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Beautiful Container Tips |
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When you think of a summer patio, porch or garden area what do you imagine? Furniture, water feature and of course large garden containers filled with flowers & sweet smelling plants. In this post we would like to share a few tips we hope that you haven't thought of and find helpful.
Every year you notice that by mid summer your garden containers are looking a bit worn, tired and faded. When the temps keep climbing your planters keep shriveling and you wonder what can you do. Here are a few tips we think are good.
1. Pick a perfect pot for your plants and flowers. Make sure you start with a container that is not too small. If the pot is to small it will crowd the potted plants roots and the plant will suffer. The roots of a healthy plant need room to grow, availability to water and nutrients from the potting mix. Containers to large will hold moisture leading to rotting roots, lack of oxygen and basically drowning. Fungus loves moist areas and this is not good for your flowers or plants.
2. Have a plan in advance. A garden center can be like a toy store for adults. You want to get everything you see from colorful flowers to garden containers. Impulse buying isn't always the best way to go. Choose plants that are good for your area. Make sure you place the planters in the best conditions for that type of plants needs for light and climate, direct sun or shade. Mix up the container with plants of different heights and blooming schedules so the planter stays fresh longer and has a interesting look.
3. Start with good potting mix. We can't stress this enough. Never use ground dirt. It doesn't have the nutrient rich properties your flowers will need. Get a moisture retaining plant mix during summer to help with the heat and drying out of soil. Add fertilizer to the mix and keep it loose and crumbly. You don't want compact, hard dirt that the plants roots will struggle to get thru. Fill your pottery with loose, healthy soil.
4. Keep your garden containers groomed. It's not just because the pottery will look better but it's healthier for your plants and flowers to keep them dead headed and cleaned up. Who wants a dead stem or branch hanging on sucking up nutrients, and moisture. Keep them free of infestation of bugs that are attracted to damaged leaves, stems and petals.
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Honestly it doesn't take much to keep your garden planters looking lovely all summer long.
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| container tips, garden container, tips for garden containers, pottery |
By ArizonaPottery
Post Last Updated: 6/26/2018 2:31:17 PM |
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Thriller, Spiller & Filler Garden Planters |
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You just hit the local nursery and you now find yourself at home staring at some plants, soil and a garden planter. Now what to do to assure you have the best display in your container?
Start with the basics. Make sure you garden planter has a drain hole. If it doesn't you will need to have the pot drilled. Don't skip this set but it's really important that water drain off and not sit in the bottom of the pottery. Next make sure you have some good potting soil. This really is important. You don't want to use soil from the ground. This simply will not be a healthy start to your new plants and it will inhibit the growth
Now design. Well here is the big tip - Make sure you have a thriller, spiller and filler. Sounds simple enough right! The thriller is the main, eye catching plant. It usually has some height to it like a grass or spiky plant. You want it shooting out of the garden planter and looking dramatic.
Now what is a spiller? Well this is the plant that will drape down the side of the garden planter or yard container. Like a vinica, or ivy. It will spill out over the top of the planter and add interest and depth. You don't not want all your flowering plants and grasses to be just on the top layer. Add some length and another level.
Lastly is the filler. These are the colorful flowers you want to plant that will fill out the pot and give it a dome shape. Geraniums are a great choice along with marigolds and verbenas. They last, have lots of color and will fill out your garden planter beautifully.
Once you make sure you have all 3 pieces of the container puzzle it's really easy to do. Plant the thriller in the center of the pot. The fillers around the middle pot and the spillers around the outer edge of the container. As they grow they will blend beautifully and give you the more stunning flower pot display.
Place on a patio, porch or in a garden area where it can be admired for many months. Good luck! |
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| filler, spiller, thriller, garden planters, pottery, pots, containers, gardens
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By Arizona Pottery
Post Last Updated: 6/27/2017 11:52:32 AM |
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Still Talking Terracotta Pottery Tips! |
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Arizona Pottery imports clay garden pottery from around the world. In this post we will refer to Chinese Clay Pots. As we stated before Italian terracotta is the best in the industry. Lightweight, wonderful color and great firing process.
Chinese terracotta flowerpots are made of a very heavy, thick clay. After the planters are formed by hand and fired in a mud hut they will have a very rough texture to them. If you rub your hand down the side, it will feel uneven and scratchy. Because of the clay mix you will also see a whitewashed finish. It looks like a powder coating but what it is showing is the calcium that is in the clay. It turns whitish when fired.
If you seal these pots, which we recommend, it will darken the clay up and not be as noticeable. Because these Chinese clay pots are very porous they will absorb a lot of moisture and will contribute to a faster deterioration of the clay. Of course this is where sealing again will help to prolong the life of the clay.
On a scale from Best to Worse - Chinese terracotta pottery is considered middle of the road. Even though it's rough it comes in some super decorative designs. You will see hex pots, lots of garlands and details. They aren't as defined as the Italian pots but are still unique. We love basket weaves, cherubs, and medallion embellishments.
Seal these planters, store them for winter if possible and you will be very pleased with their performance in your garden for years!
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| chinese terracotta terra-cotta garden pottery planters pots clay garden pottery clay flowerpots planters |
By Arizona Pottery
Post Last Updated: 3/23/2017 5:50:48 PM |
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All Around Garden Pottery Tips |
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Today we are going to just put together a bunch of garden planter tips that we have come across over the years. Pick and choose the ones that fit your needs. We just hope you find some that are useful. |
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Freestanding planters on stairs. Whether on the front porch or back patio, where ever you have stairs group your garden containers together, try mixing sizes, but keep the plant materials similar. When placed side by side all colors with intensify.
Hanging wall planters are a natural way to decorate a bare wall on your patio or in the garden. Always end by filling the outside edge with trailing ivy. As it grows down out of the planter it adds texture and beauty.
A tabletop planter doesn't have to be anything more than a clay pot bursting with colorful flowers to add so much to the whole conversation/eating area. Mix up the colors for interest.
Entryway planters can be tall and stately spilling over with flowers or evergreens. We really like topiary here where they look like they are flanking your doorway for a class yet traditional look.
Fireplace mantles can handle many different kinds of containers. A traditional window box is perfect because they are narrow and wide and can be filled with all kinds of plant materials. How about an outside fireplace? Don't leave them empty. Place decorative containers on each end for a finished look.
Garden urns come in many sizes. Small urns are perfect on a fireplace and larger urns flanking an entryway. But we love them tucked into a garden where they create a traditional English garden vibe. They can be displayed empty like a piece of garden art.
Color planters are best when you need a burst of brightness. Desert landscapes really need a colorful planter and plant materials. All green landscape can use a pop of color and mountain natural-scapes can use some colorful garden pottery to break up the repeatitive look.
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| garden tips planters pottery pots terracotta glazed containers flowerpots landscaping garden gardening
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By Arizona Pottery
Post Last Updated: 12/14/2016 2:53:38 PM |
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March Madness |
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Grow Now: Flowering Trees Magnolias brighten the sky with their tulip shaped blooms in late winter. Other trees that begin to bloom now include flowering plums, cherries, crab apples, and red buds. Red buds are dependable and very easy to grow. Try starting them in a lovely garden pot and eventually transplant to a nice area in your yard.
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Grow Herbs - Thyme, chives, sage, and basil are nice to have nearby when you are cooking. Ready to grow herb kits are available and take much of the guesswork out of growing herbs from seeds. However, purchasing a herb trio planter set and then getting the seeds that you really like from your local nursery is also very easy to do. We sell the pots. |
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Note Spring's arrival - A sunny day in winter is all it takes to create March Madness - the sudden urge to go outside and start planting your summer garden. The first day of spring arrives on March 20, and though it means the season has officially changed, it does not mean cold weather is over, and it may not coincide with the last frost date in your area. So what can you plant? Snapdragons, marigolds, nasturtiums, petunias, and dianthus can handle the cool days.
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Lawn care - Fertilize cool-season lawns such as Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue, and perennials rye grass now. Wait to feed warm-season lawns such as St. Augustine and Bermuda until after they turn green.
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Attract Bluebirds - Encourage bluebirds with well-build and handsome new boxes. Good ones always have access for easy cleaning. Place them in open areas away from shrubs, 4 to 5 feet above ground. Bluebirds like having clear flyways from their boxes to fences that make good perches. They are capable of eating large quantities of lawn and garden insects and are among the most loved and beautiful of all birds. Look for houses here at Arizona Pottery. |
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By Arizona Pottery
Post Last Updated: 1/5/2017 5:04:06 PM |
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