Planters – The Beginners Garden

The temperatures are starting to rise and the flowers in our gardens are starting to bloom. Whether you have a large garden or just a small patio, you can always have a place for flowers to grow.  I am by no means a skilled gardener, but I like to have flowers and plants to look at so I have learned to manage the smaller scale gardens.  The planters.

I usually place two planters on either side of my garage door to visually break up all the concrete, stone, and steel.  I also like to place one planter by my front door.  Flowers bring a welcoming scent and burst of color to all visitors.  If you are just starting to garden, here is everything you will need to assemble your planters.

Tools Needed

• A Planter – style and height according to what you like
• Potting soil –
• Garden Trowel
• Watering Can or spray attachment to a hose

Begin preparation by placing your planters – move them into place before you fill them with soil because after being filled they will be heavy. If you have planters from previous years, make sure they are cleaned out and you are using new soil to prevent disease in your plants.

Choosing Your Plants

These plants will not last throughout the winter, so there is no need to worry about annual, perennial, etc.  Look to see how much sun the area gets and look for plants that will thrive in either full sun, partial, or shade (depending on what works for your space).  When choosing plants I like to pick a color scheme first. I see green as a neutral, but like to have a color to keep me in line for plant selection.  My preference is to have a center plant that is tall, usually a grass looking plant.  Look for dracaena, calla lily, or red ferns.  Less tall, but a stunning accent is the Curly Juncus.  Place plants that hang or droop down the planter around the perimeter, such as sweet potato vine, creeping jenny, ivy, bacopa, or wave petunia. Fill the middle with any flower that you like.  Popular plants for me include cosmos, geraniums, impatiens, pansies, and snap dragons. You could add rosemary or lavender if you wanted it to smell nice.

Just remember to keep your plants watered, and enjoy them bloom throughout the summer.