Contain Yourself!

I remember when container gardening meant throwing a few geraniums in a clay pot out on the front steps. The pot invariably would be filled with weeds by midsummer, and the poor geraniums would be hanging on for dear life. My, how container gardening has changed!

With new varieties of flowers especially adapted for growing in pots, new containers that literally water themselves and fertilizers to keep the plants growing strong all summer long, gardening in a container is almost easier than gardening in the earth. This movement hasn't gone unnoticed.

Bruce Butterfield, research director at the National Gardening Association, has been conducting research on lawn and garden trends for more than 25 years. He says container gardening is hot. "Container gardening has been the top growth area in gardening the last five years," he says. "The number of people container gardening has increased from 19 million households in 2000, to 29 million households in 2005."

So, why not jump on the container gardening bandwagon? Not sure how? Well, here are some simple designs and tips to grow the most beautiful and carefree container garden this summer.

Simple Container Garden Recipes

Try some of these container garden design recipes (all the plants are available at your local garden center):

• Canna lily with multi-colored leaves surrounded by cascading white bacopa and purple petunias
  
• Butterfly-attracting red penta planted in a sea of blue scaevola
  
• For a shady spot, red-flowered, dark-leaved New Guinea impatiens with pink torenia and white wax begonias
  
• Dark-leaved coleus with trailing helichrysum and pink verbena
  

Contain On

Once you've decided what to plant, you need the proper container, soil and fertilizer to make the plants thrive. Plain clay terra cotta pots have been pushed aside by more dynamic and versatile pots. Glazed ceramic pots come in all shapes and sizes. Though more delicate than plastic pots, these containers add elegance to any deck, patio or outdoor room.

The biggest revolution in pots is the lightweight rubberized plastic, terra cotta look-alike self-watering containers. The pots have a water reservoir in the bottom. Just keep the reservoir filled, and through a wicking action the water will migrate into the soil and to your plant's roots. Your container can go days (depending on the weather) without being watered.

Once you have the container, you'll need to fill it with soilless potting soil. Don't use garden soil, which may contain diseases and insects, and which can easily compact, making it hard for plant roots to grow.

To top it off, add time-release fertilizer to the container soil. These small pellets slowly release fertilizer each time you water or whenever it rains, providing the plants with a continuous supply of nutrients.

Final Pass

The beauty of container gardens is they can change with the seasons. When your spring container becomes unruly, remove the plants and put in heat-loving flowers, such as portulaca and verbena for a summer garden. Once that garden has had its run, try cool-weather flowers, such as snapdragons, flowering kale and pansies, for the fall. The possibilities are limited only by your imagination.

Landscaping the Front Entry

Whether it's a job interview, buying a car or going on a date, first impressions mean a lot. When it comes to making a good first impression with your home, the area to focus on is the front entryway. A well-landscaped entryway sets a welcoming tone and adds value to your home.

Jonathan Bardzik, of the American Nursery and Landscape Association, says effective landscaping adds 8 to 15 percent to the value of your home. "A well-landscaped front entryway beautifies your yard, inspiring neighbors to do the same," he says.

Ideas for Sprucing Up the Entryway

Landscaping doesn't have to be elaborate or expensive to be welcoming. Here are some design ideas that can help you create a beautiful entryway to your home:

• Create a walkway wide enough for two people to walk side by side to your house. There's comfort in numbers!
• Evaluate the exposure of your front entryway. Is it windy, open to the rain, sunny or shady? These environmental factors can determine what you can grow.
• Instead of a direct path to your front door, consider creating a winding path that adds a sense of excitement and intrigue. Plant in layers along the front entryway. Place the tallest shrubs near the house, medium-sized shrubs in the middle and lower growing ground covers, perennials and annuals in the front.
• Think about the structures you have or want to have around your front entryway. These could include an arbor or trellis for vines to climb.
• Consider dwarf trees and shrubs that will look natural in relation to the size of your front entry area and serve as focal points. Plant perennials, ground covers or bulbs under the trees to fill out the planting.
• Plant a mix of deciduous and evergreen shrubs throughout your gardens, and repeat the same grouping of plants around the front entryway. This draws your eye across the entire landscape, tying it together and making it look full.

Creating Four Seasons of Interest

While spring and summer are easy times to create interest and color in your entryway garden, fall and winter are a little more problematic.

Gardeners in warm climates can spruce up the front entryway with cool-season annuals, such as pansies and primulas. In any climate, consider shrubs with distinctive bark, berries or branch structure - such as contorted hazelnut, hollies and birch trees - that are still interesting even after the leaves have dropped. Ornamental grasses, such as fountain grass, have richly textured seed heads that look beautiful all winter. Perennials such as teasel and coneflowers have interesting seedpods that can be left on through fall and winter.

Landscaping Basics

Always choose plants adapted to the sun, drainage, exposure and winter low temperatures in your area. If planting under the eaves of the house, remember that rainwater rarely reaches there, so those plants need more water and protection from snow and ice falling off the roof.

By Charlie Nardozzi

Charlie Nardozzi, a nationally-recognized garden writer, book author, speaker and radio and television personality, has appeared on HGTV, PBS and Discovery Channel television networks. He is the senior horticulturist and spokesperson for the National Gardening Officer for the Hilton Garden Inn.