Submitted by Joan Regan
Container Gardening – It’s becoming so popular. I admit, I am doing a lot too lately – gardening on the rocks is a challenge and containers are so much easier. It might just be an old folks, new hobby thing (not that I’m old, just trying it out till I get there).
Had a couple of questions pertaining to soil: Will the container soil do that I put my Annuals in? Do I have to put the pots /containers away for the Winter?
First of all, the soil for containers. Annuals soil is just for annuals. We want our Perennials that are staying in containers over the Winter to think they are in the garden so it’s soil all the way.
I have a huge boxed in bin that Pete made for me years ago and it holds a full truck load of good quality garden soil, Triple mix. In a wheelbarrow I mix up 3/4 soil and half/half compost/mulch, filling the containers with just the mixture, nothing like plastic jugs to take up the space.
The most important thing with containers is proper drainage. I just lost two huge containers of Hosta that were in a pot for years. When I dumped them, there were two plastic jugs and no holes in the bottom. Three on the side but nothing on the bottom. With the freeze/thaw going on, the roots were sitting in water and then ice.
Sad garden story: A lady had posted on Facebook that all her Hostas had the dreaded Hosta Virus HVX, so to throw them out… and she did. They were misshapen and lopsided. NOT the Virus but the late frost. Some of mine were as well, but the newer leaves are fine.
Last Fall I potted up some more Perennials as well as the usual Hostas, Shasta Daisy, Astilbe and Pulmonaria, also Ferns and Day Lilies. All are looking great. Those Ferns are beautiful in the ground or in a container. I was fortunate enough to come to know a wonderful Lady by the name of Virginia who gave me a couple of her Ferns and I treasure them in the Garden. When the Ferns are finished by mid-August, I gently lay them down and cover them with a light layer of soil. By then there are so many other plants to take up the space.
All the rain has made the garden happy and just need some warm now and she will really explode.
Enjoy your gardens everyone.
Happy Gardening,
Joni
jpregan@amtelecom.net 519 596 2389
