Gardening Trend: Container Gardens

Posted by Angela England Jun 16, 2008

In the spirit of "going green", container gardening is becoming more widely used by both master gardeners and first-timers with not-so-green-thumbs. Urban gardens, that used to be concrete jungles are springing up everywhere and growing fresh produce at home is more vogue for gardeners than ever before.

New container-gardening products make it easier for even beginner gardeners to container garden with success - self waterers, inexpensive but beautiful containers, pot watchers, lightweight pots, etc.

So why are container gardens becoming so popular? Here are a few of my thoughts on the subject:

• A container allows plants and bulbs to be grown in otherwise impossible places and brings some of the "fresh outdoors" to even small apartments or crowded urban areas.
• Container gardens give gardeners the ability to quickly create a mass of color. Want to add a splash of yellow and orange near the pool for a party? Gather your containers together and create an instant focal point.
• Which brings me to my next point - container mobility. Beginning gardeners will learn the art of combining plants more easily when they have the ability to move their flowers around. Don't like how those two plants look sitting next to eachother? Put another pot in-between them!
• There is a greater ease of three dimensional planting - hanging baskets, climbing vines in containers with trellis or raising the container itself onto a pedistal.
• Containers themselves add to the beauty of the garden landscape. Gorgeous terra-cotta look is available inexpensive with resin replica containers and unique containers can be found at any flea market or garage sale.