If you are considering changing out your summer containers into fall planters and just visited your local garden center you will see there are a lot of garden mums in multiple colors to choose from.  White, Yellow, Pink, Lavender, Red and Bronze are all in full bloom.  Here are a few tips that may help so you can keep your fall garden containers looking good till Winter.

Fall mums are great for garden pottery during the cooler Autumn months.  Their colors compliment all other plant materials like ornamental kale and cabbage, cornstalks, rustic grasses and evergreens.  When shopping for mums looks for plants with buds that are just starting to open.  These will last approximately 6 weeks.

As your potted mums start to grow, look for spent blooms and prune when they are faded and dried looking.  Remember to water your potted mums regularly.  Fall mum containers will stay prettier and be happier if they don’t dry out. 

You won’t need to fertilize your mums since the grower has already taken care of.  If you prefer to keep your potted mums indoors then place the vase near a window with indirect light. Check for moisture and keep them watered but not soggy.  That pretty much is it.  Fall mums that are planted in your garden pottery are the easy and colorful solution.

Today Succulents and Cactus are very popular.  You see larger selections of them to choose from at your local garden center or nursery.  They look so fantastic with their weird leaves and spikes yet are the perfect plant to put into garden containers or indoors decorative pottery.  If you have tried to pot these plants and had issues with over or under watering we would like to offer a few tips.

Did you know that the word succulent means a plant that can hold excess water?  Their leaves look really puffy and fleshy almost like they will squirt liquid.  Now there are other succulents like cactus that may not look that way but don’t require a lot of water to survive.

When it comes to how much and when is best to water a succulent container, the rule that works best is to allow the soil to become dry between watering but not hard and compact.  Usually what happens is you see some top soil that has dried out, usually from the wind conditions, and think the plant needs more.  That is incorrect.  Over watering is the one main reason for potted succulent problems.

The correct way to water is to wait till the water drains out the drain hole of the planter base.  Water again and let drain completely.  This allows the potted succulents roots time to drink in water.  You don’t want your garden container sitting in water or the plant will continue to suck up the liquid.

If you question whether you need more water or not it is best to go with under watering than over watering.  Remember that succulent garden planters grow slowly in winter so they need much less water than summer months.  If your pots are indoors you may need to water every 4 days if your homes indoor air is arid.

The best way to water is to use a small watering can and place the spout on the soil.  It’s best not to water the leaves only.  By watering the soils surface you give the roots of the potted succulent a longer time to absorb the liquid.  It won’t hurt the leaves if they get wet but aim for the soil surface first.

There are many things you need to consider when choosing garden containers for your home and garden needs.  Let’s start with the obvious and that is what is the planter going to be used for?  Are you looking for a garden pot to grow herbs and vegetables in?  Is this planter more for beauty and décor or is it to fill a blank area on the patio or porch. 

Terracotta garden pottery has been around longer than any other substance besides baskets.  It is made out of clay that breathes and is considered most healthy for a plants root system.  Terracotta is rustic and natural looking and comes in many styles and sizes.  As you must know a clay garden pot can only come so large. This is because they are fired inside a kiln and kilns are only so large. The larger the clay pot the more issues with cracks forming while being fired.

So, if you want a large garden planter you need to consider them made from mixes that can be poured into molds and cured over time instead of being fired in a kiln.  Concrete, Sandstone and Poly Resin can all be made in huge sizes since they are made with molds.  They are durable and long lasting which is what you want and need if you are using a large planter.

Glazed or ceramic colored pottery is great because it comes in shiny, colors and finishes.  Blue, Red, Green etc and so many more, where you can match your garden pottery to your home or landscape décor.  These pots are usually durable but only frost resistant which means they can’t handle the cold freezing temperatures.  Glazed garden pots are perfect for indoors where they add interest and beauty along with function to your homes design and décor.

Do you live in an apartment where you need a lightweight container where you can move it around, fill it up or take it with you when your needs change over time?  Then poly resin is the way to go. This is not an ordinary plastic pot but a commercial grade non-fade, will never crack, chip or warp or break.  With 32 color choices these are the super choice for indoors or outdoors.

We hope we gave you a few things to think about.  Call 800-420-1808 if you have further questions.

How to prep your garden containers for Fall

It’s much easier to turn a spent Summer garden container into a Fall planter than you think.  Just follow some easy tips provided below and create wonderful Fall planters.

Don’t leave your entryway garden containers empty this time of year.  Now is perfect for seasonal color and rust grasses.  Evergreen foliage will add life to any type or style of landscape container.  When you visit your local garden center you should see lots of Fall colored mums.  Bright yellow, orange and reds, deep burgundy, purple and gold.

Simply by adding a center mum and surrounding it with pumpkins, gourds and succulents you can create a wonderful Fall planter that will take you into winter and welcome your guest with warmth and beauty.  Plant rustic grass in the center of a terracotta planter then surround it with ornamental kale and cabbage with dark deep greens and purple leaves. 

Instead of just planting typical green houseplants in your entryway planters how about herbs like cilantro, thyme and oregano?  They can all handle the cooler weather.  Plant trailing ivy, gold mums and red flowers in your garden container of choice and then set pumpkins and gourds around the outside of the pot.  You don’t even have to plant anything.

Try mixing dark purple and deep green of kale and cabbage and fill around the outside of the pot with mini WHITE pumpkins and create a purple and white display of color. Stunning & elegant!

One tip that you can never fail at it to over stuff your pottery. Mix lots of plants, greens and ornamental items without space between them.  This creates a full and colorful display.  By using a neutral based color planter like terracotta or taupe you can mix tons of colors in the pot and they will all look grand.

At Arizona Pottery we have always loved sharing tips on all the different types of fruits and vegetables you can grow is garden containers.  Today we would like to offer a few tips on potted peaches.

As with any potted fruit tree there are many things to consider.  Whether to buy a bare root tree or a potted tree, the right kind of tree, the pot to plant the tree into, fertilizer and weather conditions etc.  We think you get the idea here.  Since we don’t have enough space to cover every thing to consider we thought we would hit a few highlights.

First, decide what type of peach tree you want.  Remember when looking to pot a tree you need to consider a dwarf style.  These will grow to a height of 6 feet and still produce full size fruit.  This way they won’t outgrow your garden pot and need repotting.

When selecting a tree we love the lightweight poly resin planters that we sell. They come in huge sizes, 32 colors and are easy to move.  Place the pot you select where you want to keep it.  Fill the bottom of the container with gravel for good drainage.  Then add loamy compost soil half way up the side.  Place the new tree into the planter and fill in with top soil.

Make sure you place the garden container in a spot that gets full sun with protection from cold winds.  You will need approximately 7 or more hours of sun a day.  We think a potted tree that is started at a local nursery is the easy way to go. Then all you need to do is take it home and repot it into a decorative garden planter that matches your home and landscape décor.

Lastly, when it comes to taking the best care of your potted peach tree we suggest googling the best way to prune and fertilize the tree.  There is no point in making this kind of investment of time and money if you don’t take care of all the little details. 

How many folks do you know that have a potted peach tree in their yard or patio area?  Well you can be the first by following the above easy directions.