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Container Gardening

Planting ideas for small outside containers...

11 years ago

I've been on a thrift store/yard sale kick lately and the downside is that I keep finding wonderful/funky/pretty SMALL containers. Finding and buying, that is. Many will be used inside as cache pots for AVs but there are some that I will/have drilled holes in and want to put outside because I'm about out of well lit inside locations.

I know that the small pots aren't as plant friendly so obviously I'd need to do annuals but what types would be best for very small containers that will hold 1/2 to 2 cups of potting material?

I have torenia (countless torenia), cuttings of coleus, moss rose, zinnia, impatiens, annual begonias, & a few marigolds that could be moved.

For planting for fall & winter, I have pansy, dwarf snapdragons and will be getting petunia seed.

~

Would it be best just to wait for spring because of the July/August heat? ...I know I picked the worst time of the year to be bitten by the 'cute garden container' bug.

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Comments (8)

rina_Ontario,Canada 5a
11 years ago
You can always grow succulents/cacti...any hardy in your zone. For example, hens & chiks or sedums will do very well and they are care free & have small root ball too.
tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
11 years ago
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aharriedmom
Original Author
11 years ago
The first picture you posted (and I think I may have said this in another thread) was the one that inspired me the most to hunt out fabulous little "different" containers.

What are your plants, though? I don't have enough knowledge to identify them.

~

My internet connection and weather has been horrible today but around the connection glitches I've been trying to find a good resource for hardy succulents for my area. I wanted to mix up the gritty mix but Mother Nature had other plans for me (to stay inside).
october17
11 years ago
Love those tapla! Walgreens just had a sale on some tiny succulents. I bought a bunch. Now I need containers. I'd like to leave them outside til fall tho. I need containers with holes in the bottom, don't I?
TheMasterGardener1
11 years ago
"I need containers with holes in the bottom, don't I?"

Nope. Pots do not need holes because we are supposed to water right. If they are not in the rain then you do not need a hole in the container. I see many that grow cacti in containers with no holes.

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tapla (mid-Michigan, USDA z5b-6a)
11 years ago
We can argue this point back and forth, but the sensible approach is to make sure water can drain, because once it's in there, it's going to want to run downhill, not jump over the pot rim. It's not a question of what you CAN do, or what you can get away with; rather, what's likely to be best for the plant, and there is no question that pots with drain holes are far less likely to present you with issues related to the roots. ..... and there is no way to flush salts from containers w/o drain holes.

From the top, the plants are

a variegated pilea
mini jade (Portulacaria)
potpourri on a rock
geranium
snapdragon
coleus
sedum
house leek (hen/chicks)
impatiens (repens) yes it is
more well-pinched coleus

Al
aharriedmom
Original Author
11 years ago
I personally wouldn't be comfortable with no drainage holes for a plant. As a cache pot, yes, and I do it.

Thanks so much for the list of plants, Al. It's funny, I was in this thread showing my 14yo son your pictures when you posted that reply.
aharriedmom
Original Author
11 years ago
Just matched up the pictures to the names. Wow. Some of those I should have known. They are so interesting!

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