~Written by Mike Darcy

WARNING: THIS ARTICLE IS BIASED

Yes, I think it is good to let you know in advance that this article will be biased. The topic is Container Gardening and I love container gardening and have containers on my deck, patio, entryway, and throughout my garden. At the beginning of each spring season, I think I have enough but that is never the case. Just like plants, there is always room for one more!

Whether you have space on a large deck or patio, or have a small space, you can garden in containers. I just walked out onto my deck and counted 34 containers, some in hot sun, some in a shady area, and some with dappled sunlight. I have summer annuals, perennials, vines, shrubs, and even trees. If you live in an apartment or condominium; most have some type of outdoor space and you can adjust your plants and containers accordingly depending on the space available and amount of sunlight.

An example of a large pot at an entryway. Plant is Cordyline australis 'Red Star'

What makes container gardening so desirable is that you have more control than if you plant directly in the ground. In a container you can select 100% of the soil and can choose the optimum location for the plants you select. Since containers are mobile (unless they are very large) they can be moved depending on the season.

To begin, select a container you like. Some people chose wood, usually redwood since it is long lasting, and other people chose ceramic. For me, I tend to select ceramic because there is a wide range of colors, sizes and styles. If you live in an area with frost, be sure to select pots that are 'frost resistant'. I do not think I have ever seen a pot that is frost proof but many on the market today are 'frost resistant'. Note: as a general rule, ordinary clay pots would not be 'frost resistant'. When temperatures are freezing and pots have soil and/or plants in them, if the temperature is low enough and the soil freezes, it will expand and often crack a non 'frost resistant' pot. There are exceptions, but I have found that thick walled, highly fired pots from Vietnam tend to be very reliable in our Western Oregon winters. This past winter we had temperatures into the teens and I had no breakage. Always select pots that have holes in the bottom for drainage. If you have pots that you are uncertain about their frost resistance and have had them planted with summer annuals, remove the plants and the soil at the end of the season and turn the pot upside down.

Once you have your container, the next step is the soil. I prefer Black Gold Natural & Organic Potting Soil as my soil of choice. It is light and easy to use, has some pumice and perlite for drainage and my plants thrive in it. I like to add some fertilizer at the time of planting and mix it thoroughly into the soil. By adding fertilizer at the time of planting, this gives the plant some nourishment from the beginning. I generally add organic fertilizers and early in the season Black Gold Blood Meal is a favorite. It is a fairly fast acting source of nitrogen which can help plants get off to a healthy start. At this same time, I also add Black Gold All Purpose Fertilizer
as it is a mixture of several different organic products which are primarily slow acting. By adding these at time of planting, I am delaying the time at which I will need to fertilize again.

While I enjoy seeing pots of geraniums, petunias, marigolds, zinnias, etc; I like to expand my plant palette and try growing plants that are perhaps not often grown in containers. Hopefully some of my suggestions and photos will give you some new ideas for your own outdoor containers.

Several years ago I was visiting a garden with a large perennial flower/shrub bed. There was a Cotinus coggygria 'Golden Spirit' (Smoke Tree) mixed in with the other plants. I remarked that this must have been a new plant because of the small size and the owner remarked "not at all". Whereas this shrub might reach ten feet, he cuts it back hard ever winter to keep it from getting full size. This is a beautiful plant with golden yellow leaves all season. I decided to try this method and have had my plant in the same container for over five years. You can see how far back I cut it and then see the results. It is a wonderful foliage patio container plant.

The photo on the left shows how much I cut back Cotinus 'Golden Spirit'. Photo on the right shows how beautiful the summer foliage is.

Tropical plants have become quite popular and many make great container plants for the summer. Living in a suburb of Portland, Oregon we cannot grow tropical's here because of the winter. That does not stop me from using some and treating them as 'summer annuals'. For the past several years, I have purchased three red leaf banana plants and placed each of them in a large pot along our border garden. Planted at the base is Japanese Forest Grass which is winter hardy here. The bananas grow fast and by August will have reached 10 ft or more. They provide a spectacular sight with their large red leaves and are a great conversation piece.

An example of red leaf banana and Japanese Forest Grass

Select the right container, the right soil, and the right plant and enjoy it all summer and perhaps even longer. Try something new, there are unlimited possibilities.

An example of a container used as a centerpiece in a garden

About Mike Darcy

It might be helpful to know a little bit about me so here is a brief summary. I live and garden in a suburb of Portland, Oregon and have lived here since 1969.

I grew in up Tucson, Arizona where I worked at a small retail nursery during my high school and college years. My ‘formal’ education was from the University of Arizona where I received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Horticulture. I use the word ‘formal’ because while the classes were valuable, I greatly value the experience I have gotten ‘in the field’. It is hard to beat the ‘hands on’ experience of actually gardening, visiting gardens, and sharing information with other gardeners. 

I have been involved with some aspect of gardening throughout my adult life.  I have done television gardening shows in Portland and currently do a Portland garden radio talk show on Saturday mornings from 9am-noon (KXL radio) and this spring will be my 29th anniversary. 

To be connected to the gardening industry is a bonus in life.  I have found gardeners to be among the friendliest and most caring and generous people I know, and consequently many of my friends are those I have met through gardening. 

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