May 6, 2004

Container gardening is limited by space, but not by creativity

By Shari Kaplan
Staff Writer

“When life hands you lemons—make lemonade.” The old cliché has new meaning for those of us whose desire to garden is large, but whose space to garden is small: “When life hands you containers, plant a dwarf lemon tree!”

Some people engage in container gardening because they live in apartments or townhomes and have only a balcony or patio, while others may have nicely sized yards but inhospitable soil types or difficult terrain. Whatever people’s reasons for growing greenery in pots, hanging baskets or barrels, they still have many options for bringing beauty to their property.

The happiest container-grown trees, shrubs and flowers—whether started from seed or transplanted from nurseries—are those whose owners took certain facts into consideration before starting the cultivation process.

Choosing the right containers
One of the most important factors is container material. Garden centers and nurseries sell a profusion of plastic pots in all sizes, but that doesn’t mean they’re the best choice. On the contrary, plants are happiest in unglazed clay containers because clay is a porous, natural material that allows soil to “breathe.” Adequate air circulation through and around soil is important because without it, roots are more likely to rot.

Even if a plastic container has several bottom drainage holes (never buy any pot—clay, plastic or wood—without at least one hole), the soil along the walls of the plastic can remain saturated even if the bottom soil is not. Clay is also desirable because it undergoes less temperature fluctuations than plastic.

Wooden planters or barrels are an attractive clay substitute, and they too are porous. However, wood can crack, shrink or deteriorate over the years, so it should be replaced if it allows too much water to escape during waterings. If plastic containers are the only option, opt for light colors. Just like dark cars absorb the most heat from sunlight, so do dark pots. Excessive soil temperature can raise the likelihood of rot; it can also damage sensitive root hairs.

One attractive way around this problem is to choose plants that cascade over the sides of baskets or pots, thereby shading their own homes. Many options are available, depending on container size and color or style of flowers desired. A few examples are fuchsia, sweet alyssum, nasturtium, nemesia, lobelia, flame pea, ivy geranium, campanula, trailing begonia, trailing lantana and the very unusual parrot’s beak.

While light colors are good for containers, they’re bad news on nearby walls. The reflected glare of sunlight can scorch sensitive leaves, stems and even tree trunks. Try to keep containers away from white walls or stucco, especially if these areas get the most sunlight between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., when exposure is harshest.

Planting options besides trailers
Many flowering plants and shrubs are not used as trailers, but are still popular with container gardeners. They include pansies, violas, petunias, blue potato bush, cape mallow, diascia (twinspur), lavender, sweet william, dianthus, toadflax and certain varieties of rose, primrose, gardenia and salvia.

For those who prefer to eat the fruits of their container-gardening labors, many fruit trees are available as genetic dwarfs, grafted dwarfs or semi-dwarfs. These include apples, pears, peaches, nectarines, pomegranates and several types of citrus (including lemon, lime and orange). Kumquat is a tasty citrus that naturally grows shrubby and compact, which makes it excellent for containers.

And then, of course, there are the ever-popular strawberries. They don’t grow on trees, but they do send off prolific amounts of runners! Paper-pulp pots are very handy for rooting runners until they’re ready for separation from the mother plant. Then simply plant them elsewhere—pot and all—or give them away.

If neither flowers nor fruit are important, many other plants, shrubs and small trees would be glad to add their own eclectic aesthetics to a container garden. Japanese maple, Japanese aralia, fern pine, boxwood, heavenly bamboo, sweet olive, pittosporum (tobira) and even certain types of palms, oleanders, yews, pines and holly are just a few. Popular container-grown succulents include jade plant, echeveria and aeonium, all available in many species and cultivars, and all of which belong to the large family of Crassulaceae.

One word to the wise: just because many plants lend themselves well to container gardening doesn’t mean they all share the same needs in terms of soil, sunlight and watering. When shopping, always read a plant’s care requirement tag. If something is unclear, don’t hesitate to ask an employee. The Sunset Western Garden Book (a.k.a. “Gardener’s Bible”) is also a wellspring of information for greenthumbs of all interest and ability levels.