by Jed Eane

Created on: April 28, 2008

Containers are a God-send to small gardens. You can grow a wide variety of plants in containers including flowers, vegetables, and herbs. Growing plants in containers means that you're not restricted by the type of soil in the same way you are when you plant directly in the ground. Furthermore, you can move containers around in your garden to follow the sun, if there's no one suitable spot in your garden.

Always use a suitable potting mix when planting up a container. Don't put the container out in the garden until all risk of frost has passed (another great feature of containers is that they can be moved indoors when necessary). If you're planting vegetables, opt for the dwarf varieties of vegetable which are more suited to growing in containers, or choose vegetables that won't have any problem growing in a container. You can grow almost any herb in a container, which is not only a great way to save money on grocery bills but enables you to have useful herbs for your recipes literally on your backdoor step whenever you need them.

Plants grown in containers need a little more attention than those grown in the ground. Make sure that your container plants are regularly watered, especially during hot weather. Also ensure that there is adequate drainage in your containers, otherwise your plants risk "drowning." Given that plants grown in containers have to be watered more often than plants grown in the ground, there's every chance that you will wash away nutrients in the soil so you will have to compensate with an appropriate liquid plant food.

Containers can look stunning in a small garden. If you buy the plain terracotta type of container, you can jazz it up with pretty paint effects, or ceramic mosaics. Use different sized and colored containers to add interest to your garden. If you have the space on your external walls, look for the type of container that can be attached to walls. These will make the most of the limited space and give a burst of wonderful color to your garden spaces. Plants grown in containers need a little more care and attention than those grown in the ground, but they're well worth it. And growing plants in containers means that you don't have to miss out on surrounding yourself with healthy plants and produce when space is at a premium in your garden.

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