Potted Pleasures

Take your garden to new heights with container gardens. Perfect for everywhere from balconies to patios, container gardens are a beautiful way to add color to any space. Here's some advice to get you growing.

Go ahead, dig in.

Container gardens are a beautiful, low maintenance gardening solution, and can be easily moved and placed just about anywhere to accommodate your space.

Pots

Select containers that suit your home's architectural style and color palette. Terra-cotta planters require more water than other types, but they are extremely versatile. Concrete planters are strong and sturdy, while plastic versions are lightweight and easier to move around. You also can enjoy the visual appeal of concrete or terra-cotta by selecting lighter look-alikes crafted from resin or fiberglass.

Soil

Purchase a potting soil designed for use in containers, such as Miracle-Gro Organic Choice Potting Mix. Mix in compost or topsoil (up to one-third the total volume of the potting mix) to reduce watering needs, especially if you garden where summer sizzles.

Water

Make watering less of a chore by mixing water-retention crystals into the soil when planting. You also can attach a water wand to the hose to extend your reach. For large container gardens, install an irrigation system designed for pots and patios.

Fertilizer

Increase the flower show by using a bloom-booster fertilizer and faithfully removing spent blooms. For lush foliage, use a high-nitrogen product. Organic options include blood meal and fish emulsion.

Foliage

For a different twist, design a garden using plants with interesting leaves. Beautiful options include coleus, scented geraniums, ornamental grasses or polka-dot plants.

Mix Master

For a pot with plenty of visual punch, incorporate plants with different growth patterns.

Position an upright selection in the center of the container, and then surround it with mounding plants. Place trailing plants around the edge of the container. Be sure to choose plants that have similar sunlight and water needs. For more on container gardens and plant selections, visit your local Lowe's Garden Center or Lowes.com/ContainerGarden.

Upright: slender selections that add height

·Dahlietta dahlia (Dahlia x hybridus Dahlietta Series)

·AngelMist angelonia (Angelonia angustifolia AngelMist Series)

·Kong coleus (Coleus x hybridus Kong Series)

·Garden Spice carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus Garden Spice Series)

·Amazon dianthus (Dianthus x Amazon Series)

·Serena angelonia (Angelonia angustifolia Serena Series)

Mounding: plants that create full, wide batches of color

·Fiesta Ole double impatiens (Impatiens walleriana Fiesta Ole Series)

·New Guinea impatiens (Impatiens New Guinea hybrids)

·Summertime osteospermum (Osteospermum Summertime Series)

·'Dreamtime Jumbo Yellow' strawflower (Bracteantha bracteata 'Dreamtime Jumbo Yellow')

·Angelart nemesia (Nemesia strumosa Angelart Series)

·Moon torenia (Torenia fournieri Moon Series)

Trailing: selections that cascade around the planter's edge

·Copia Gulliver bacopa (Sutera grandiflora Copia Gulliver Series)

·Tropical Breeze garden verbena (Verbena x hybrida Tropical Breeze Series)

·Tiny Tunia Double petunia (Petunia Tiny Tunia Double Series)

·'Techno Blue' lobelia (Lobelia erinus 'Techno Blue')

·'Lara White' nierembergia (Nierembergia caerulea 'Lara White')