Thursday, January 7, 2016

Try Container Gardening Portland Or Style

By Donna Murray


Not everyone has space for a real garden or enough time to plant, weed, and water an extensive area of growing plants. However, that doesn't mean that they have to do without flowers - or vegetables, for that matter. A kitchen counter or a sunny window can hold a few pots, and patios and balconies can be filled with planters. Container gardening Portland Or way can be fun for all ages and make a home more beautiful all year round.

Actually, even those with large yards and flower beds like growing things in pots, baskets, planters, window boxes, and barrels. Anything that holds dirt can be home for one or more plants. Garden centers have gorgeous ceramic pots or traditional terra cotta ones, but even tires and empty coffee cans can be used in a pinch. All sorts of things, from straw hats to mini wheelbarrows, will add whimsical touches to house and garden.

Sometimes plants unsuited to local soils do better in pots. Gardeners also keep sensitive flowers or ferns portable, so they can be shifted to sun or shade and even taken indoors if frost threatens. Bright annuals in containers are perfect for moving around the garden to add color when a bed of perennials passes its prime.

Putting plants in pots is a good way to bring texture and height to any area. Trailing plants look great in hanging baskets or when allowed to tumble over a wall. Window boxes bring color and texture to the front of a home or a porch railing. A patio table looks more inviting with a flower or herb centerpiece. A Boston fern is good company if you're sitting on a bench.

Inside plants make wonderful decorative accents. Great cooks like to have fresh herbs on the counter; you can even grow mushrooms in your kitchen now. South-facing windows are perfect for sun-loving bloomers, while dark corners are just fine for jungle varieties. Put bright geraniums or hibiscus near the door to patio or balcony for color that enhances both spaces.

Grow lights make any spot suitable for even sun-loving plants. A clever arrangement of lighting can be a decorating accent for any room. In addition to bringing nature indoors, plants clean the air, making the environment healthier for the people who live there. They also humidify the air, making it feel warmer in winter and cooler in summer with less expenditure of energy.

Research actually validates the health benefits of plants in the home and in the workplace. Employers in Portland OR find that there are fewer days missed because of illness, and productivity goes up as well. There are many plants that like fluorescent light, and others that grow in almost no light at all. Many of the latter are most efficient at cleaning the air.

Tomatoes and blueberries grow well in pots, strawberries in window boxes or pyramids, herbs in kitchens, and wheat grass in flats. There are even survival gardens designed for the loving room. Check out how you can use plants as decorative touches, health aids, fresh food, and pure pleasure.




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