Pots in the Urban Garden

 
As we pass Summer solstice, the tempuratures are growing and so is everything else.  However, in some parts of the garden, planting can be difficult.  Queen palms are hardy here in Tampa but planting around the base is near impossible with the solid mesh of roots right at the surface. Most urban gardeners have a patio, deck, or driveway in their yard that could use a little softening or perhaps some unmoveable feature that could use camoflage.  In these situations, gardeners reach for the pot.

Every inch of the urban garden has to earn its keep and doubly so for the potted garden.  When you assemble your pots, consider that you can plant much closer and tighter than you might consider in the ground.  There are as many formulas for creating these small gardens as there are plants to put in them.  A few simple ones to consider:

The Anchor

Start with an anchor plant that will be the dominant feature, follow it with character plant that has some whimsical or bizzare feature, and follow it up with something practical like a flower. 

Ups and Downs

Pick a plant that grows up. Pick another that grows down.  Purchase more of one than the other to add interest. 

The Focal Point

Choose a striking plant and cram as many in the pot as you can. This works best with plants that are at least a foot in height and do not appear too small for the size of pot.

Water me!

Stuffing your pots will create a full and lush look, but those plants are going to require more water than if they were planted in the ground.  If you planted in a clay pot, the pot will wick water from the soil and dry out faster still.  For this reason, consider using drought tolerant plants that can withstand the urban gardener's busy life and skip a watering now and then.

The Seminole Heights gardener is likely getting their plants from places like Manny's by the Bay or Home Depot.  Home Depot sells a variety called "Florida Friendly" by Riverview Flower Farm.  You can check out their stock on their website.  Native and non-native drought tolerant plants can be just as enjoyable as other varieties.  Here are a few to consider:

Blue Eye Grass (which comes in white or blue) is a florida native.  Related to the iris, this foot-tall grassy flower provides vertical movement and interest in a pot.  This plant can take the droughts and the floods, which is the lifestyle of a potted garden.

Euphorbia 'Diamond Frost' is not native but there are native varieties of euphorbia that we pull up as weeds here in Seminole Heights.  A popular euphorbia during the holidays season is the poinsettia.  Diamond Frost is closer to baby's breath than the poinsettia in appearance.  It has a lazy, droopy appearance with delicate white flowers.  This is one of those 'character' plants.

Periwinkle (or Vinca rosa) is heat and drought tolerant, can be a perenial in our mild Winters, and responds well to occasional pruning.  This is a Summer-long bloomer that will keep any pot colorful.

Reach for the Sky

Sometimes you want to screen something like a driveway, pipes or wires on your old home, or just to break up a wide expanse of fence or wall.  You need a plant with some reach.  Consider the canna lilly. One variety is native to Florida but most of what you find in the store is not.   Still, they do very well in our subtropical gardens.  This plant has large leaves that range from the simple green to striped pink and orange.  The flowers are big, bright, and showy.  Here you can see a variety with sizzling red blooms and a purple and green striped leaf.  This plant is the stained glass of the garden.  Put it where the sun can shine through the leaves in late afternoon.

Also consider bamboos, vines on trelises, and tall ornamental grasses.  These are all excellent "Ups" and "Anchors".

Double Duty

Along with being beautiful, interesting, and artsy, a pot can also provide food.  Herbs make good filler plants and provide good leaf texture. Some, like purple basil, can provide unique color.  Basil, in fact, can be compact like boxwood or tall and leafy.  It comes in various forms of green and purple. The flowers are white and somewhat showy.  Consider adding this to a pot and you can feed the clippings to your sauces rather than your compost.

And now for something completely different

Your pot can also be a stage for art, incorporate a birdbath, or add some other unexpected element to your garden.  If your patio leaves no place to anchor garden candles or lanterns, you can push the pole into a pot and suspend the lantern over your garden.

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