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Written by Erin Frustaci
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Wednesday, 19 April 2006 |
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Page 1 of 2 It’s time to start digging, and you don’t even need to get down and dirty.
Gardening is no longer limited to springtime, outdoors and Mother Nature when you do it in a container. And, while the actual garden may be contained to a container, variation and creativity have no boundaries.
In recent years, the hobby of container gardening has flourished, partly because it complements busy lifestyles so well. It’s an easy and practical way to grow vegetables.
Perennials and plants year-round
Laura Hixson, the 22-year-old assistant manager of the Fort Collins Nursery, said container gardens are nice because they are portable. She said they can be started early in the spring or late in the fall and can be moved inside when it snows.
“It’s easier and you get faster results,” Hixon said. “You don’t have to go out in the ground and till. It’s less work.”
Greg Hanson, a 45-year-old landscape designer at Eaton Grove Nursery, said one of the reasons container gardening is catching on is because people are downsizing their yards.
“They don’t have the room or time for gardens and with most homeowner associations doing the landscape, not many flowerbeds are put in,” he said.
Container gardens can capture the colors traditionally found in gardens and bring those up to patios and walkways.
What to consider
The first thing to consider when planting a container garden is the container itself. A container can be anything from a wire basket to a wooden crate or a terra-cotta pot to a porcelain vase.
Jeff Sorenson, 37, owner of Rabbit Shadow Farm in Loveland teaches several container-gardening classes in Loveland and Fort Collins.
“As far as the container goes, the world is your oyster,” Sorenson said. “I don’t think one is any better than another.”
According to GardenGuides.com, wooden containers are susceptible to rot and small containers should be avoided because they restrict the root area. Also, clay tends to dry out faster than plastic.
Glaze pots dark in color have a tendency to heat up, Hanson said.
Container plants can lose moisture quickly, so frequent watering and fertilizing is a must.
Selecting plants 
Hixson said things to keep in mind when selecting plants are thrillers, fillers and spillers. She defines thrillers as the plants that add height like tall grasses, fillers as plants that fill the top of the pot and spillers as ones that trail over the edges like vines.
“Just be creative and have fun enjoying nature,” Hixson said. “That’s why we plant things, to be closer to nature. We live in such an industrial society.”
Read about the NEXTnc staff container garden. Click here to see who's growing what!
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|  | "Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is Alchemy's first law of Equivalent Exchange. In those days, we really believed that to be the world's one, and only truth." | |
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| | My name is Michelle Turley and I'm 28 years old. I live in Severance with my hubbie, Brandon. We have 2 dogs and a cat. We enjoy camping, four-wheeling, and just being in the mountains. I like to cook, clean (go figure), flea market, and play poker. I have so much to say about poker... | |
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