Perfect Container Gardens For Patios
Porches and patios can be very seasonally used areas, or they may even be a place we enjoy on a year round basis.
Often they are home to weatherproof furnishings, outdoor cooking equipment, and different types of gardens.
Many people enjoy doing some container flower gardening around their patios, decks, and porches, but some people tend to choose plants more suited to this area than others.
Are there actually better choices for a patio area? Yes; and when you consider the location, the function of the area, and the desires of the gardener it is easy to how this all works.
The very first thing to consider when enjoying container flower gardening for areas like decks and patios is that the plants are intended to provide an attractive enhancement to the setting.
This might mean that they add a softer or more natural look to a man-made structure, or it could mean that they are bringing in color and beauty.
Before choosing plants for containers in these areas, however, it pays to consider what the total effects of the choices might be.
For example, let's say that you have decided to plant some highly fragrant flowers in the containers surrounding your patio.
These may bring bees, wasps, and ants to the area and if a family member has an allergy you will need to make another choice.
Alternately, some very popular plants for containers are highly toxic to household pets and this list includes ivy, chrysanthemums, cyclamen, tulips, and even some lilies.
This all means that attention to potential dangers should be part of the decision making process where container flower gardening is concerned.
If looks and function appeal to you, it might be a good idea to investigate the use of some food producing plants within your patio containers too.
Remember that a nice palette of colors, shapes, and forms can be created through a combination of different flowers, fruits, shrubs, and vegetables.
By simply investigating the basic principles of companion planting, a gardener can quickly discover that things like lettuces grow quite cooperatively with almost any other plants, and that foods such as strawberries and onions get along very well in the same garden spaces too.
Any information like this can be used to create a unique and somewhat edible garden, just be sure that neighboring plants do not leech potentially hazardous materials into the soil.
If the goals are strictly container flower gardening for the patio area it is best to choose season long bloomers and to use flower arranging principles to make the right decisions.
For example, a gardener will need to choose plants that provide some height, some "drape" and some "fill".
This is how florists create successful compositions and also how the best container gardens work as well.
Often they are home to weatherproof furnishings, outdoor cooking equipment, and different types of gardens.
Many people enjoy doing some container flower gardening around their patios, decks, and porches, but some people tend to choose plants more suited to this area than others.
Are there actually better choices for a patio area? Yes; and when you consider the location, the function of the area, and the desires of the gardener it is easy to how this all works.
The very first thing to consider when enjoying container flower gardening for areas like decks and patios is that the plants are intended to provide an attractive enhancement to the setting.
This might mean that they add a softer or more natural look to a man-made structure, or it could mean that they are bringing in color and beauty.
Before choosing plants for containers in these areas, however, it pays to consider what the total effects of the choices might be.
For example, let's say that you have decided to plant some highly fragrant flowers in the containers surrounding your patio.
These may bring bees, wasps, and ants to the area and if a family member has an allergy you will need to make another choice.
Alternately, some very popular plants for containers are highly toxic to household pets and this list includes ivy, chrysanthemums, cyclamen, tulips, and even some lilies.
This all means that attention to potential dangers should be part of the decision making process where container flower gardening is concerned.
If looks and function appeal to you, it might be a good idea to investigate the use of some food producing plants within your patio containers too.
Remember that a nice palette of colors, shapes, and forms can be created through a combination of different flowers, fruits, shrubs, and vegetables.
By simply investigating the basic principles of companion planting, a gardener can quickly discover that things like lettuces grow quite cooperatively with almost any other plants, and that foods such as strawberries and onions get along very well in the same garden spaces too.
Any information like this can be used to create a unique and somewhat edible garden, just be sure that neighboring plants do not leech potentially hazardous materials into the soil.
If the goals are strictly container flower gardening for the patio area it is best to choose season long bloomers and to use flower arranging principles to make the right decisions.
For example, a gardener will need to choose plants that provide some height, some "drape" and some "fill".
This is how florists create successful compositions and also how the best container gardens work as well.
