Garden Blog Carnival
Breaking Out of the Box - Container Gardening

I've gone a bit overboard this year with my containers, but nothing like Elke did. She and her husband took an old junkyard boat and first made it a playground for the kids and now - a container vegetable garden! Talk about thinking outside the box!

There is no easier way to experiment with different plants, textures and color schemes than with plants grown in containers. Herbs always jump to mind, when you think of potting up some plants. The picture of a windowsill lined with clay pots brimming with savory herbs is hard to resist. Not all herbs enjoy the confinement of a pot, but About's Herb Gardens Guide, Amy Jeanroy, can tell you the top 5 herbs for container gardening.

If you're looking for something showstopping to put into a container outdoors, Tree & Shrub Guide, Vanessa Richins, profiles the stunning Princess Flower (Tibouchina Urvilleana). A tropical beauty with 3-5” vibrant purple blossoms, Princess Flower will bloom year round in the warmest zones and can be grown in a container and brought indoors as a houseplant, for the rest of us mere mortal gardeners.

And don't let a lack of space stop you from container gardening either. Combine the best of raised beds and containers with this step-by-step from Landscaping Guide, David Beaulieu. It's a portable raised bed, or as David says, a container garden on wheels. It's perfect for small yards, for flexibility on a deck or just for chasing the sun.

While were talking containers and space saving, Organic Gardening Guide, Colleen Vanderlinden, has a great, inexpensive idea for composting in a garbage container. It's space saving and keeps your compost pile from becoming an eye sore. Save some of it to brew up a batch of compost tea. Small Farm Guide, Tamara Lujan, shares her recipe and fertilizing tips. They say compost tea not only feeds your plants, but also wards off diseases and some insect pests. And tea is easier to use in containers than actual compost.

Enough reading. Get out there and pot up a container or two. Here are my final thoughts on tips for great container gardens. Don't forget to share some pictures with us. Email them to me here.

Photo Contributed by Elke. Used with Permission.