Contain your joy of gardening

Do you love the thought of growing a garden but doubt you have the space to pull it off? Don’t despair. You can turn a tiny deck or porch into a beautiful garden with containers.

There are so many unique containers and hanging baskets available in stores. You can even turn objects around the house into creative containers. You’re limited only by your imagination. Old wheelbarrows, interesting antiques, discarded dishes and even an old pair of boots can hold potting soil and a plant.

The trick to keeping soil inside these improvised containers is lining the bottom with a layer of landscape fabric. Most plants grown in the ground can be grown in containers if there is ample space for developing roots.

Plants in containers are especially prone to drying out during hot weather. There is a terrific new product that will help alleviate this danger.

New Jobe’s Crystals® reduce watering and fertilizing needs. The fertilizer-infused polymer crystals absorb 400 times their weight in water. When soil dries, plant roots pull moisture and nutrients from the crystals as needed. This unique delivery system ensures plants get a consistent supply of water and food. One application feeds plants for up to six months.

Mix the suggested amount of Jobe’s Crystals into the soil when planting. They can also be added to existing containers. A little goes a long way — one 6-inch pot calls for one teaspoon. Each Jobe’s Crystals package contains 52 teaspoons. Find them at your local garden center or chain retailer.

You can use containers to avoid costly landscaping mistakes. If there are unusual plants or flowers you’ve always wanted to grow but weren’t sure they’d grow well in your area, purchase one or two and try them in a container first. If lighting conditions aren’t ideal where you’ve placed your “garden,” simply pick it up and move it until you find a place that works.

The versatility of containers can’t be beat. Don’t like the way your plants are grouped together on the patio? Rearrange them. Need an attractive backdrop for a family snapshot? Grab those container gardens and put them to work.

It will be hard for you to contain your joy when you see how practical and easy container gardening can be.