Green-thumbed homeowners and condo dwellers can get in touch with nature and add beauty to patios, balconies, and window boxes. Container gardens can be beautiful and can be grown in both sunny and shady spaces.
Places that get full sun can be used to grow almost any flower or vegetable. Others are good for shade or part-sun plants. Impatiens and Begonias are shade-loving flowers, whereas Petunias love the sun. Check the tag on the plant to see what the plant prefers.
Nearly any container with adequate drainage will do but be sure it is large enough for what you want to grow. Again, the tag on the plant should offer guidance. Small pots should contain just one plant. Large pots can hold groups that favor the same growing conditions.
A soil base works best for plants that will remain in their pots for a year or more. Containers require frequent watering but adding moist granules composed of polymer to the soil will help. In dry spells, the granules release their water.
Because frequent watering can leach nutrients from the soil, plan to fertilize regularly. And, above all, have fun growing your plants and enjoying their beauty.
