One of the nicest things anyone has ever done for me for Mother’s Day was a fun “Planting Party” my daughters organized. They spent the Saturday prior to Mother’s Day helping me design and plant several container gardens that I could display around the yard. This was a surprise visit, which made it extra fun for me.
Mother’s Day in our area is traditionally the time when gardeners can safely assume there will be no more “hard freeze” for the year. Our cold winters kill off all annuals, so they have to be replanted every spring. It’s a big, dirty job, so I’m always grateful for help. I don’t need need another trinket to dust so the manpower and time to play in the dirt on a spring afternoon was the best gift my daughters could give me. We may even have treated ourselves to lunch after we finished.
My sister-in-law has a similar tradition. Every year, her gift to Grandma Dixie is to weed, prepare, and plant the large flowerbed in front of the house. Grandma supplies the bedding plants, Sonia and her kids provide the sturdy knees. It’s a gift that is much-appreciated.
Here are a couple of tips if you think you might like to try our new Mother’s Day tradition yourself.
Tips for Planting a Container Garden
1. Choose a pot Mom will love
Select a large pot that will look good for many seasons in the great outdoors. I’ve loved one large ceramic pot because it doesn’t fade and chip like my “discount” pots. But the pot is an expression of personality, so getting the right one is part of the fun. Keep Mom’s tastes in mind, and if you’re not sure, get her a gift certificate so she can pick out her own. For a sentimental twist, find a container that has some extra meaning. Your little red wagon (cut drainage holes in the bottom before planting), a re-purposed pail or teapot, or an heirloom crock might make a great pot/conversation piece.
2. Use high-quality soil
Your best bet is a high-quality, commercial potting soil. Garden soil doesn’t drain well and often contains garden pests. It might be a good idea to find a soil with a time-release fertilizer since potted plants feed heavily.
3. Choose the location before you choose the plants
I love begonias, but almost all of my flower gardens are in full sun. A potted tuberous begonia would shrivel in my sunny yard but knowing how much I love them, my daughter bought two small containers to flank my front door. There is some shade there for most of the day. Full-sun annuals need to be where it’s sunny at least 6-hours per day. Don’t try to mix shade-loving and sun-loving plants in the same container and expect them all to thrive. If you aren’t sure which plants are which, ask someone at the nursery for help, or read the tags carefully.
4. Make watering automatic
I can’t tell you how many potted plants have withered on a hot summer day when I forgot to water them. Knowing this, my daughters purchased sprinkler tubing so we could run drip lines directly to my new container gardens once they were planted. Problem solved.
5. Spiller, thriller, filler planting technique
As you plant your container garden consider adding plants in this order:
- The “thriller” plant usually goes in the center. It’s a dramatic plant with unique colors, lots of bloom, or unique foliage. Often these are the tallest plant in the pot.
- The “spiller” plants go around the edges to cascade over the sides of the pot.
- The “filler” plants should showcase a variety of colors, textures, and foliage. Use them to fill in the holes around the center of the pot.
6. Other “container garden” options
Maybe Mom would prefer a tree rose in a big pot. Succulents are still very popular and can grow indoors if you don’t have a lot of outdoor space. I love the collection of potted herbs below. These can be moved indoors in the winter, and would make a great gift for a mom who loves to cook.
If you are great at DIY projects, this one might appeal. It would look great hanging against the side of a garage, or could add some color to that boring backyard fence. This option might also work well if you are an apartment dweller and don’t have a lot of horizontal space for growing things.
