Holiday Gift Idea for the Container Gardener

Now is the time to think about planning for next year's look for those wonderful container and garden planters. If you haven't kept a Journal this past season, now may be the time to start. With the New Year approaching, select a color Journal and start writing down those ideas for new arrangements for next season. We will pass along ideas as we receive them from our friends and customers. Merry Christmas!

Bounty for the Birds in Winter

We are always looking for a creative way to get food out to the birds during the Winter season. One project that even the children love to do is to hollow out a large apple and mix enough birdseed and peanut butter to fill the crater. Make sure that you have enough peanut butter to hold the seeds together well. To attach your apple to a tree limb or hang from a hook, just insert four nails evenly around the apple leaving enough room at the end of each nail to attach string or raffia lengths. There you have it!

Why Grow in Pots and Containers

Just a couple of reasons that I can think of to grow in pots and containers - not all plants are suited to the soil conditions in your garden or the soil in a specific place in your garden. You can have just the soil you want in your garden planter, container or urn. Have the look desired anywhere in your garden setting is just one good reason to grow with outdoor containers.

Container Growing and Holiday Turkey Dinners

It seems that cooking and gardening do go hand in hand! You can grow your own rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) for that turkey stuffing in your garden container indoors and outdoors. The miniature rosemary Christmas trees are everywhere this time of year. You can use your "tree" and decorate for the season and/or just snip off a few stems to use in your turkey stuffing. Rosemary can last many seasons; however, they will need to be moved to larger pots as they get bigger. They are tough little plants and can stand dry climate and low sunlight for a period of time. Keep them watered well. One of the easiest ways to do this is to simply place a handful of ice cubes on top of the soil. The cubes melt slowly and reduce the change of water puddles around the planter.

Quick Visit to the Garden Nursery

Even though it is late in the season, I always get inspired by a visit to the nursery. At this time of year there are so many bulbs available for forcing, colorful plants and arrangement ideas for your planters. Retrieve those garden urns and planters from the storage area and get going.

Design Principles Once Again

Color is critical with any garden container plantings. A very important aspect is to ensure that you harmonize your plants and containers with the color scheme of your home. What is your favorite combination?

Think Spring for Your Containers

Even without the very acid garden soil, you can enjoy these wonderful Azaeleas in your Garden Pot and Planters. Make sure you pot up your container with ericaceous compost first. Azaeleas come in a wide range of colors from pure white, to deep pinks and reds. Some even have a wonderful smell - doesn't that make you think Spring! Plant your Azaelea in the center of your container and surrond it with campanulas that hang over the sides. Top with your compost. After the Azaelea has finished blooming, you have the campanulas for the balance of the season.

Adding Importance to Your Arrangements

Just a simple fact - to add importance and draw attention to an average looking planter or pot arrangement, try elevating and displaying them on columns or pedestals. They take on a look of their own and brighten up any dark corner in your home or out on the patio.

Cyalamen in Your Planters During the Holiday Season

One of the most beautiful plants for your garden containers for the holidays is the Cyclamen persicum. There are a number of different variations of color from white through to pale pink to very deep pink. You may also see them in crimson, salmon and purples. They can hold their magnificant blooms for the entire season and then planted outdoors in the Spring. Make sure that you water well, provide excellent drainage and you will enjoy in your garden pots all year round.

Plant Containers Outdoors in Winter

I had a question about leaving your containers outdoors in winter planed with evergreens or small shrubs. The number one tip: the more soil in the pot the better - again start with the largest one available. The more soil in the planter, the better insulated the roots will be. Wrapping the plants will protect the from the wind, however, will not provide increased insulation. Avoid terra cotta or concrete pots, they will crack, chip and break down with the freezing and thawing over the winter months.

Create a Focal Point with Eye Catching Containers

You can easily create drama and of course an eye-catching corner of your space with planters, urns and flower pots. Place striking plants into your containers and surround with those wonderful trailers. Do you have any planting ideas that you would like to share for your planters?

How to Choose the Right Planter Pot

As a general rule, the more exotic looking your plant, the simpler your container or pot should be - show off that flower. Then, of course, your ordinary plants will stand out in a beautiful urn or planter. Look for great colors and shapes when deciding on the overall look for your garden decor.

Just a Thought for Spring Container Gardening

When you're looking through all those Seed Catalogs at this time of year, imagining what Spring will bring, think about your planters and containers too. Consider dwarf varieties of the plants you love, they are usually very very happy in your plant pots and garden urns.

Garden Urns with Topiary Towers

Place grapevine or ornamental metal topiary towers atop your matching garden urns. Then just string popcorn and cranberries to make your garlands and whirl them around your tree. You can also use your glue gun to attach pine cones, nuts and grains to your "tree". Of course, if you are very creative, place a star atop the tree and you are all set. Wow, now you have a great looking tree for the holidays.

Design Principle – Add Shape and Form to Your Container

Just like any other design, you start with an idea and then with a plan. Your garden containers and planters are no different. It is very important to give your arrangement a shape using your favorite plants. To add form, you can use a wire frame, lovely piece of ornamental trellis or just branches. Whether your garden planters are in a formal or informal setting, think about what style you want to create. Do you have a favorite planting arrangement?

Another Inside Garden Pot Idea

The state of the guest room becomes important at this time of the year. You want to make it special, cozy and fresh smelling for those important people. A great idea is to plant a small pot or container with rosemary. If you are too late in the season to find a fresh plant, just use rosemary boughs to create a small evergreen shape. This adds not only color but fragrance as well to the room.

Christmas for the Birds

Smear peanut butter on all sides of seasonal wooden ornaments that you can purchase in craft or novelty stores. I pick mine up at craft sales during the year. Press dried bird seed, cranberries and nuts into the peanut butter and hang. The birds love it and you have an original feeder.

Finishing Touch for Your Garden Urns

This is a great way to enhance your garden urns this season with those materials found in your garden.  Fill your modern garden urn with soil or sand. Place a piece of chicken wire over the earth/sand.  Now you can begin. Start at the outer edges with your greens alternating around the urn with the different varieties.  Fill to overflowing. Then you can add those other items, dogwood, sumac, hydrangeas and berries.  As you know, I usually find some colored oranments and lace them in groups of three right into the arrangement.  Looks fantastic!

Principles of Design – Pots and Urns

How to add that sense of abundance to your garden containers! Fill your garden pots until full to overflowing with flowers and greenery. The same holds true if you are decorating your modern garden urns for the festive season with dried branches and berries from the garden. If you have the room, arrange clusters of garden planters to give a very generous look to your decor.

Window Box Display – What to Include

If you don’t have a lot of time to decorate your home for the festive season, how about creating a garden window box display. Just take your outdoor planter, and fill with boughs of every kind of greenery that you can find, from cedar, eucalyptus and pine branches. Now you have a varied green background, you are ready to add bright red berries, pine cones and even curly willow to add height. I think that colored bows and dollar store ornaments make it even more attractive. Let me know what you have done with your garden decor for the Season

Festive Look Using Garden Urns

You can add white lights to greenery in your garden containers to create a very festive decoration for the holidays. Your garden planter urn can be left as is, raised on a pedestal or placed on a table to create a very dramatic focal point for your room during the holidays. It is especially welcoming in the entrance/hallway - the first thing your guests see on their way into your home.

Bringing Your Garden Containers Inside

Stop fertilizing your plants in your garden pots once you have brought them indoors: you don't want to encourage growth under weak light. Start feeding them again in late February or early March, when light intensity increases. Water your planters only after they have dried out completely – just enough to keep them alive, then of course, water more frequently when you start to fertilize again. Then back out for the summer! What a joy gardening with outdoor planters.

Garden Planters Are Very Versatile

This is the beginning of the Holiday Season and we’re trying to come up with great holiday decorating ideas using your Garden Planters inside your home. We have searched far and wide for the best garden planters and this year came up with Resin Planters. Guess what, they are lightweight and can be easily moved inside over the winter or cool months of the year. What a bonus! The garden is just filled now with pinecones, grasses and colorful shrub branches. Fill your container and add decorative bows, and holiday decorations. Do you have a garden decor idea for your home? If so, would love to share them with others.

Principles of Design with Urns and Containers

There are specific design decor guidelines that can assist in the decision of what style of garden planter pot works best in certain areas of your home and garden. Over the next few weeks I will try and outline each one for you. Firstly, For the entry: place the same style of garden container or garden planter/garden pedestal combination at the entrances to your home and garden. This will give a wonderful welcome to your home and indicate to your visitors that they are special. There will be no confusion as to where you want them to be greeted.

If you have a particular concern about your garden decor or would like more information about a particular subject regarding your garden, I would be happy to source it for you. So, send me your comments.

Holiday Decorating Idea for Your Front Entrance

Take two garden resin planters or urns and set each of them atop your garden pedestals. Position on either side of your front entrance. For that great look, just place a tall foam cone in each of the garden planter urns, anchor with sand and use florist sticks and wire to attach greenery and Christmas decorations. Very simple, eh? I found this idea when reading my copy of Real Simple Magazine. If you would like to see a picture of how this looks, just cut and paste the following URL into the address bar of your browser - http://www.realsimple.com/realsimple/package/0,21861,1560876-1560975-2,00.html. It will take you directly to the article and the picture. (If you have any difficulties, just let me know.) This idea is very easy to do and creates a sophisticated look to welcome visitors to your home over the holidays. Let me know how helpful this information is for you. I'm having fun finding ideas for my own garden and sharing them with my customers at GardenPlanterStore.com. If you have a particular concern about your garden decor or would like more information about a particular subject regarding your garden, I would be happy to source it for you. So, send me your comments.

Holiday Garden Planter

This is the time of year to go trekking out into those marshlands and select beautiful wild flowers, berries and acorns to fill your Garden Pots. The lightweight Garden Planters are easy to bring inside and fill with those wonderful outdoor treasures. Top off with shiny ornaments and even shells for a great holiday look.

Plant Anywhere with Garden Containers

Create holiday magic right on your front porch. Take one of your decorative garden planters, pop in a lovely evergreen tree, add shiny bows and lights if you've got the urge. After the season is over, you can take off the decorations and leave the green tree in the garden container for interest. If you wish, you can wait for one of those mild winter thaws and plant the evergreen in the ground. It will survive the winter in a dormant stage and be part of your garden landscape in the Spring.

Garden Containers - Amaryllis Time

Early December is the time to start your amaryllis indoors. Bring one of your beautiful garden planters in from the outside and place in a warm bright spot. If you have had your bulbs outside all summer, remove the dead leaves,, pot up in your garden container and add water. If your bulb comes in a box, just plant it up in your most attractive garden pot and continue to water. What a show when the days are short!

Seasonal Garden Containers - Put to Good Use

Rather than stacking up those beautiful garden pots and urns when the weather turns too cold for plants, just think of how wonderful they would be for inside decorating. Create a festive look by adding lights to the base of your planter, then place on a pedestal or column in the corner of a room. Looks great! This impressive decor can easily replace a night light in the powder room over the festive seaason.

Garden Pots and Containers - Another Creative Idea for Their Use

This is another great idea that I discovered from a friend. Just place all those decorative towels or soaps in a small urn or bird bath and put in your bathroom or guest room. Great store for the towels for when the birds are "down south". The lightweight resin urns work best - can be easily cleaned moved about as seasons change.

Indoor Ideas When the Weather is Not Good for Gardening - using your Planters

Just don't like to see mybeautiful flower pots sit idle over the Winter - I store my firewood in my Ellis Planters. The wood is always handy and dry for the next chilly evening. This Planter is double walled and definitely sturdy enough - looks good beside the fireplace too. Its rectangular shape is perfect for all those logs and kindling.

Seasonal Ideas for Those Leftover Garden Planters

Rather than just store all those planters in the garage awaiting Spring, the idea occurred to me to recycle. Now I have a garden urn in the front hall - a great catchall for umbrellas, canes and of course the small broom for sweeping up those leaves and snowflakes. Does anyone have any garden planter suggestions to share?

Seasonal Decorating and Garden Decor

Here we are... It's November! and here we are looking for ideas to decorate our home and garden for the Holiday Season. We saw on our last walk a ton of Free Pine cones. Sticky as all get out but then again, someone said that if you bring them in the house to dry and warm up that they open up and look just great.

Now if that is the case, don't you think that they would be rather pleasant if you filled a Garden Urn or Planter that you are not using right now and sprinkled them with pine essence, and or place a candle with a protective hurricane glass in the middle. Well we tried it and it does look fantastic in our vestibule. That said. Any other ideas out there?