Container Gardening Essentials
Below you will find a helpful guide to container gardens, with suggestions from our garden expert. For more information and how-tos regarding container gardens, please visit the University of Illinois Extension.
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Whispering Hills' own flower expert Shelley Isenhart has come up with the perfect guide to container planting, and it starts with three words.
Thrillers, Fillers, and Spillers: Steps to a gorgeous container garden
-Thrillers, not to be confused with the talented dancing corpses in Michael Jackson's hit video, are tall, interesting plants to be placed in the center or back of a container. Good thrillers add a central, eye-catching element and include ornamental grasses or tall varieties of coleus.
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Diamond Frost Euphorbia |
Sweet potato vine, a stunning spiller |
-Use high-quality potting soil in the container and add a granular, time-released fertilizer such as Florikan's Dynamite.
-Maintenance is the key to a successful container garden. Stressed container plants will look the part quickly, so it's important to practice 'deadheading' - the pruning of dead blooms - and water frequently. Probe the soil with a finger every other day to check for moisture content.
For more information on container gardening, visit the guide at the University of Illinois Horticulture Extension.
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