UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
MASTER GARDENER
© 2011 Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved.

Containers for plants can be anything!
As long as it has:
Drainage!!
Drainage!!
Drainage!!
2

Plant containers can be anything that holds soil!
3

KNOW YOUR PLANT’S MOISTURE REQUIREMENTS!
Moisture-loving plants can stand in water: bacopa, peace lily, cannas. Plastic pots are good for these plants.
Most plants cannot stand in water and need oxygen as much as moisture. Double pot these or use containers with several drainage holes.
Dry loving plants require drainage and pots that dry out: terra cotta, or clay. Plastic is worse for these plants.
4

CONTAINER OPTIONS: TERRA COTTA OR CLAY
 Classic choice because it is great for plant root growth: provides good air or oxygen exchange.
 Heavy
 Dries out quickly
 Develops mold, salts etching
5

 Lightweight, maybe too lightweight
 Hold moisture longer, maybe too long
 No staining
 Colorful, can be decorative and attractive
6

 Minimum temperature fluctuation: good insulators
 Needs replacing eventually, can last many years
 Informal, natural appearance
7

 Beautiful
 Non-porous and can be too airtight for root growth
 May clash with plants flowers and foliage
Phormium, New Zealand flax
8

 Little insulation: can be very hot or very cold, less of a problem in large containers
 Can be very attractive
9

 Heavy in weight and cost
 Harder to find
 Moss grows on containers
 Drainage may be a problem.
10

Traditional Container Soil Mix:
• 1 part garden soil
• 1 part peatmoss (wet first: soak in a bucket)
• 1 part sand
Use new soil each year.
11

Most people use synthetic soil.
Lightweight; holds water and air; ideal for plant growth.
12

13

14

15

c c
C o
Coconut fiber or coir is in the ingredients.
16

Slow release fertilizer is in this potting soil, but in a very small amount.
17

Container plants need fertilizer. You can use a slow release fertilizer in the soil mix and weekly liquid fertilizer applications for actively growing flowering annuals in containers.
18

 Daily in summer
 Small and hanging containers need extra care
 Type of container type makes a big difference
19

Pouches require lots of water. Use a piece of hose in the back of the pouch.
20

What plants should you use? It depends on:
• Site
• Personal preference
• Color scheme
• Purpose: food, color, hide/cover, frame, soften, attract attention
21

Hot sites call for careful plant selection.
Purple or pink fountaingrass loves sun and warm or hot locations
22

Shade is easier: Begonia ‘Dragon Wings,’ great container plant.
23

Hidcote, England
Fuchsia: likes cool weather and lots of moisture.
24

Osteospermum ‘Orange Symphony’ likes cool weather; opens with sun
25

formal informal
26

COLOR SCHEME: RED AND PINK
27

White color theme: featherreed grass ‘Overdam’
Miscanthus sinensis ‘Variegatus’, caladium and
Zinnia angustifolia ‘Crystal White’
28

Purpose: define a patio: Sissinghurst white garden
29

Define a bench: Plectranthus,sweet potato vine ‘Margarita’ , coleus, supertunia
30

Fuschia, Carex buchananii , licorice plant, nasturtium, fan flower
31

Decorate: Denver Botanic Garden: Up on the Roof
32

Define or make a new garden with just containers
33

Place plants where there is no soil access.
34

35

Cover a bare wall: use tough plants
36

Containers allow you to grow plants where there is no access to the soil.
37

Highlight a special plant collection: carnivorous plants; herbs
38

Denver Botanic Garden: a trough for every county, showing their native plants.
39

40

Mini-landscape: Trough Gardens; Rice Creek Gardens.
41

42

Use containers to feature an area: entryway, walkway, door, bench.
43

44

Sissinghurst entryway
45

Containers can highlight a flower border
46

47

Resources, fun websites:
 http://www.plantbynumber.com/
Ball Horticultural, Inc.
 http://www.provenwinners.com
click on: Combinations
48

“Pennies from Heaven”
Proven Winners
B
A
C
A
B
B
C
Proven Winners:
A. Lysimachia ‘Goldilocks’ 2 plants
B. Lobelia ‘Laguna Sky Blue’ 3plants
C. Petunia ‘Supertunia Double Purple’
2plants
49

50

Nasella or (Stipa) tenuissima, pony tails, Mexican Feather Grass;
Osteospermum, Angelonia’Angelface Blue’, Argyanthemum ‘Butterfly’
51

Scirpus cernus ,fiber optic grass; vinca,dusty miller,viola
52

Tibouchina grandiflora , large leafed gloryflower is a South American flowering tree, tropical plant.
53

Use coarse and fine textured plants.
A banana shredded from hail at the
Arboretum.
Tropical look: Olbrich Gardens, Madison, WI
54

Nicotiana sylvestris, flowering tobacco and Hibiscus
55

Containers for food and horticultural therapy
Use raised beds for elders, children, or where soil is very poor.
56

Container vegetables require:
1. Full sun
2. Lots of water
3. Fertilizer
4. Rule of thumb for container size:
3 gal of soil for every 1’ of plant
57

William Baffin hardy shrub rose, probably some roots in the ground, roots cannot survive above ground winters in
Minnesota.
58

59

Containers can provide beauty and interest in winter.
In our zone 4, nothing survives the winter in a container, without significant protection.
60

Best Annuals for Minnesota: http://www.florifacts.umn.edu/
St. Paul (USDA Winter Hardiness Z4; Heat Z5; 169 growing days)
Books:
Contain Yourself by Kerstin P. Ouellet, 2003.
Ball Publishing.
61

Created by Mary Meyer, Extension horticulturist
© 2011 Regents of the University of Minnesota. All rights reserved.
The University of Minnesota is an equal opportunity educator and employer. In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities
Act, this PowerPoint is available in alternative formats upon request. Direct requests to the Extension Store at 800-876-8636.
62