Plant Flowers in a Pot

Having a few inexpensive potted plants on your patio can make a huge difference to the feel of your yard. I know I love to look out from my living room window and see the flowers in bloom. If you live in an apartment having flowers in a pot on your balcony is a great way to dress it up. Flowers in pots generally need more care than flowers planted directly into the garden, so be sure you have the time to commit to their care. If you are not sure how to go about planting flowers in a pot, follow these steps.

Go to your favorite gardening center and check out the flowers. I love our local Lowe's and Armstrong's for a good selection of flowers and all the accessories that you could need.

Choose flowers
When choosing flowers make sure you take into consideration; are they shade or full sun flowers? Where will your pot sit? Out in the sun or in a shady spot? Are they high maintenance flowers? Can you make that commitment? Nothing will survive in my garden if it needs tending like a baby every day. Do you want annuals or perennials? Annuals will last a season and die off; perennials will come back (with care) year after year. Think of the color scheme of flowers that you want, how they will go with what you have already, I love white and purple flowers and they seem to match really well with the light green color of my house, so I am always drawn to those color schemes. Be sure to buy flowers that will do well within your zone. I am in a warm climate so many flowers do well here but if you are in a cooler climate or near the sea, you should do some investigation into what will do well in your area, to avoid disappointment.

Choose potting soil
Choose a potting soil for pots that is porous and well draining. That said, it also needs to retain moisture so that it does not dry out too quickly, especially in warm weather areas. You can make your own potting soil if you wish. There are many good gardening books out there that will give you the 'recipe' to do this.

Choose a pot
Select a pot that is the correct size for the flowers you have decided on, remember that they will need room for their roots and flowers to grow and some flowers will grow much faster and bigger than others, so do your homework and ask about your flowers' growth rate when you buy. I usually err on the side of caution and buy a bigger pot than I need. This will prevent the need for continual repotting to a larger pot. Look for a pot with drainage holes underneath to allow excess water to escape and avoid soggy roots.

Plant the flowers in the pot
Tap the flower container gently to free the flowers, roots and soil from the container it came home in. Pull apart any overgrown and coiled roots that are compacted to loosen them up. Set the roots end into the pot that has been partially filled with the potting soil. The top of the root ball should be about an inch or so from the top of the pot's rim. Add more potting soil to completely cover the roots. Water the flowers thoroughly and place the pot in the desired position in your yard or on your balcony.

Care of potted flowers
If you live in a warm weather area you may need to water the flowers once or even twice a day on hot days. If you have cooler weather once or twice a week may be enough. Potted flowers need regular fertilizing for best plant growth and to ensure continually blooming flowers throughout the season. Follow the fertilizer guidelines carefully. I use those fertilizer sticks that you put into the pot once a month; fuss free and fool proof.