A PRETTY PATIO

LIVEN UP YOUR OUTDOOR SPACESWITH POTTED PLANTS

BY KIM ARMSTRONG

One of the best ways to dress the outside of your home is by having beautiful potted plants. From your front patio to your back deck, there are so many ways to create interest and beauty in these spaces.When you put the time, effort, and money into adding these outdoor accessories, you want to make sure you do it right and give them the best chance possible at staying beautiful all season long.

To start, gather your supplies with the first decision being what container you’d like to use. Ceramic is my material of choice because there are so many amazing colors and textures, and they have thick walls that hold in moisture. Whatever container you choose, check that it has adequate drainage holes that will allow excess water to pass through and not drown your plant.

Next, grab your dirt. Good dirt is essential for good plants, so grab a nice potting soil. If you have a large container and don’t want the expense or weight of filling the whole thing with dirt, you can add some recycled material to the bottom of the container. This could be old milk cartons, plastic water bottles, broken-up sticks, etc. These items help fill your container so it doesn’t weigh a million pounds and you don’t need $40 worth of dirt for one pot.

Next up is shopping for plants! Make sure you know where you will place your pots before purchasing your plants and how much sun that area gets. You don’t want to go through all the work and expense of creating a beautiful pot, only to have the wrong plants that die immediately.

Speak to someone at your local nursery if you need advice, or check out the plant tags that will tell you if the plant likes sun, shade, or can handle a combination.

The rule of thumb when planting pots is to choose thriller, filler, and spiller plants.

Your thriller is the tallest plant in the arrangement and is planted towards the back/ center of the pot. You can use ornamental grasses or upright flowering plants.

Fillers come next, and these guys tend to be more rounded and help the container look full. These are placed around the thriller. For sun, think of plants like Pentas, Verbena, Dahlias, etc. — for shade, some of my favorites are Impatiens, Begonias, Coleus, and Ferns.

Your final plant is the spiller, and this is the guy who is going to bring the drama and spill over the top of your pot down the sides. You can use ivy in the shade and potato plants in the sun.

Once you’ve made your purchases - place them in the pots before filling up the remaining dirt and play with how you will arrange them. After you’ve planted them, give them a good drink three to four times a week depending on where they are and how much sun they get. Potted plants tend to dry out quickly, so make sure you are watching them. Also don’t forget to fertilize.

Good luck and enjoy!