Planters instead of garden this year...?

We are moving to a town house, it's so nice, so happy, the only thing is there is no space for a garden BUT we have this huge patio that I could have 2 big planters filled with flowers!


Can you please give me some tips as well as flower suggestions for the planters? I'm in NW Pennsylvania so no tropical flowers unfortunately. I love Impatients and marigolds, tho!

Planters instead of garden this year...?
Been there, done that and loved it! Soomething to be said for no yard maintainace, eh? I grew up in the country, so it was hard to give up the "country" state of mind. I went to the dollar store and bought two large square planters and an arched wire trellis. I put this on both sides of the entry to my courtyard and planted four small asparagus ferns in the corners and morning glory seeds in pink, fuschias and purples. If there's room in front of them, you could plant clumps of ornamental grasses. Then I put vinyl window boxes all around the perimeter of the patio and filled with phlox, impatiens, snapdragons, etc. (You can even get table-top tiki torches or candle holders to intersperse in them) A little bistro set and some pots of geraniums and I was set to go. It's not the size of the garden but the unexpected ways you can use the space you have. There are even wrought irons holders to mount on the wall to hold pots of trailing plants. Have fun...happy gardening!
Reply:There are some advantages to pots: easier to control soil, easier to deal with plants (less stooping over), fewer buggies.





Because you can control the nutrition and soli viability (and can replace soil), you can crowd plants closer together.





Consider plants that trail for the edges so they trail over the sides of the pot (like Wave petunias), and something tall for the center.
Reply:I started doing container gardening last year....a couple of things I learned along the way...make sure your container has drain holes..believe me it fills up with water, spoils and stinks to high heaven if you dont...I have also started putting a layer of rock in the bottom of my containers, so far working really well.





I have tried several different ways of planting the containers, but have found variety is the best. I would get something tall, like spike grass, then depending on whether you will have sun or shade you can choose your plants from there. Most of mine get sun at 6 hours a day, so I used sweet potatoe vine, because I like the trailing over the pot and the color, petunias, asparagus fern and geraniums in a couple of colors. Dont fill your pot up to much, allow a little room for the plants to grow and fill in. Also, remember, containers seem to require more frequent watering than what you are used to doing in your beds. I am in Oklahoma and during the heat of the summer (it gets over 100 here) last year I was watering before work and then late evening when I got home, everyday! I think the best way to tell is to simply stick your finger in the pot and see if it is dry!





I always go to online nuseries, read about plants that work well in my "zone" and make choices based on their suggestions. Honestly, I buy local, but use the online as a great information source.





There is also a great magazine out called "Backyard Living" you can probably find it online, but they always have great suggestions and lots of pictures. I say, just have fun! Pick the things you like and go for it!
Reply:if it is shady, impatients will work well. with a lot


of sun marigolds or begonias would be very pretty. good luck