Spring is just around the corner and green thumbs are eager to start digging this year’s gardens. Gardeners should utilize complementary and proper-fitting planters to best display outdoor vegetation and plant life.
Rather than use standard, boring pots, consider these eight ideas to add flair to any garden.
Upcycled Colanders
Colanders can tarnish easily over time and rusted metal isn’t the most appealing way to clean fruits and veggies. Rather than throwing corroded accessories away, upcycle them to use in gardens. Visit the nearest yard sale or thrift shop to purchase a used strainer if one isn’t already lying around the house.
The tiny holes are great for ample drainage, but make sure to line with burlap fabric slightly larger than the colander so soil doesn’t leak. Place strainer pots on tables or hang with gardening twine.
Revamped Wagons
Radio Flyer wagons are somewhat of an American treasure and can be found at most toy shops across the country. Consider revamping outgrown or broken models to house annuals. Mobile planters can be easily moved for extra sun access or new garden layouts.
Oil Canisters
Old oil drums can be cleaned and painted to hold large, leafy plants and small trees. Hefty canisters are great gardening fixtures for urban homeowners who lack land space for large plants. Oil containers also allow homeowners to move trees and large bushes wherever and whenever they please.
Unused Cinder Blocks
Try stacking cinder blocks in the garden for an industrial look. Check out new construction homes for sale in the neighborhood and ask builders for free, leftover or damaged blocks. To avoid making the garden look too much like a construction zone, paint the blocks different colors and arrange them into various geometrical shapes.
Old Tea Kettles
For a vintage look, hang tea kettles along walls and railings. Keep an eye out for damaged, unusable pots in the kitchen; the cracks in porcelain are great for irrigation draining. Scratches only add to the character of old tea pots, so don’t bother painting or refinishing surfaces.
Leftover Drawers
Excess furniture overwhelms small indoor spaces. Convert unused dressers and wardrobes that are cluttering home interiors into fun and interesting outdoor garden planters. These can be repainted and distressed for a shabby chic appearance.
Broken Wheelbarrows
Avid gardeners usually have an old wheelbarrow sitting around in garages. A broken wheel or missing handle may render it useless as a transportation device, but it can become a great garden piece.
Damage can easily be covered with overflowing flowers or fixed cosmetically for display purposes.
Reclaimed Wood
Build window boxes out of old wood lying around the house. Stain or paint pallets and assemble together using galvanized screws. Make sure to attach cleats to bottom of boxes; these prevent damage to railings. As with every planter, healthy flowers require drainage. Drill holes on the bottom of the box and insert a piece of vinyl or nylon to hold gravel and dirt inside.
Prospective house hunters should consider yard size when searching for new homes to decide how many of the aforementioned features can fit on properties. For existing yards, try out a few of these inexpensive ideas to determine which are the best fits. Done in moderation, quirky garden planters can be the perfect accent for even the most traditional gardens.
Strawberries are a wonderful sweet fruit that can be grown in your container garden. Your strawberries will grow best in full sunlight. There are many different types of strawberries for you to try growing in your own garden.
Growing strawberries in a garden or even a flowerbed is another way to enjoy this fruit. Strawberries grow in just about any soil but do best in highly fertile soils. They require about six hours of full sun a day. Plant the strawberries away from other taller plants to avoid too much shade during the day.
Plant the strawberries in rows, about twenty-four inches apart and make each row about three to four feet apart. They should not be planted in an area that was previously used to grow tomatoes, peppers, eggplant or potatoes. These plants can carry a disease called Verticillium Rot, which can be hazardous to the strawberry plants. If rain has not fallen in a week, give the plants about one to two inches of water.
Growing Strawberries
Pick a pot that is at least 24 inches tall so your plants have room to grow. It is best to grow ever bearing strawberries so you have a crop to eat all summer long. Fill your container with soil such as an organic potting mix. You may want to use hanging basket style planters for strawberries that can be found on the market but an ordinary planter will do fine.
Be sure the pot has adequate drainage for water. It is best to start with young seedlings or established plants and not seeds which will take too long to grow. If you have large pot you can put more than one plant inside it but if the pot is smaller use only one plant so the strawberries can get enough sunlight for adequate growth. You can even grow them inside if they get enough sunlight.
Give the plants a good watering but don’t over water the plants and soak them so there is water standing around in pools. Use a high phosphorus liquid fertilizer every week to encourage the plants to flower and start bearing fruit.
Rotate the plants as they grow so the plants get adequate sunlight on all sides. Aphids and spider mites can be a problem for strawberries so use an insecticide soap on them to treat the infestations. You can make homemade soap by using one part soap and 15 parts water which should kill the pests. If they continue to be a problem ask your local garden center for help.
Harvest your strawberries once they are red and fully ripe. Once they produce fruit the plant will put out runners, which you can stick in the pot to grow a new plant or clip them off. They can be eaten fresh or frozen for later use. If you are freezing them, arrange the berries on trays and freeze them in the freezer before putting them in bags. This will keep the berries from sticking together and make them easier to use when you are ready to consume them. Fresh berries should be eaten within a week before they start to spoil.
Conclusion
Growing strawberries can provide you with a healthy delicious fruit to enjoy during the summer. Be sure your plants get lots of sunlight and don’t over water them. Enjoy the fruit fresh or freeze the berries so you have fruit to enjoy during the cold winter months.
Whether choosing to grow strawberries in a pot or in the garden growing them can be a satisfying and tasty experience. Strawberries make delicious desserts, jams and fruit salads. Kids usually enjoy eating them right out of a bowl. Consider planting some strawberries this year. It is a great way to enjoy this fruit and will brings months of enjoyable eating.