In the Garden
Ralph Purkhiser, Purdue University Master Gardener
It is the time of the year when people are planting to beautify properties for the summer. Nothing welcomes visitors more than cheery flowers by the door, whether planted in the ground or in pots. Mixed pots can spruce up porches, pool sides and just about any other place where guests are entertained.
If you have been to the garden centers or greenhouses lately, you may be in sticker shock at the price of bedding flowers. If you need several pots to achieve the look you want, it can get expensive. However, there are some ways to save some money and still have attractive arrangements.
Direct sowing of seeds is a great option for the flower beds. Sure, it takes a few weeks for them to reach blooming size, but the price of seeds is a lot lower than the price of bedding plants. You may sow seeds in pots also. I like to use a central plant, but sow seeds of a filler plant to complete the look in a few weeks.
Many of the big retailers discount plants when they look bad. Since most such stores do not have people who really care for the plants, that sometimes does not take long. Those sales may make it possible to fill your containers without much expense. Impatiens, coleus and other popular bedding plants root quickly in water, and cutting back those rangy plants will give you plenty of cuttings to root. It will also rejuvenate the original plant. With some careful pinching, you should be able to get full-looking plants in a few weeks, and flowers until fall frost.
Another source of plants for containers is your perennial beds and those of friends. Many perennials actually benefit from being divided, and those extra plants you get when doing this may be used to fill your containers. Some hostas may join impatiens in a shade container and day lilies mix well with zinnias and marigolds in sunny locations. In the fall, the perennials may find new homes elsewhere in the garden, or you may leave them in the pots for the winter. Many of these tough perennials will survive the winter and you may just plant around them next year.
Garden cuttings may also fill containers. Many perennials benefit from the “Chelsea Chop” this time of the year, and many of those cuttings will result in new plants if placed in a potting mix. Hardy mums, tall phlox, asters and tall sedums are among the plants that will give you new plants in this manner. This also fulfills a landscaping rule: repetition of plants makes a garden seem more cohesive. Having the same sedum in a container by the front door that is growing in a bed by the fire pit in the back yard shows that the garden has been well-planned.
Finally, your houseplants can become a part of the landscape. You may not have to uproot them. Place several plants with similar water and light needs in a large pot and use Spanish moss to hide the individual pots. The lush growth that summer brings will soon make the arrangement appear as a well-planned container garden. You may also have plants in the house that need some pruning, and starting new plants may give you plenty of material for summer containers.
It does not take breaking the bank to create curb appeal and beautiful containers. Use your imagination and do not be afraid to experiment. You may just find a combination that you will want to use again in the future.