Patio gardens.............................................Rebecca Cuthbert

Patio gardens Always the perfect size

BY REBECCA CUTHBERT

A repurposed colander makes a great planter.

Photos by Rebecca Cuthbert

As spring looms large in Western New York (WNY), experienced and novice green thumbs alike are getting the itch to start gardening. However, many have downsized from larger homes to smaller ones, or live in apartments or condos for safety and convenience. Are they destined to go without gardens? Not at all!

Hanging planters of beans and naturtium

Patio gardening isn’t just a trend, it’s a great way to fit your garden to your available space, lifestyle, and budget. A patio garden can include one planter or many, and containers can be customized according to each gardener’s growing desires.

Thinking of trying a container garden this spring? Ask yourself the following questions.

How many hours of sun does my patio get each day? Is it gentler morning sun, or strong afternoon sun?

This is a critical consideration because all plants thrive in different conditions. Hours of strong afternoon sun are great for tomatoes, peppers, strawflowers, and portulaca, but will fry more delicate plants like begonias and some herbs. If you have all-day shade, you need plants that won’t mind the lack of light, such as ferns, coleus, impatiens, and torenia.

When shopping at your local greenhouse, read plant tags or ask

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for help finding plants that match your conditions. (Tags will say “full sun,” “partial sun,” “full shade,” etc.) You want your plants to thrive and create beautiful containers, but they can’t do that if they’re being asked to grow outside their required habitats.

What am I hoping to grow, and what container sizes will I need?

Some plants have extensive root systems that need to keep cool, and so can only grow in large containers. Most vegetables are especially fussy about this, but annual varieties of flowers and ornamentals like sedum can tolerate tight quarters, provided they are getting enough water.

If you do include large pots in your patio garden, remember that they will be heavy and hard to move. Buy plant stands on wheels to save time and your back.

Many plants grow well in hanging baskets if your patio can accommodate plant or shepherd’s hooks. Options include beans, strawberries, anything in the petunia (Solanaceae) family, and fuchsia, which comes in many color combinations, and attracts hummingbirds!

Fill all pots with high-quality potting soil labeled for containers. The fewer chemicals, the better; you want to be kind to pollinators.

When and how often am I able to water my patio garden?

Plants’ moisture needs matter just as much as sun or shade conditions. If a plant is overwatered or sits in undrained water, its roots will rot, and the plant will collapse. If a plant doesn’t get enough water, it will turn yellow and crispy, and faint.

The best time to water your plants is early in the morning, before the sun gets too high in the sky. This allows them to get a long, refreshing drink before the temperature rises and gives them the entire day to dry out a bit, so they aren’t left soggy to sit through the cooler night. (If plants are left too wet overnight, they are more likely to develop to certain fungal afflictions.) However, if containers are very small, or the day is extremely hot, check plants in the early afternoon to make sure they don’t need a few little sips!

Middle-of-the-day or evening watering is not ideal because, by then, plants may have already gotten several hours of strong sun. This dries out soil, making it harder for the plant to absorb the water it needs when it does get it. In other words, it stresses the plant, and stressed, weak plants are more susceptible to diseases and pests. And again, late-in-the-day watering leaves plants too wet overnight.

Make sure all planters, regardless of style or size, have enough drainage holes for excess water to run out the bottom.

A few extra tips • If you want to grow vegetables, look for special varieties marked “great for containers,” like pickle bush cucumbers and red robin tomatoes. • Make sure plants that need support, like a tomato cage or a trellis to climb, are properly equipped. • Keep plants out of spots that get too much wind; strong gusts dry soil out quickly and can even knock over pots.

For our short gardening season in WNY, skip the seeds and buy established plant starts from your local greenhouse, where you are sure to get the healthiest plants. FY

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Rebecca Cuthbert lives, writes, and gardens in Dunkirk. She is a longtime contributor to Forever Young.