Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary, How do your Planters Grow?

We all have that one neighbour or friend. You know which one I’m talking about. The one who always has the perfect looking planters. No matter what season, their pots are always full, blooming, beautiful and just the perfect piece to finish off the landscape. How DO they do it?

Creating beautiful seasonal planters intimidates many people. With so many options and varieties out there, where does one know where to begin? Take a deep breath. We’re going to give you some tips and techniques to ensure that your planters not only look amazing, but also make the process much less complicated than finding that one perfect formula we so often tell ourselves it requires.

Three starting tips that you can bank planter success on are:

Use potting soil. While it is a bit more expensive than other bagged soils, it will pay you in the long run. It assists with better drainage and provides the nutrients potted plants need.
Remember to fertilize. Use a slow release fertilizer when planting and as your plants get bigger, supplement with a water soluble fertilizer about once a week. This is how you can keep your blooms and plants looking vibrant and healthy ALL summer.
Water when the top of the soil is dry. Pots dry out quicker than plants planted in ground, and smaller pots will dry faster than large pots. Your plants need lots of water to keep them alive and well! That being said, be careful to not overwater. Continually wet soil can cause the roots to rot, particularly for shade planters. Strike a balance by being attentive to your pots!

One, Two, Three…How Many Plants do I need?

The size of your pot is going to be the main determining factor in how many plants you place into your planters. There needs to be ample room for roots to grow and for the plant to bloom to its full potential above the soil. We recommend the following guidelines to create maximum effect:

10-12 inch planters: 6-8 plants

14-16 inch planters: 8-12 plants

16-20 inch planters: 12-16 plants

Next, let me introduce you to your new best friend: your plant tags. They offer directions on planting space, along with potential height, width and sunlight requirements. This gives you a great idea of how and where to plant. If you find that your plants are beginning to crowd one another out, don’t be afraid to trim them back. I know this can cause any gardener’s little heart to ache, but a small trim of overcrowding plants will help with the overall health and appeal of your planter. (I promise!)

Plants with Personality

When it comes to choosing the plants to go into your pots, colour and texture are the two most important considerations for the best aesthetic appeal. A common suggestion for planters is the “Thrillers, Fillers and Spillers” formula, which dictates placing a tall central piece in the middle, surrounded by shorter, more condense bloomers, and finished off with a trailing plants that spill over the edges of the pots. This is a great pattern, but don’t feel ‘boxed in’ by it either! A pot with one type of plant can also create a show-stopping piece. For example, a pot filled with all petunias or only lobelia can hold it’s own next to a variety-filled planter any day!

The All Important Colour

This is what planters are really about since choosing colour patterns will set the tone of your planters. If you’re looking to create a relaxing atmosphere, darker colours tend to work well. If you’re looking to create excitement, offer eye-catching colour or make a space seem smaller, then brighter blooms are a terrific option.

Complementary flowers, which add great accents or shades to other colours, are your greys, blacks and silvers. Green is another terrific ‘filler’ since it’s pretty much a given colour when it comes to gardening! And then there are whites. Whites are perhaps the most magical, providing the allusion of fairyland in the moonlight, adding a touch of lightness to heavy, large blooms and matching any colour perfectly.

Don’t be afraid to be bold with colour combinations. Click here for a terrific guide that uses the colour wheel for matching suggestions and offers advice on creating particular atmospheres with certain types of flowers.

As always, Royal City Nursery is here to help with all things planters! Our Custom Seasonal Planter team can help make sure your planters are looking their best all year long. Planters can be created at the Garden Centre, or you can schedule an appointment and we come to you. Whether you’re looking for a one-time only arrangement or want to take advantage of our automatic seasonal changes, our team can help!

Call us today at 519.824.4998 or visit us at 6838 Wellington Road 124, Guelph and let us help make seasonal colour easy!