CONTAINER GARDENING—nothing could be simpler.  In fact, as simple as plants in pots. Container gardening is the ultimate in gardening with ease. This is good news for people living in the mountainous west who often face capricious combinations of extreme weather conditions—altitude, wildly fluctuating temperatures, poor soil, wind, deer, and any other adverse condition you can think of! Container gardening offers some relief, and with a few tips and helpful hints lovely gardens and fresh tomatoes are yours.

Pots Any container will do as long as it holds soil and water, and provides good drainage. The important thing to remember here is fit the plants to the pot size: large plants with large pots; small plants with small pots.

Soil A good bag of soil contains a mix of soil, compost, sand, and peat moss. These combinations help promote healthful plant growth, water retention, and drainage. When using large pots, put an empty smaller plastic pot upside down in the big pot then fill with soil. This helps to keep the container from becoming too heavy to move easily.

Fertilizer Plants in pots tend to dry out quicker than those in the ground, which means more watering. More watering leaches out the nutrients in the soil quicker, thus nutrients need to be replaced more frequently. Add time-release fertilizer when
planting, and for truly luscious plants add a weekly water soluble fertilizer at low strength.  If in doubt, check with knowledgeable staff at any reputable garden center.

Flowering Plants What can be grown in a container? You’d be surprised, but almost anything—ferns five feet across, palms and banana trees, orange and lemon trees bearing fruit. For an end-of-the-day relaxing spot, you might want to grow fragrant plants such as roses and sweet peas. Single colors or shades of one color all clustered in one area can be quite dramatic. As in the regular garden, vary the plant heights in the containers. Use tall willowy grasses, vines climbing a small trellis or simply hanging over the edge. Pair perennials with annuals. Use small trees and shrubs for texture and foliage color.

Plant collections are no longer just for the African violet lovers. Geraniums, orchids, cacti, succulents, bromeliads, and herbs all make stunning container gardens as plant collections.  Keep plants with similar needs together in the same container. For a shady area you might try plants with variegated foliage as a focal point and use ferns and mosses as filler.

Container gardening offers many advantages. The main one is portability. You can follow the sun or shade as the season changes, give mid-summer shade relief to plants that become wilted, and move hanging baskets that become wind-whipped to a more protected area.