Container Gardening in Shade

Container gardening in shade will add interest and even a bit of whimsy to those areas you have all but given up on.

The containers or pots can be moved around the garden for a different look whenever you feel like it, and you can use all kinds of things to put your plant in that will add a little something different to your garden atmosphere.

Containers

You will find many beautiful containers for sale through catalogs and garden centers, see below. Also, look around your home and see what you have. Any container that will hold soil will do. Make sure you can drill the necessary drainage holes.

Be creative. Consider using:

old boots
clay drainage pipe
watering can
bucket
wheel barrow

Put large containers where you want them while still empty. They are heavy when filled with soil and will be more difficult to move once you have planted them up.

See what happened when two home owners renovated every inch of their old homes and took on a slew of DIY projects of design inspired home-improvements, remodeling, renovations, makeovers, and more. Deck-Improvements

Drainage

Good drainage is essential to prevent roots being damaged from too much water.

Cover the drainage holes with pieces of broken clay pots, and/or add a layer of pebbles or polystyrene in the bottom of the container.

It's a good idea to raise your container off the ground to make it harder for bugs to enter through the holes.

You can stand you container on feet or bricks. This helps your container to drain more effectively as well.

Soil

Soil for container gardening is different from soil used in the ground. Container soil needs to drain well and still hold enough moisture and nutrients to grow healthy roots.

There are a lot of good mixes on the market. You can make your own using equal parts of:

soil
peat moss
compost

Shrubs like rhododendron, azalea and camellia need an acid soil/compost mix. Adjust the basic soil mixture by adding:

sulphur
leaf mold (cut up leaves) or
extra peat moss

Watering

Whatever plants you use for container gardening in shade, remember that they need regular watering and feeding to keep them well established and looking good.

To cut down on how frequently you need to water, when filling your container with soil, add:

water retaining crystals
controlled release fertilizer
peat moss

Container Gardening

Containers for Sale

Books

Gardening Books

More...

Visit the Bamboo Inspiration website for a guide to container bamboo plants. Bamboo Inspiration provides a wealth of valuable information and tips about bamboo plants, including pruning, choosing bamboo plants, species lists, and information about the extensive range of furniture, bamboo clothing, and many more products made from bamboo.

Follow @shadegardener