Containers are a great option for growing if maybe you're working in a smaller space like a deck or a patio. The great news about them is that you can totally customize them to fit what it is you want to grow. So, based on the type of soil that you add
and where you place them
either getting more sun or less, we can really influence what you're able to produce. For us today, we're gonna pot up an herb container with a few flowers added in for some extra beauty, and the great news is that not only are these ingredients for cooking, but they double as cocktail ingredients.
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and where you place them
Three words to keep in mind when designing your containers
thriller, spiller, and filler. Thrillers are those super cool plants that really make a statement. These are the lead characters in your container's dramatic design. Spillers will trail over the side and help to maximize your growing space. Fillers... well, you get the idea. Think of these plants as the ensemble or supporting cast. And so, we're gonna use transplants in this case because they allow us to see our design much more quickly and give us some instant gratification so we don't have to wait more time for the seeds to come through and give us a real impact. So, we're gonna start by laying out our thrillers first. And again, this forms the backbone of our design, and so, we wanna put them in first so we really know that they're anchoring our planting. So, in this case, these black Petunias are gonna act as our thrillers, and the good news is because they trail, they're also acting as spillers. They're going to trail over the sides a bit as the season goes along. We also have some lantana here, which is another spiller for us or thriller... It's subjective. You're the designer. You make the call ultimately. But again, that contrast is great, between sort of the golden yellow of the lantana and the black of the petunia. And so, again, we're doing these all along the outside exterior because, again, we want them to trail over the sides. We don't wanna plant these in the middle. Once we have this sort of backbone infrastructure in place, then we can move on to our fillers. We're gonna start with our herbs first because these are all sort of different and they have a little bit of a different look to all of them. And we're gonna do this marigolds last. So, we have a collection of three different mints here that we're going to include. There is a chocolate mint, a spearmint, and a pineapple mint, and I mentioned
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Three words to keep in mind when designing your containers
cocktails earlier so take notes. Remember that this is something you wanna harvest so make sure that they're easily accessible. Again, putting them all right in the center might not make the most sense. So, I'm gonna stagger a few just along the outsides
pop, pop, pop
Three words to keep in mind when designing your containers
nudged in between my spillers and then I'm gonna start with this bronze fennel and I'm gonna do more of these towards the center because I know they're gonna get a bit taller based on the information on my plant tag. Also, this nice ferny contrast ties into the color of the petunias really nicely and the gold of the lantana. Finally, I have sort of a lone lavender here. Again, lavender in cocktails is really fun. I'm just gonna stick it wherever I want.
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Three words to keep in mind when designing your containers
There feels great. Finally, I'm gonna fill in the extra space with my fillers. Again, these are the marigolds. And so, this is anywhere you have some gaps showing through. We're just gonna nudge these right into place
pop, pop, pop
Three words to keep in mind when designing your containers
to complete the design. Now, this is a great time to pause, step back from your container, walking around it a few times and really think about, "Is this the design that you want? Does this feel good to you?" If it doesn't, again, it's really easy to move things around right now because everything is still in pots. Much easier than it will be when everything is planted. Finally, before you actually start putting plants in the ground, make sure that your pots are moist. Your transplants here, but also make sure your soil and your container is moist. Putting a wet plant into dry soil can harm the roots. And we wanna set these plants up for success, as much as we can. As you can see, I'm planting each plant one at a time and this is so I don't lose my design. I can just use my hands to dig holes. I really don't need any special tools here. Herbs like hot, sunny, and dry environments and so, we've chosen plants like the lantana and the petunias and the marigolds that will also enjoy those conditions. If you are growing herbs in a bit of shade, that's okay. Just know that they may not grow as big for you, but they will grow. Make sure, as you're planting, that you leave a little room between the top of your pot and the base of your soil in the pot, This will help you a lot when it comes to start watering later in the season. If your soil is still too high, the water will run out and not soak in like it should. Well, there you have it. Our container garden is ready to go. If you want, you can harvest a few leaves from some of your new herbs, like this mint, make a cocktail to celebrate your achievement. But otherwise, this is set to go. The final thing we need to do, as always, is to give it a little bit of a drink of water, and this will help to set everything up for success to have a beautiful season. So, thank you for joining us in the garden today and we will see you next time.
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