Container Gardening

You can’t pick up a popular magazine today or watch any of the lifestyle shows without hearing about “Container Gardening.” Why all the buzz about container gardens?

It can be as easy as it sounds -- or it can be as intricate as an ornate wedding cake! Whichever level of work you prefer is what will work for you!

What are the advantages of Container Gardening?

• Higher than ground level so easy to plant, weed, water, and change out.
• Adds another level of interest to your landscape
• Can create a beautiful visual break, or wall separating one area from another or hiding an unattractive feature of the landscape
• Can overcome poor soil
• Can be located on a hard-surface, like a patio, deck or even in a high-rise
• Can be portable, to be moved to where needed when needed.
• Easy to add seasonal interest.
• Easy to add architectural interest in the selection of the container.

How do I get started?
You can do on your own, or come to Hoerr Nursery for help.

Our Hoerr Nursery services include:
1) Bring a container into Container Cove and indicate your preferences in terms of sun, color, plants, foliage, etc., and we’ll plant it for you. Depending on how many containers are in the “cue” ahead of you, we may be able to plant it while you wait.
We charge only for the plants and for the soil used in the container.
2) Buy containers from us and we will plant them for you.
3) Buy containers and ask for recommendations on what to put in them. We’ll be happy to help you select your plants. There is no charge for this advice.
4) Attend a Make-It & Take-It event at which you’ll create a container garden.
5) Pick up one of our products such as “Patio Pronto,” a pre-planted and ready-to-use component that you simply drop into the soil in your container.

Self-Serve Container services include:

• Select a container or containers that appeal to you, plants, and soil.
• Attend one of our GardenTalks on containers (these are free and offered at various times throughout the year).
• Pick up one of the dozens of pre-planted containers we have at the nursery.

How do I know what to plant?
We recommend a selection process we fondly refer to as: Thrillers/Fillers/Spillers. What this means is: use something tall and dramatic, (Thrillers), something that fills in the main horizontal space in the container, (Fillers), and a vine or something that “spills” over the edge, (Spillers).

Consider changing the display with the seasons. For Fall and Winter, many natural wild or “spent” examples from the landscape can be incorporated. Even silk products or pinecones or sticks sprayed a seasonal color can add impact in a container.

Other factors to consider:

• Use plants that have similar needs for sun and water.
• Consider foliage and bloom color.
• Consider herbs, vegetables, groundcovers with blooming annuals.
• Consider a perennial-planted container. The container is “big enough” as long as it has enough volume of dirt that it won’t freeze during the winter. Many perennial containers will overwinter and begin growing again in the spring. But for this type of container, select something that can handle the freezing and thawing through the seasons.
• Consider the material for your container: will you want to move it? Will you leave it out in the winter? Does the design/color you want come in the material you have in mind?

A Hoerr Nursery expert can help you make all these decisions. We are eager to listen and offer our suggestions for your container gardening!