The 5 Ground Rules to Plant like a Pro
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HOW TO TRANSITION YOUR CONTAINERS: Take yours from season to season, using what you have and adding low-maintenance, seasonal additions
When people are first starting to ‘garden’ or grow, we usually recommend starting small. Whether it’s a vegetable garden, bulbs or new annuals, starting small gives you some room to experiment without such a big investment.
Containers are a great way to experiment, express yourself and have the versatility to move and group your containers, plant and replant and switch out for the seasons.
And while we love the ability to change with the seasons—or on a whim—it’s also nice to carry over plants from season to season. Especially if they’re thriving.
This doesn’t mean you’ll be committed to the same early spring pots you planted in March or April (unless you want to be and you’ve managed to keep them going strong), but it does mean you can save what works and plant up the spots around it.
GETTING STARTED
It would be nice to say the only rule is there are no rules, but there are just a few things to keep in mind as you create.
Start Fresh
One of the best things you can do for your plants is to give them a fresh start in rich potting soil that’s full of organic material. We use Fertilome Potting Mix here and at home. If you already have containers, give them a good cleaning with warm, soapy water to remove any debris, pests, etc.
Know Before You Grow
Always check your plant tags or talk to us. You’ll want to grow plants together that have similar light/exposure and watering requirements for the greatest success. That doesn’t mean you’ll be limited to one or two plant shapes, sizes, textures or colors. There are plenty to choose from.
And if you can’t live without plants that don’t play well together? Plant up two different pots and place them in the environments they need to thrive for the best of both worlds.
Feed and Water Generously
Because containers have a limited reservoir for moisture (as opposed to landscape beds), they can dry out quickly in warm, dry conditions. In the hottest months of summer, you may even want to check your containers daily for moisture.
Frequency depends on the weather, but we recommend checking for moisture every day. If the soil just under the mulch, moss or surface is dry, give it a good, slow soak. It’s important to water your containers slowly, ideally with a slow steady spray so the force of the water doesn’t compact the soil and you give the water time to travel through the soil and be absorbed, as opposed to running off.
You can also install self-watering systems that can be adjusted for the amount and frequency of watering.
We recommend feeding with a slow-release granular fertilizer like Osmocote when planting.
FOLLOWING THE RECIPE. SORT OF.
With the basics out of the way, you can get to the fun part. Choose a colorway that coordinates with your home and other plants, design something playful, modern, monochromatic with texture, or frame an entryway, patio or border with the drama of potted trees.
We tell people to make it uniquely their own. The same way recipes are guides to delicious outcomes in the kitchen, container recipes are guides to beautiful combinations that thrive—but there’s room to experiment, right?
The container planting concept is based on some of the same design principles used to decorate your home, including adding height or a focal point (thriller), filling in the space and adding texture (filler) and transitioning from one space to another (spiller).
Here’s how to start:
Thriller
Once you have fresh potting soil in your pot, start with your focal point, the star of your container. This is normally the tallest part of your pot, but you can also mound the soil in the center to give it added height. Thrillers are bold and beautiful, they may be surprising, filled with texture and/or the only one of its kind in the pot. This is where you can make a visible update specific to the season, or you can use something tall and textural (like a boxwood) and create around it.
Thrillers that will make the transition:
- Dracaena Spikes
- Small shrubs
- Grasses (many seasonal varieties)
- Small trees
Filler
Everyone loves a container that’s full and lush looking. Fillers are low-to-mid-height plants that mound and spread, filling in spaces, holes and leggy thriller stems. They can echo the color and shape of the thriller or be a counterpart (round to the thriller’s spikiness or tiny and delicate to the thrillers large, bold silhouette).
Fillers that will make the transition:
- Lantana
- Dusty Miller
Spiller
You can probably guess that these are the tendrils overflowing the sides of the container and softening the edges. You don’t need to reserve a lot of room for spillers, we often wedge them into tiny spots where they make the biggest splash. You can unify the look of the planting by weaving in complimentary colors or leaf styles or you can go for big contrast in the color or shape of the spiller.
Spillers that will make the transition:
- Petunias
- Vinca Vine
- Lysimachia
Keep us posted on how you transition your containers and let us know how we can help you get the results you’re looking for.
I like to know that flowers I planted should I take them out the container and wash the container for next year, I have a big pot with about 12 plants in it. Thank you,
Yes! Give your container a good cleaning with warm, soapy water to remove any debris, pests etc. This will give you a fresh start for next spring.
Hope this helps!
The Benken Garden Team