Container Gardening Brings the Garden Indoors

Gardening doesn’t have to be limited to the outside of your home. You can bring the beauty of nature indoors for enjoyment year round. Container gardening offers you the chance to transform an outdoor garden into a miniature one that can be treasured throughout the seasons, even during winter. Creating this type of garden is not only easy but fun as well. Containers allow you to use your imagination. Container gardens provide flexible options such as with size and location. A container garden can be situated to fit an area’s existing space and tailored to suit current light and temperature needs. Typically, just about any type of container allowing adequate drainage is acceptable; you’re limited only by your imagination. Some of the many possibilities include windowsill gardens, strawberry jar gardens, and hanging gardens.

Windowsill gardens make wonderful, attractive additions to your home’s dÃ?©cor. They are easy to create as well as affordable. By planting a windowsill garden, you can bring your favorite herbs and flowers indoors and enjoy them all year long. Nearly any type of container can be fitted to a window as long as it provides good drainage. If the container you have chosen does not provide any outlets for drainage, you can easily drill a few holes within the bottom or lower sides. After selecting plants for your windowsill garden, place them in the container using a soil-less potting mix. This type of medium contains natural materials and drains more efficiently.

Hanging baskets can offer a variety of design ideas for the indoor garden. Nearly anything with the ability to hold soil and water can be used for baskets. Those lined with sphagnum moss are ideal since hanging baskets are prone to drying out easily and sphagnum moss retains moisture as will a larger container. A variety of plants are suitable for placement in a hanging basket. Sweet potato vines, ferns, morning glories, ajuga, creeping Jenny, moneywort, wandering Jew or ivy cultivars look quite beautiful in a hanging basket and when mixed with various flowers, these plants can bring a basket to life. Vegetables and herbs can be used as well. Another option for the hanging garden includes cuttings from your favorite plants. Place them in various bottles of water and situate them in a wire basket lined with moss. Hang in your desired location.

Strawberry jars can easily be transformed into striking herb, succulent, or flower gardens. Strawberry jars are found in most garden centers and are available in various sizes and with varying planting pockets. Choose plants that are suited to growing in containers and tuck them neatly into the pockets. Add potting soil as you go and water thoroughly. As plants grow, be sure to deadhead any spent flowers or unkempt leaves and water on a regular basis as well. Strawberry jars can also be used to create lovely fountains by placing a small submersible pump inside the jar and filling with water. Place the jar in a large bowl that is similar in style; this will catch water. Stones or pebbles can be added along with moisture-loving plants.

To create a useful kitchen garden, incorporate herbs such as basil, marjoram, oregano, parsley, chive, sage, lemon balm, mint, and thyme. Place your herbs in a sunny location. There are many succulents and flowers that can be successfully grown in containers. Some of these include hens and chicks, cactus, sedum, petunias, impatiens, geraniums, begonias, and lobelia. To enjoy the blissful aromas of outdoors, add some fragrant flowers. Heliotrope, sweet alyssum, lemon verbena, creeping thyme, and miniature carnations or roses are popular choices. In order to intensify its fragrance, place your container garden in a sunny area. Foliage plants such as ivy and ferns can be added as well to create a more natural appearance. Choose from numerous varieties to add texture and contrast to the garden.

Whether you opt for a windowsill garden, strawberry jar, hanging basket, or one of your own creative indoor garden designs, containers are a sure-fire way to enjoy the beauty of outdoors all year long.