Home Patio Furniture Accessories: Container Gardening Tips

Planters make for great home patio furniture accessories, providing a way  for your outdoor space to incorporate  added  character,  texture and color. Container gardening comes with specific requirements that should be considered so you can achieve the results that you want while creating optimal growing conditions. Below are some quick gardening tips for getting your plants to a great start.

• When shopping for garden planters, consider the size of your container plants at maturity. Plants should be planted at the same depth as the original pot they came in. The planters that you select should come with at least 2 inches of space under the plant’s root ball to give space for growth.
• Before you transfer your plants in the garden planter, look for the most appealing arrangement by playing with the placement of the nursery pots. Determine the most pleasing texture, height and color combination.
• After deciding on the arrangement, plant the largest plants first, followed by the medium-sized plants, and then the smallest sized ones. Planters sitting against a wall should have the largest plants at one side, progressively planting smaller plants in front. If your planter sits away from any wall, start in the center of the pot with the largest plant, followed by the medium ones in a circle around it, and the smallest plants in the outside circle.
• Leave 1 to 2 inches of space between the surface of the soil and the rim of the garden planter to give room for water to not overflow.
• When planting in terracotta planters, soak them in water for at least a couple of hours before planting. Clay is porous and will rob moisture from potting soil if it is dry.
• Lessen the planted weight of a large planter by putting a plastic nursery pot upside down in the bottom of a large container before you add soil. You will use less soil with this technique as well. To ensure good drainage, put the pot on top of a few small stones or pottery shards.
• Before you start planting, ease the shock of transplanting by gently dipping the root ball into a mixture of water and root stimulator, and then plant in the garden planter.

Now that you are armed with the most important tips on container gardening, it is not time to find good planters. Here are some of today’s most popular picks.

• Graffiato Square Planter - Earthstone by Alfresco Home. Durable and lightweight, this planter is made with fiberglass and composites. It has a contemporary square design with hand-applied finishes, giving each planter a unique look.
  
  
  
• All Things Cedar 22" Window Planter Box by All Things Cedar. Ideal for balconies, railings and ledges, this planter comes in an attractive Western Red Cedar window box. You can use this indoors or outdoors to house your plants come winter.
  
  
  
• Vifah Yellow Fern Illuminated Planter by Vifah Modern Patio. Bring the vital glow of plants a little more with this illuminated fiberglass planter. Add a dose of nature to your space, and some mood lighting while you are at it.