Louisville Homes Spruce Up For Summer with Container Gardens

One of the many advantages to owning a home over renting an apartment is the ability to have a garden. Tending to beautiful flowers or harvesting vegetables is part of the traditional vision of home ownership, and few things seem more downright American than being able to pull a tomato off the vine or pluck a red rose from a garden you tended on land you own yourself. But today, many of us lack the time, space, and patience to be true gardening aficionados even though we’d like to be able to grow something of visual beauty or culinary value on our little parcel of the Earth without backbreaking work, lots of time, and money. And fortunately, we can. Many Louisville homeowners achieve this very dream through the use of container gardens.

A container garden refers to the growing of plants—flowers or vegetables—in containers rather than directly in the ground. They can often be more convenient for someone new to gardening or folks who don’t have a great deal of time to devote to it because they can be located right outside the door on the deck or patio which makes the chore of daily watering relatively easy. Also, having plants confined to pre-defined containers can keep a gardening project from getting out of hand. And having even a small container garden can offset grocery expenses by providing vegetables for summer meals or flowers for our centerpieces that we don’t have to purchase at high prices. Plus, the feeling that comes from eating something you grew yourself or enjoying the scent of a flower you planted on your own can’t be compared to anything that is bought in a store.

Growing a container garden is really pretty simple, even for those of us who wouldn’t know a green thumb if poked us in the eye. Keep these simple tips in mind if you choose to try starting your own.

• The potting soil is important, but not enough to spend time creating your own soil mixtures. Lots of gardening resources will provide you with various recipes for the perfect soil in which to sow your seeds, and many of them are truly wonderful. But for the part-time deck or porch gardener, it’s not worth the time and expense to experiment with different ones because pre-packaged potting soil is usually quite good and very cost effective. Unless you are going to start your own greenhouse, pass on those soil recipes and purchase a professional blend that takes the guess work completely out of it. 
• Be sure to choose the right kind of plants. If you want to harvest vegetables, make sure the seeds you purchase are for the season during which you intend to harvest them. If you want greenery or flowers, check to ensure that the plants’ needs match your environmental conditions. For instance, if your deck gets direct sun most of the day, make sure you choose a plant that doesn’t crave the shade. 
• Consider a “top dressing” for your soil once you have planted the seeds. A common top dressing is mulch with fertilizer that will cover the top of the container bed. This allows the plant to keep as much moisture near the roots as possible. 
• Be vigilant about maintenance. Make sure you know how much water your flowers or vegetables need. And be sure to water them accordingly. 

You don’t have to be a horticultural expert to produce beautiful flowers or edible vegetables this summer. All you need are a few containers, a couple packets of seeds, and a tiny bit of know-how. Louisville homes are sprucing up this summer with container gardens. Shouldn’t yours be one of them?