Patio Pots Looking a Little Tired?

Some plants may be looking a little straggly and others may have fried in the heat.  If so, take some time this weekend to bring the pizzazz back to your porch.  There are, after all, at least 9 good weeks left in the growing season!

Add a few fresh plants and do a little maintenance and your containers will look lush and lively ’til fall.

Start with a long look at your containers and notice bare areas or plants, that for whatever reason, never took off or just aren’t thriving.  Even though we do hate the thought of giving up on our plants, you really don’t have to keep trying to nurse the struggling ones back to health!  The stragglers can be replaced.

Next consider the design of the containers and the shapes that need to be filled in.  Do you need to replace the tall “thriller” in your pot?  How about the “spiller” plants that cascade over the edge? Or is it the “filler” plant that mounds to fill space that needs a fresh look?  Once you know the shapes of plants you need to change, you can get the replacements.

Plants to consider

• Rudbeckia (like the Denver Daisy) – they mound and provide good visual interest
• Snapdragons – their tall shape adds heigh
• Zinnia – use different sizes for color and filler
• Mums – great filler and move well into the fall season
• Kale – its green color and texture adds interest among blooming plants
• Even herbs, grasses and perennials work well in containers.  Grasses can be the “thriller” tall focal point and herbs and perennials can fill in or cascade, depending on the varieties you choose.
• Petunias are always great because they take the heat – and there’s still more of it ahead. 

Overall, select plants that will thrive until the end of the growing season and offer late season interest as we move closer to fall.

Tips to keep containers healthy in the heat

• Water daily – for most containers that are in the sun.  Check the soil and make sure plants get enough water, especially if containers are small or if they are in unglazed pottery that dries out quickly.
• Deadhead flowers – pinch off blooms that are fading so the plant puts its energy into new blooms.  Petunias, geranium and most annuals benefit from deadheading.
• Fertilize – Container plants should be fertilized once a month.  Select a fertilizer that promotes bloom growth rather than green foliage growth.  Garden center pros can help select the best products for your plants. 

Enjoy the second half of the growing season – and make it as showy as the first half!