Container gardening

April, 2010




Welcome to Spring, and welcome to another season of musings and information that you may find of use or help!



Although it is officially spring and we have had a spate of warm temperatures, we have also had some less than seasonable days, so don’t let your pent up desires for gardens get the better of you yet. Enjoy the forsythias that are doing their bloom thing now. It is too early yet to be thinking of setting out garden vegetable plants here in southeastern Wisconsin (unless it is onion sets), so be patient. If insects have been a problem with your trees and shrubs in the past, now is a good time to hit them with a dormant oil spray. It wil help to eliminate any insects that may have overwintered on your woody plants. Do not (as I saw an overeager homeowner doing last week), apply liquid herbicide for lawn weed control quite yet. The temperatures are not settled enough for consistent plant growth so that the herbicides will be their most effective, so do not waste your time or money. Wait a couple weeks . Instead, do some planning for your landscape now. Perhaps this is the year to let your lot “go to pot”.



I thought that might get your attention enough to follow me to the next paragraph! What my comment was referring to was not to neglect your yard, or to even begin the cultivation of Cannabis sativa , but to consider the aesthetic benefits possible with the use of container gardening (i.e., pots). The vessels available today are not limited to only the reddish-orange clay containers of times past (although those venerable classics are still present), but are found in myriads of shapes, sizes, colors, and materials. Many are interesting enough to be appreciated on their own merits, hence one can add appeal to a dark corner or difficult setting with the choice of an appropriate pot. As such, they are very low maintenance as well! In addition, those of you with a limited amount of space (small or no yard), or who rent, might find a container a means of bringing a bit of nature/color to you.



To most, container gardening implies plants, and many people enjoy having a living plant growing in the container, as it can contrast/compliment the container and further enhance the landscape setting into which the container is placed. If that sounds appealing to you, check back here in a couple weeks when I’ll discuss appropriate plants for container gardening. In the meantime, why not come out to Piala’s and view our large selection of decorative pots/containers, they can help stir your imagination to visualize a setting where one (or several) would look just right.



Dr. Tom Honeyager