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Wintering Your Plants with Success, Bump Them Up & Kick Them Out
Wintering Your Plants with Success, Bump Them Up & Kick Them Out
In the midwest, our garden season always seems to go by so fast! We never want it to end. So what do we do? We hoard all the best looking plants, before the first frost, and place them somewhere in our homes. Whether it’s a sun room, or in our basement, we don’t care. We just aren’t ready to give up on them yet. Once we bring these plants in, they sort of get forgotten about during those harvest and holiday months. We don’t even really think about them much until February hits. That’s about the time that we are fed up with the Winter weather, and we are ready to come out of hibernation.
If you are one of these people, (I’m totally guilty), then this is something you should definitely continue reading. I’m going to give you the easiest tips you need to know, in order to have success with this “plant hoarding” habit. 
First things first. You just decided what plants you absolutely can not part with. Before bringing these plants into the house, be sure to check for any type of insects or disease. If you find any insects or traces of disease, remove them by using something natural or a pesticide. That’s your choice. If you find traces of an insect that has the possibility of infesting the plant, such as thryp, aphids, spider mites etc., you MUST treat it, before bringing it indoors. Until this problem is resolved, keep the plant outdoors. Or just part with it.
Under the foliage of the plant, scrape a thin layer of soil off. This will eliminate any dead leaves, debris and insects that may be hiding out under there. This also reduces the chances of insects or mold taking your plant hostage during those months we neglect it. Then, what you want to do, is lay down 2 inches of fresh potting soil. Mix in time release fertilizer. I love to use Osmocote. Put in the right amount for your size pot. The instructions should be on the bag of your fertilizer of choice. Now that we got the dirty work done, lets get a nice spot picked out in the house!
If you have a sun room, lucky you! You can keep your eye on your treasures all winter long. Just don’t babysit them too much, because sometimes that results in your plants dying. Read on and I will explain that statement. Now, lets get to the majority of people who throw their treasures in the basement! GUILTY! Totally ok, you are not alone!
Lets go down stairs, into the basement. Hmmmm. Where are we going to put those plants? Lets make this easy! Put them by the windows in the basement. Even though they are coming into the comfort of your home for those brisk months, they still need sunlight. If you don’t have windows down there, they will need some type of a grow light. Just put a timer on it for however many hours your plant needs. This will depend on whether it is a full sun, part sun or shade plant. You are going to want to keep the bottom of the pot off of the cement floor. The cement floor in the basement retains a lot of the cold temperatures that are going on outside. If you have heated cement floors, well then, ignore my last sentence. A great way to keep your plants off of the cement floor is to use a pallet. There are other things you could use as well, but I listed one great option.
During those winter months, you are going to still want to water these plants. You may want to even place a piece of plastic under your pallet. You could use a plastic paint protector. They are cheap and keep things clean. Now, lets get back to this watering thing I was talking about over those winter months. Yes, you have to still water, but guess what? You may only have to water a few times during all of those months. You don’t even have to water it all the way through. Just a little bit every time. Just enough to keep it going. If you water it too much, it will get over watered!
If you water it all the way through, it may take too long for it to dry out, resulting in overwatering. (I go more into detail on overwatering in my article, ‘The Wilt’.) So, just keep it on the dryer side indoors. If you have a hard time remembering to check your plants over the winter months, set an alarm on your phone for every week, or every other week. Lets utilize the technology that we carry everywhere with us these days!
So we got through winter. “What a long winter.”
That’s a statement made by everyone, at least once in conversation, right before we spring into Spring time. All of a sudden, a light bulb goes off in our heads. We remember those treasures we hoarded and placed in our basement. We run down the basement steps, once again, and there it is. Not what we thought. The plants look a little rugged. They look a little stalky. They even look a little far gone. With some plants, they are ‘tossers’. That’s what I say when it’s time to accept something didn’t make it over the Winter, and it is ready to get tossed. The other gems down in the basement look like there is still life in them. Now we want to spoil them and get them outside as soon as possible. Lets put the brakes on a little bit. These plants have been so used to being indoors, and they aren’t used to the outdoor conditions. So they need to become acclimated again. This is what you are going to want to do.
On really nice warmer sunny days, place them outside. Let that wind rustle through their leave, or stalks. (Depending on whether they lost all their leaves or not.) Let them enjoy the rays from the sunshine and take in all of that fresh air. The evening comes, take them back in. Do this until we are clear of anymore frost. I always say we are the safest by Memorial Day weekend. That seems to be the magic weekend in May.
So now that our treasures have made it outside, once again, now it’s time to give them the royal treatment. Here is what you are going to do in order to have a beautiful thriving plant once again. They survived those grueling brisk months with you, you owe it to these little gems.
Clean your plant thoroughly, then take the whole plant out of the pot/planter.
If your are keeping the same planter, here’s what you do:
Take it out of the planter. Put new fresh potting soil in the bottom of the pot and mix a little time release fertilizer in there. Take your plant and break up the root with your hands. Place the plant back into the same pot, and place fresh potting soil around the top of the plant. (I show a detailed step by step process in my video above.)
If you are bumping it up to a new, bigger planter, here’s what you do:
Bumping your plant up to a bigger container is what I suggest! Placing your plant in a larger container will only give it more room to grow and get bigger. Take your new larger container and fill just the bottom with fresh potting soil. Mix in a little bit of time release fertilizer in there with it. Next, place your little gem of a plant on top of that fresh potting soil. Cover the top of the plant with fresh potting soil. 
Walah!!! Your plant is ready to thrive through another summer season with you. (I show a detailed step by step process of bumping your plant up, in my video above.)
Please feel free to comment and share if you are also a sufferer of this plant hoarding problem. Others would appreciate your tips on what steps you take to have successful plants last year after year. The more knowledge we all share, the greener our thumbs get!
Don’t Forget Your Bloomers in the Shade
Don’t Forget Your Bloomers in the Shade
I have created your complete annual flowering guide, for the season, in the shade. These are always my must haves in the shade. No dark, boring shade garden or container for me! Below, I have shared with you, my live video on shade containers. This video features a professional container designer, my sister, Jennifer Becker. Don’t miss out on the tips we share with you.
I have another surprise for you!
When you finish watching the video, scroll down and receive your gift!
Shaded areas can easily become drab,
dark and boring. I think it’s time to get the party started in the shade!
You no longer just have foliage to fill in your shaded areas. There are so many flowering annuals available now days. Most are low maintenance because you really don’t have to water shade annuals that much. Only water them when they are dry, because they don’t get enough sun to dry them out as often as a full sun plant. Being wet and in the shade can create a plant to just rot off. Signs of your plant starting to rot off are, some brown coloration on the stem and the leaves start looking real droopy.
In the Video we talked about Osmocote Fertilizer, here is my affiliate link to purchase this fertilizer if you would like. Osmocote Plus Outdoor and Indoor Smart-Release Plant Food, 8-Pound (Plant Fertilizer)
You will need it for making a great planter!
Surprise! Here’s your gift. A free Shade Garden Recipe Card.
Today I am giving you a free shade basket recipe. The video explains how to create this basket, and placement of plants. I have also given you a list of some of my favorite plants for the shade if you keep scrolling down. Enjoy!
STOP!STOP!STOP!
Don’t forget about…..
My list of shade favorites!
I love spoiling you guys!
Happy Planting!
If you subscribe, I will lend you my green thumb.
Blinded By The Almighty Flower
Blinded By The Almighty Flower
Lets get pumped up! We are going shopping for flowers today!
You arrive at your local garden center, get out of your car and do your fast paced walk to the nearest cart. The first greenhouse you stop in, you are speechless and overwhelmed all at the same time. Once you get past that, you are ready to dig in and choose your plants for your planters and gardens. Just wait! Before you do that, read on and learn what you need to know about selecting your plants.
You see it. The most beautiful flower. Its the only plant in the group with a flower on it. You go in for the grab. You are officially ‘Blinded by the Almighty Flower’.
Don’t pick your plants out based on whether it has a flower or not. Always go for the most biggest lush plant of the group. They all get flowers eventually. The bigger the plant, the quicker it takes off. A lot of times, the smallest plants, have the most flowers. The 
reason why is the plant is giving most of its energy to producing those flowers, over putting it’s energy into growing as a plant. If you still decide to pick out the plant with the flower, it’s no big deal. It’s still a healthy plant, it will just take a little extra time to catch up. I’m just providing tips to help you enjoy your garden/planters faster, since our growing season is so short. Once you have planted your plants into your garden/planter, I’d even suggest taking all of the flowers off. This will force the plants to put all of their energy into growing in size. Don’t worry, it will produce a lot more flowers after that.
Lets move on to the next thing you need to know before shopping for flowers.
Brown leaves. I’ve heard people say, ‘this plant looks like it’s dying’, so many times! Brown leaves don’t always mean a plant is dying. A lot of plants recycle their leaves, and you have to maintain them by picking the bad ones off. For example, you go to a greenhouse for geraniums. The geraniums are placed real close together in flats. This results in brown leaves at the bottom 
of the plant. When they are grown close together like that, the bottom leaves aren’t getting any sun, which results in brown or yellow leaves. All you do is clean them up, and they are beautiful once again. The only time you should be worried about brown leaves is if it is all the way up the stem of a plant. Then there are real problems there.
Lastly, can we discuss the lanky plants?
For tall, lanky flowering plants, just pinch the middle. This stops the plant from growing up for a few weeks, and forces it to bush out. It’s a great technique! I’ve shared this technique in my video,’How to Create a Monster Basket’
For tall, lanky vegetables, I don’t always suggest pinching. (Even though for many people, tomatoes are the exception.) I’ve had people go as far as saying, ‘I’m not buying those overgrown tomatoes. They look horrible.’ I look over at the veggie plants, and to me, they look great! Yeah, they are pretty tall. Maybe even leaning over a bit. What’s most important is that they are still green and thriving! They just need someone to trust in them and plant them, because once you do, BOY OH BOY! BadaBing! BadaBoom! You are all of a sudden loaded up with so many veggies during your harvest season.
In the beginning, at any garden center, all plants will look like a normal perfect size. By mid to late season, they should start looking longer and lanky. You want to know why? Because if they look too perfect in size by mid to late season, they are getting dosed with growth retardant. Growth retardant stalls a plant from growing for 4-6 weeks in order to maintain that perfect height people want out of a vegetable plant. Are you willing to wait 4-6 weeks longer just to harvest? Heck no! So the next time you hear someone next to you, at a garden center, complaining about the size; you now have the knowledge to tell them what you know. Knowledge, it’s great to have.
Lets say, for example, a tomato plant is tall and lanky. Just dig a small trench in your garden and lay it down. A tomato plant gets roots all the way up its stem. So it will then become one big spread out tomato plant, and it will work like a work horse for you. All harvest long!
I will continue to share all of my knowledge on gardening, with you. If you keep on reading, you too, will become a pro!
This can help too! This is what I use in my gardens.
Farmer Wayne ‘The Vegetable Garden Interview’
Farmer Wayne ‘The Vegetable Garden Interview’
All of your vegetable garden questions are answered by the one, the only, Farmer Wayne
Who is Farmer Wayne?
Ten years before Wisconsin became a state, my family had settled in Racine County. It was 1838 when they planted family roots into the Township of Raymond. Most of the land was still government owned at this time. The pioneers of my family bought 400 acres, and started a farm. Farm life carried on through the family tree, all the way up to Farmer Wayne.
I’m proud to say that, Farmer Wayne, is my dad. He’s a 7th generation farmer. Not only was he the fire chief for Raymond Rescue, he also served many years as the Town Chairman and other positions on the town board. He is well respected and quite the fixture in the Township of Raymond.
When I grew up with Farmer Wayne as my father, farm life was all I knew. My dad was the best farmer to me! I remember cruising on the tractor with him from one field to the next. I remember him teaching me how to plant the fields, keep weeds out and harvest.
As we started growing less in the fields, and more in the greenhouses, I could see he missed his farming days. Today, he now grows a 5 acre garden. He tills it, tends it, and harvests it. He mainly gives most of it away because there is so much! 
Having the garden is his outlet. Farming is in his blood. Five acres is just enough to be able to bring out that good old tractor that he loves to drive. As soon as he is on that tractor, its like sunshine on a cloudy day. Today, he still owns and works full time at, Wayne’s Daughters Greenhouses.
Now that you know who Farmer Wayne is, and why his knowledge is so imperative for us to learn from, lets get started on answering those real questions that were asked by real people!
Question: In a vegetable garden, what should not be planted together?
Farmer Wayne: Just don’t plant tall vegetable plants in front of short vegetable plants. They all need full sun to produce a yield. Being a farmer, I never had a bad experience planting anything next to each other. Now that I am gardening on a smaller scale, a 5 acre garden, I still have not had anything grow bad next to each other. If you are planting a small garden where everything has to be planted fairly close, there are some people who claim some vegetables shouldn’t be planted together. Mainly due to pests and fungal infections.
Casey: Now, I claim that I have a really green thumb, but on this topic, I’m just lucky I guess. I’m lucky that I have never had a problem planting certain vegetables next to each other. Here is a great go to web page for information such as this, and it is very informative. Companion Planting Guide
Question: What Vegetables are Best for pots?
Farmer Wayne: You can really grow any vegetable you want in a pot. Just be sure to fertilize because they aren’t getting the nutrients in a pot, like a vegetable plant does planted in the ground. It needs food and nutrients. Use liquid fertilizer for this. Be sure to place a trellis in the planter for vining vegetables. Your Uncle T, (Yes, I have an Uncle T on the Italian side of my family) he grows tomatoes almost 10 ft high in pots.
Casey: My favorite things to grow in pots are peppers, tomatoes and lemons. Surprisingly, I don’t like growing herbs in pots. I personally feel they do best in the ground during the growing season. I have also found that peppers in containers don’t like a lot of water. Only water when dry, and never water at night.
Question: I have to move my Asparagus. Do I have to wait two years to harvest again?
Farmer Wayne: If you have to move them, then move them in spring time. Then, you have to wait two years to harvest. Just be sure to place them where you will never have to move them again.
Question: My root veggies don’t do well. They grow small and not very deep. What am I doing wrong?
Farmer Wayne: You may have a more clay based soil. Build up your soil and do a raised bed. Mix top soil and potting soil together so your soil isn’t as heavy.
Casey: You can buy large bags of potting soil at Wayne’s Daughters Greenhouses for inexpensive. You know its the good stuff, because they sell the exact soil that they use in everything they grow.
Question: What herbs are perennials in our climate?
Farmer Wayne: Sage, Rosemary, Thyme, certain varieties of lavender, Mint (Very Invasive.)
Casey: Keep in mind, you can grow all herbs indoors during the winter months. Just keep them by a sunny window. Only water when dry, because they can easily be over watered when indoors. If you have questions on over watering, check out my article, ‘The Wilt’ from Over Watering
Question: Our Brussel Sprout plants always grow really well and hardy. No sign of disease or critters. The problem is, we never get actual sprouts to harvest. What are we doing wrong?
Farmer Wayne: Never had that problem. Keep in mind that brussel sprouts are a 110-120 day crop. This is longer than most. The harvest for brussel sprouts isn’t until late fall. Make sure you are seeding or planting this crop early enough to even get a crop off of them. If you still aren’t getting any, then I can’t honestly say what your problem is. Just make sure you are planting Brussels sprouts.
Casey: Farmer Wayne grows the best darn brussel sprouts! If this becomes an ongoing issue, feel free to ask for him during your next visit to Wayne’s Daughters Greenhouses. Also, keep in mind, if you buy your plants from a greenhouse that has their veggie plants shipped in, your plants may be stunted. Check out my article, ‘Shipped In VS Homegrown’
Question: Can vegetables help each other grow, if planted side by side.
Farmer Wayne: There are some that believe so, and horticulturalists go into this topic in depth. Just stop over thinking your garden. I have never planted my gardens based on ‘what grows well next to each other’, and I always have an overabundance of fruits and vegetables. I just never plant the same thing in the same spot every year. Which is a farmer’s rule.
Casey: If you are looking to go by the book in your garden this year, follow the guidelines in the link I have attached for you to view. Companion Planting.
Question: What is Farmer Wayne’s Favorite Vegetable? What does he do to ensure great quality?
Farmer Wayne: Who asked that question? (laughter) I’d have to say my favorite vegetable is corn. To ensure great quality, you have to start out with great seed. Don’t start off with some cheap stuff out of some store. I suggest Harris Moran Seed company. That’s what I use.
Casey: My dad is the seeder in the family business. He knows his stuff. Take his advice.
Question: What do I do about a low vegetable yield? I think it may be my soil. I have reaised beds and top soil was dumped in there 5 years ago.
Farmer Wayne: Take soil to county office and have tested. Use dry fertilizer, Triple 10 or triple 19. You can get it at Conserv FS in Kansasville. If you have specific questions on this, come out to the greenhouse and speak with me directly. I will get you all set up and on your way to a successful garden this year.
Casey: You may want to mix some potting soil into that topsoil as well. Fluff it up a little bit and give it some new nutrients.
Question: How do you prevent tomatoes from getting dry rot? Is it true if you pick away the growth between two stems it creates more fruit?
Farmer Wayne: Dry rot can come from a calcium deficiency. Use calcium, it’s a dry product that you throw in and mix around into your soil around that plant. You can get this at Conserv FS in Kansasville. Try not to water your plants at night. This may also be the reason for dry rot in your garden.
For your question on ‘pinching’ your tomato plant, there are pros and cons to that. I don’t think it produces more fruit. I haven’t found that to be proven. Being a farmer, and growing fields of tomatoes, I don’t have time to monkey around with that. I always end up with way more tomatoes than I need. Don’t create more work for yourself.
Casey: Sounds to me like Farmer Wayne just wants you to keep it simple, and go back to the basics. Be sure your tomatoes are always in full sun.
Question: Do you feed tomato plants? If so, what do you recommend?
Farmer Wayne: Yes. I do it twice a year. Right before I plant them, I toss out dry fertilizer. About three weeks later, I side dress the row of tomatoes.
Casey: Side dressing just means, sprinkle the dry fertilizer around each plant on the surface of the soil. Try doing this right before a rain forecast.
Question: What should I do about powdery mildew on pumpkins and other crop vines?
Farmer Wayne: Try to grow crops that are resistant. I get it every year and I still get lots of pumpkins, so I do nothing about it. If I were growing them again for a living, then I would be spraying them. There are a lot of products out there for powdery mildew. I always recommend Conserv FS in Kansasville.
Casey: Every fall, we all go out to Farmer Wayne’s pumpkin patch and pick pumpkins together. It has become a family tradition.
Question: How can I keep the bad bugs out of the garden? We are prone to horn worms, aphids, grubs and the Japanese beetle.
Farmer Wayne: I would suggest using a product called Sevin. That will take care of a lot of that stuff. Go to Conserv FS in Kansasville.
Casey: Be sure to always follow instructions on how to use products that get rid of pests.
Question: If there was one thing you would suggest for gardeners out there, what would it be?
Farmer Wayne: Grow gardens that are specifically for bees. There is such a shortage, and they play a very important role in fresh food.
Casey: There you have it. Farmer Wayne has answered your questions. If you have any further questions, feel free to ask. Follow Me On Facebook for live video demonstrations on gardening tips!
Cut Flower Garden
Cut Flower Garden
Nothing is prettier than a fresh cut bouquet indoors. Buying bouquets week after week can become quite expensive. This year, when you sit down and plan out your vegetable gardens, plan out a garden for your cut flowers as well. Decide where it’s going to go, and what you want to plant in it. Not only will it provide you with beautiful flowers, but it will also provide nature the essentials they need in order to thrive. You may start seeing a lot more humming birds and butterflies. The most important of all, it will also help the bee population.
Deciding on what to put in your cut flower garden is simple and fun. Just ask yourself what colors you like best, and what textures you like best. Thats right, I said textures. Bouquets don’t have to be just cut flowers. They can also be foliages mixed in or by themselves. One of my favorite cut flowers isn’t even a flower. Its a palm from the ‘King Tut’ Umbrella Grass. It makes for beautiful displays in large glass vases because they are so big. I use these on my kitchen table and even on one of my largest mantles.
For summer time, you can mix in some elephant ears or palm leaves to give that tropical feel. Don’t be reserved when it comes to putting a bouquet together. There is no wrong way. My favorite bouquets are when I mix a couple of foliage leaves in with flowering cuts and a few sticks for that rustic flare. I get so many compliments on those kinds of mixed arrangements.
We all know how I love bringing the outdoors in, so if you are that same way then you should definitely be putting in a cut flower garden this year. Since many cut flowers and foliages only last 3-7 days, depending on the variety, here are a few tips to making them last longer.
Always cut your stems on an angle.
Start off with a clean vase, because you don’t want any bacteria growth in the water. This results in your flowers dying out faster.
Remove any leaves on the stem that would sit in water.
Add a little sugar and apple cider vinegar. This gives your cuts some extra nourishment and makes your flowers look fresher for longer.
Add a splash of bleach or vodka. This cuts out any existing bacteria.
Change the water every few days. When you change the water, if you feel your plants are starting to look like they may be close to the end of their life span, you may even want to recut the stems. Be sure to cut them at an angle once again. Also, add fresh cut flower feed when doing so. Always keep fresh cut flower feed on hand.
Lastly, add cold water to your bouquet. Enjoy!
Here are some of my favorite cut flowers and foliages for my bouquets:
Umbrella Grass
King Tut
Elephant Ears
Black Magic
Ferns
Asparagus Fern
Japanese Painted Fern
Zinnias
Daisies
Gerbera Daisy
Shasta Daisy
African Daisy
Dahlias
Coneflowers
Cosmos
Gladiolas
Canas
Delphiniums
Hydrangea
Sun flowers
Allium
Lavender
Caladiums
Planter Season
Planter Season
Here are 5 simple imperative questions you need to ask yourself before heading to your local garden center!
Have you ever been one of those people that is determined to create their own planters? As soon as you get to a garden center, you don’t even know where to start. The hundreds of choices are overwhelming! Well, I can help you stay focused and stay on track, with answering only 5 questions before you even get in your car and drive to a garden center. This year you will be organized and decisive!
1. Will this planter be seen from all sides, or will it just be seen from the front?
This is determined by where you are placing your planter. If its up against your house, it will only be seen from the front. If it’s sitting on a corner of a patio, it will be seen from all sides.
If your planter is only seen from the front, then you will want your tallest plants in back. Then you will want medium height plants in front of the tallest plants. Your low growing or trailing plants will then be placed in front. I sometimes describe this as the ‘waterfall effect’.
If your planters are seen from all sides, then you will want the tallest plants in the middle. You will then want to place your medium height plants in the shape of a triangle, around the tall plants in the middle. The low growing or trailing plants will be planted in a triangle around the medium plants. You are pretty much filling in the gaps between the medium height plants with the low growing trailing plants.
2. Am I willing to spend a lot of time taking care of my planters all summer?
This is something you need to ask yourself. This question will help you determine the kind of plants you want to add to your planter. If you are willing to take time with your planters all summer, then you would be a great candidate for adding more flowering plants to your planters. Flowering plants are more work. You have to ‘dead head’ (pick off dead flowers), fertilize more often(Here is a link to the only fertilizer I use and highly recommend-Osmocote Plus Outdoor and Indoor Smart-Release Plant Food, 8-Pound (Plant Fertilizer)
If you aren’t looking to spend a lot of time taking care of your planter all summer, then you are not a good candidate for having a lot of flowering plants in your planter. You would be better off with things that are low maintenance, but still have beautiful color and texture. Such as, Coleus, an assortment of grasses, flowering succulents, cannas, elephant ears, ferns, caladiums, geraniums, etc.
This doesn’t mean that you can’t go with anything flowering, it just means you don’t want to choose flowering plants that need consistent ‘dead heading’. If you don’t ‘dead head’ most flowering plants, they look dead/messy. 
Luckily, for you, there are a lot of flowering plants that you can use, that don’t need consistent ‘dead heading’. You can always ask someone at your garden center to point you in the direction of flowering plants that don’t need a lot of ‘dead heading’.
3. Will my planter be in full sun, part sun or shade?
When you are shopping for the right plants for your planter, the most important thing to know is if your planter will be in full sun, part sun or shade. This means a great deal to keeping your plants alive.
Full Sun 8+ hours of sunlight
Part Sun 4-6 hours of sunlight
Shade 1-4 hours sunlight
When you know the answer to this question, your plant selection may be split in half. Resulting in an easier decision, because of a smaller selection. You will then be able to focus on just those full sun, part sun or shade plant selections for your planter.
4.What is my color palette this year?
Most people tend to like sticking with just the same 2-3 colors throughout all of their planters and gardens. If this is you, then know those colors before going to your garden center. If you are not a traditionalist, then this is something you do not need to figure out. You should still go knowing what colors look best with your house and landscaping. That is always extremely helpful.
5. How Big is my planter?
Always know the size of your planters when you go pick out flowers. If you can’t remember, then write it down. In fact
, you should be writing all of your answers to these questions down on paper. It’s the only way this article will be beneficial for you this spring shopping season.
I always write down my planter sizes. In fact, I even size them up with my arms. When I pick out flowers, I put them all in one bundle and wrap my arms around them. That’s how I know they are all going to fit. Or take white kitchen string and wrap it around your planter, and mark it with a marker. Then, take that with you to the garden center, and wrap it around your flower selections. You will be able to tell right then and there, if you picked out too many or not enough flowers for your planter. These simple techniques will save you time/money.
Lastly, don’t forget to pick up fresh potting soil for your planter! Using top soil is not a good idea in your planter. Top soil retains too much water, which results in your plants retaining too much water. For you, this means, your plants will die from over watering and root rot. (I go more into detail on over watering in my article, ‘The Wilt’) Also, don’t forget to pick up fertilizer. This is key to a successful growing season. Fertilizer to plants, is like vitamins to us. Good luck this planting season!
This what I personally use and recommend for you!