Container Garden Workshop – A Success!

Had a great time sharing container gardening tips on Monday with 20 interested folks from Bostonian Group. 
Kudos to Beth, their Wellness Director, for bringing the benefits of gardening alongside nutrition, exercise and stress reduction. People forget that gardening is physical.  It requires extensive bending, kneeling, digging and planting.  And then there’s the mindful focus needed to choose healthy plants and herbs.  And the end benefit, beauty and satisfaction.  Ahhh…
So I put together a 16″ glazed terracotta pot with snapdragons, dianthus, New Guinea impatiens and vinca minor ivy.  Plus a small herb container with oregano, basil and flat leaf parsley.  Shame on me, I didn’t
take a picture of the final flower and herb containers.  So sorry.  They both came out great.  🙂

Got some great comments and reactions from the audience.  Highlights below:
• People were surprised that plants do not suffer, in fact will thrive better, if the roots are teased out and not left “root bound.”
• It’s okay to gently break apart the plant into smaller sections and plant separately
• Buy the best soil you can.  It’s the home for your plants and the soil should be rich in nutrients.  The best soil contains organic matter – seaweed, peat moss, shells, manure…  Price does reflect quality.
• Don’t forget to fertilize about once a month.
• Don’t be swayed by color alone when choosing flowers.  Look for differences in leaf size and texture, flower height, stem color.  You want your garden and container to look lovely even when the flowers are not in bloom.
• Buy a pot you like to look at empty.  That means you’ll love it full of plants!