Here are some container gardening ideas. In addition to run-of-the-mill circular pots and tubs, there are modern and ultra-modern forms such as square, rectangular, triangular, hexagonal, and octagonal. Also eligible are old iron kitchen pots, kettles, pails, jugs, casks, vases, crocks, jam tubs, barrels and nail kegs, Japanese fish tubs, aged sinks, bathtubs, bamboo soy tubs. There are novelty containers such as driftwood, wheelbarrows, donkey carts, spinning wheels and boxes attached to a roadside mail container. There are also bird cages, decorative well heads, animal figures, and Strawberry jars. Woven baskets may be used to conceal unattractive containers. Even tar paper pots, handled by garden centers and florists are worthy if painted or veiled to upgrade their exterior. Any of these can be used in your container gardening ideas.

Where to find your container supplies? Begin with what you possess. If you explore cellars or basements, attics, garages, and sheds, you will doubtless encounter objects of interest. Old-fashioned pots and kettles, usually sold in antique shops at rural auctions or observed at old New England inns, have much attraction.

Different container garden ideas to ponder are old cookie and bean jars, pickle and other types of crocks, wash tubs, coal pails, jardinières, and ceramic bowls. For drainage, scatter a thick layer of substantial pebbles or shattered pieces of pots or bricks at the bottom and then moisten plants with care. In substantial containers, drainage material should be many inches thick. Where rainfall is hefty, be certain to keep garden containers without drainage outlets on porches, below awnings or the under sizable eaves of house. With pails and old galvanized wash tubs, holes can be easily punctured at the bottom.

Plants in containers without drainage openings stay wet longer. Some of these—crocks, jardinières and cookie jars—are massive enough to be secure against the elements in exterior container gardening.

What constitutes the perfect container for your container garden ideas? A container needs to be attractive, even if it is not an object of art. It should be sturdy and lasting and able to resist all kinds of weather. This is especially true of the substantial sizes which ofttimes continue outdoors all year around. In the North, alternate icy and thawing is a predicament in winter (and could generate cracking); in blazing climates, intensive heat, humidity, and moisture are to be considered (and could cause fading). And in semiarid areas, there is the impact of searing sun to keep your attention, another source of fading. All these things need be kept in mind when coming up with your container gardening design.

The perfect container must be vast enough to hold a sizeable quantity of soil. It should have super drainage facilities through holes or various openings at the bottom or sides. It must not rust, at least in a single season, and it should have a wide enough base to perch firmly wherever placed. Further, it needs to be heavy enough to withstand average winds. In severe storms, like hurricanes and tornadoes, movable containers can be shifted to interim safety. All of these things should be factored in when you are coming up with your container gardening ideas.

Resistance to rot is another requisite. Wooden containers—except those made of rot-resistant Redwood, Western Cedar, and Southern Red Cypress—will require treatment with a wood preservative. Except for lifelong containers, the capability to move your container garden is another quality, and sometimes a safety precaution, of portable container gardening. Sizable boxes and planters can be equipped with wheels, and garden centers have redwood tubs that perch on platforms with wheels. An opening in the platform corresponds to the hole in the tub. Sizeable containers without wheels can be pushed on iron or wooden rollers by two or more people; however, if you live in an area inclined to severe storms it is best to keep your containers small-scaled.

Smaller containers are ideal for cultivating herb container gardens. If you plan to plant an herb container garden be imaginative. Here are some container garden ideas for herbs that go great together.

* For an Italian selection try Sweet Basil, Italian Parsley, Oregano, Marjoram and Thyme.

* For a pleasing scented container use Lavender, Rose Scented Geranium, Lemon Balm, Lemon Thyme, and Pineapple Sage.

* For utterly extravagant salads try Garlic Chives, Rocket, Salad Burnet, Parsley, Celery.

* And to say “We love French Cooking!” use Tarragon, Chervil, Parsley, Chives and Sage.

Any of these will liven up your meal and please your family.

So these are just a few container gardening ideas. Get out a pad of paper and make up a container garden plot that will add to the view and conceivably even the palate.

Happy Container Gardening!

Copyright © 2006 Mary Hanna All Rights Reserved.

This article may be distributed freely on your website and in your ezines, as long as this entire article, copyright notice, links and the resource box are unchanged.

Mary Hanna is an aspiring herbalist who lives in Central Florida. This allows her to grow gardens inside and outside year round. She has published other articles on Cruising, Gardening and Cooking. Visit her websites at http://www.GardeningHerb.com and http://www.ContainerGardeningSecrets.com To read more of her articles go to http://www.ArticleBazaar.net

www.howdini.com Organic gardening: How to grow an organic vegetable garden What does it mean to grow vegetables organically? Scott Meyer, editor of Organic Gardening magazine shows how to plant and nurture an organic vegetable garden. Keywords: organic gardening organic garden organic vegetable gardening organic gardening tips
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 Soil preparation

 Number one of our vegetable gardens tips, is that the new gardener needs to learn the importance of soil preparation. This step plays a vital role in whether your vegetable garden will be productive or not, regardless of if you plant in garden boxes or use a part of your backyard. You need to understand that there are three types of soil; sand, clay and silt. Sandy soil is very loose, allowing the plant roots to breathe, as it lets the air easily pass through. Clay soil soaks up water quicker and retains it longer. This makes it perfect for places that receive a lot of sunlight, and are generally hot areas, where the soil dries up quickly. The last type of soil is silt, which is a fine combination of clay and sand particles.

The preparation of soil for your garden is the most important of vegetable garden tips, because it is the foundation of good gardening. The first step is to break up the clumps as you dig up the soil. Be sure and remove any weeds, roots, and rocks you find in this part of the process. Handle the soil to see if you have a good mixture of clay, sand, and silt, before you begin placing vegetable plants in your garden. An even mixture of sand and silt should make up 80% of the soil, while the remaining 20% should be clay. This mixture is to make certain that the roots will not choke or rot, because too much water is being trapped for too long inside the soil. The best way to test whether you have the right composition of soil is to scoop up a handful and form it into a ball. If the soil is able to hold its shape, then you have the right combination. However, if the soil cannot hold its shape, then you probably have too much sand or silt in the mixture. On the other hand, if the soil holds its shape so well that it doesn’t want to crumble when probed, then you need to balance out the clay with sand and silt.

 Choose Your Vegetables

 While it s OK to choose what kind of vegetables you want to plant ahead of time, plants shouldn’t be purchased until soil preparation is finished. This keeps them from drying out, or becoming root-bound in their small nursery containers, while they wait to be planted. Once soil cultivation is finished, however, its time to choose, purchase, and plant your new vegetables.  Another of our vegetable gardens tips is that its important to know that some vegetables don’t grow well, when you place them too close to certain types of other vegetables. For instance, tomatoes and/or squash tend to inhibit the growth of potatoes, if they are planted too close to one another. Be sure and ask your local garden nursery which vegetable plants do well together, and which ones should be kept separate.

 Proper Watering Is Crucial

 Once you have chosen your vegetables and have planted them in your cultivated soil, proper watering is the next of our vegetable gardens tips. Consistent watering is the name of the game when it comes to vegetables. Soaker hoses are an excellent choice when watering vegetables in a medium to large space. An automatic watering timer is another wise investment if your schedule tends to keep you from watering consistently.

 A little patience goes a long way when planting vegetable gardens. Research, experimentation, and experience will help you find the right type of soil for the right type of vegetables, that work best for you. Planting your own garden, watching it grow, and harvesting the produce is very fulfilling. And enjoying fresh vegetables with friends and family, that you grew in your own garden, is a joy. All the hard work will be worth it if you follow these vegetable gardens tips.

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