Multiseason container garden planting made easy!
Would you care to have gorgeous container video display year - pear-shaped ? New Jersey gardenerHeather Thomasrecommends bulge in fall . She has a simple method acting for create arresting container that flow seamlessly from time of year to season , always fill with flowers and leafage . Let ’s follow her footmark !
take off by choosing a container that can withstand your zone ’s coldest temperatures . Composite , plastic , forest and metal are good choicesthat wo n’t crack if the stain inside frost and expands , as it might in USDA zones 5 and cold . Heather uses a composite ego - irrigate container with an inner bulwark that forms a pee reservoir during the summer . In her zone 7 garden , this dead reservoir becomes an extra layer of insulant in the winter for the contents of the pot .
How to create a multiseason container garden
Step 1: Plant spring-blooming bulbs in containers in the fall
Step one of this multiseason container is plantingspring - blooming bulbsin surrender . fulfill the pot with slimly moistened potting mix and space bulb , such as tulip ( Tulipaspp . and hybrids ) , hyacinths ( Hyacinthus orientalis ) or daffodils ( Narcissusspp . and hybrid ) , close together ( Heather can get 48 tulip bulbs in a 20×20 - inch straightforward tidy sum ) . shroud with potting premix allot to the commend planting depth for the bulbs .
Step 2: Create a winter container arrangement
The illustration above left wing shows the next footmark . On top of the planted bulbs , set a piece of 2 - inch - thick craft froth , such as green FloraFōM ® , cut to fit snugly into the container . Then on top , make a winter - theme arrangementby inclose evergreen bough , southerly magnolia arm , pine cone and other accents into the froth . Heather reuses this foam for several class — she tuck branch in the holes that are already there . Method adapted fromDeborah Silverof Detroit Garden Works .
Step 3: Make way for the spring container show
As winter end , peek under the froth to see if the light bulb foliage is emerging . When it does , remove the foam and wintertime arrangement to make manner for the spring show . Heather says sometimes the plants even labour the froth layer up to let her eff it ’s time . Begin water bulbs as need . If you wish , add seasonal accents , such as a few corkscrew willow tree ( Salix matsudana ) branch .
Step 4: Refresh container with summer-blooming flowers
Once the bulbs are done bloom , pull them out to make room for a summer planting . “ Plant in Late Spring ” in the illustration above , evidence you how this goes together :
Want to see more of Heather’s Garden?
Get a PDF download of Heather Thomas ' Cape Cottage Garden feature article fromGarden Gatemagazine using the form below .
