanging baskets. Some garden planters can be move around or you can replant them when the previous plants outgrow the space or the flowers fade away. There is also less chance of being damaged by pests and when you move you can take a
container garden with you. The plants that are not suited to your garden soil conditions will do much better if you grow them in decorative boxes and
decorative containers.
