Welcome to the Container Gardening Guide

Container gardening is gardening at its most versatile. One of its main advantages is its mobility. Plants not doing well? Maybe they prefer shade. Having a party? Move some containers onto the patio or deck for instant color. Tired of the view and want a change? Move your plants around to provide a fresh new look to your outdoor living area.

Whether you are growing plants in hanging baskets, tubs, window boxes or other containers this hobby is immensely gratifying. If you are new to this type of gardening and buy your containers pre-planted, you get a sense of instant gratification and fullfillment. It won't be long however, before you are hit with the gardening virus and you'll find yourself expanding to one more pot and then again, one more container. Before you know it, the urge to plant and nuture will take over.

The biggest advantages of container gardening is the savings of both time and money.

You will save time because there is not the upkeep required for a full landscape garden. There is no rotilling or turning over of the land, no weeding, and no large cleanup in the spring and fall.

You will save money because the amount spent on soil, fertilizer, and plants will be 1/2-1/3 of the amount spent on a full scale garden. What better reasons than these for considering gardening in containers?

Gardening has a way of becoming an addictive habit. Garden centers become your new hangout and the search for the perfect container and matching plant is on. Before you realize what's happening, fresh soil smells like perfume, household containers take on a totally different look, and gardening lingo slips off your tongue like a second language.

You can't become a great or even a good gardener by only reading books and visiting this site. You have to actually plant and nuture your container garden, and by gardening and experimenting, over time you will find what works for you in your garden area. Only through trial and error will you become the master gardener you envision yourself to be.

If you are a seasoned gardener but find there is always a spot that could use some color or needs some fill in, garden containers are just the answer. With garden containers, there is no need to worry about bare spots in your garden, or the ragged, in-between look that occurs between blooming seasons.

Perhaps you live in an area that doesn't have space for a garden but you would like to have some green growing plants and flowers around your home. Maybe you're a dedicated food addict and would love to have an endless supply of constantly growing, fresh herbs on hand. You may be a person who doesn't care to garden outdoors, but want to grow and enjoy living plants inside your home. Gardening in containers is the answer to all these issues.

This site is dedicated to the new, beginning gardener who is looking for basic information on where to start in the world of container gardening. It's also for those who already love gardening and are thinking of, or have already started, branching out into this area of gardening.

On this site you will learn practical advice for everyday use:

The Basics of Container Gardening

• How to choose the correct potting mix for your container
• How and when to feed and water your plants
• Guidelines for choosing garden container
• Suiting plant arrangements to their location
• Amount of plants needed in the garden container for a great display of color

Tips and Inspiration for Container Gardening

• Plant profiles
• Best container plants for your garden
• Plant partnerships for compatible growth
• Color schemes for eye catching designs
• Monthly charts and to do lists to keep your garden fresh and blooming
• How to grow a variety of plants from trees to herbs in your garden containers
• Forcing bulbs for indoor color in winter
• A plethora of photos that will please the eye and inspire your creativiy