By Kelly Allsup

EUREKA – Are you interested in learning about Container Gardening? Go to the Woodford County Extension office in Eureka on Friday June 1 at 1:30 P.M. to see a presentation by University of Illinois Extension horticulture educator Kelly Allsup. Please call the office at 467-3789 to sign up. She will talk about container gardening basics, vegetable and herb container gardening and design ideas. Stay after to create your design on paper and maybe get some suggestions.

Container gardening can be a simple and creative way for the average gardener to add color and interest to the home landscape. From a mix of tropical greens in a hanging basket beside the front door to vegetables and flowers growing in a half whiskey barrel, container gardening can fulfill your horticulture needs. When starting a container garden consider growing conditions, mature size of plants and functionality as well as color, texture and height. For instance, impatiens would never be combined with sweet potato vine (vine with large leaves come in chartreuse, bronze, russet and black) because impatiens require shade and sweet potato requires sun. In addition, sweet potato vine would be too aggressive for the impatiens to compete with.
When designing, plant in three’s. Use three containers grouped together of varying sizes. The large container is placed behind the small and medium container in a triangular pattern. Containers should complement each other but not match. Each container should be planted with only one or two kinds of plants. For instance, the larger container may have a cordyline (tall burgundy spike) surrounded by dragon wing begonias (easy to grow begonia with red and pink flowers). The medium planter would consist of only euphorbia (airy plant with numerous small white flowers) and the smallest planter would contain a croton (glossy multi-colored tropical plant). Fit all the containers together to create the larger picture.
When designing an individual container, incorporate a thriller, filler and spiller element. A thriller is the star of the pot usually the boldest, most colorful and the tallest plant. It is planted in the center or the back of the container. A filler is the plant that provides the texture and highlights the thriller and is planted around the thriller. The spiller creates a little drama by trailing down the pot and is planted on the edge. For instance, the thriller would be coleus (colorful and crinkly leaves), the fillers would be dipladenia (large red flowers) and compact basil and the spiller would be creeping jenny (chartreuse foliage).
In addition to annuals, use tropical plants, perennials, woody ornamentals, vegetables, herbs and trellised climbers. Most tropical plants can be used when putting together a shade container and brought in during the winter. Perennials and woody ornamentals can be transplanted into the ground in late fall after being used in containers. Many vegetable and herbs are not only edible but very ornamental. Trellised climbers are a wonderful way to add height to any outdoor space.
One of the benefits of growing in containers is the ability to create a soil profile. Use good quality and well- drained soil. Imagine if you were a root, would you want to grow in heavy and wet soils. At time of planting incorporate a slow release fertilizer and use a liquid fertilizer once there is evidence of growth. Water less when plants are small and more when plants are bigger. Pinch at time of planting and again 2-3 weeks after, if more compact plant is desired.