Gloria Daniels - Container Gardening Month by Month

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Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2014 Gloria Daniels

All rights reserved. No part of thispublication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in anyform or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or otherelectronic or mechanical methods, without the prior writtenpermission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotationsembodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial usespermitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to thepublisher.

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Published By: Gloria Daniels

May, 2014

INTRODUCTION

Its been a pleasure compiling this containergardening guide for you. Ive been gardening for over 50 years, andthis guide is the accumulation of many years of experience. Ivekept a garden journal for as long as I can remember, and now that Iam downsizing my life, I needed to decide what to do with theseyears of journals. I wrote this guide for myself, and then decidedit might be just the book other people might be looking for, so Idecided to publish it for public use.

This container gardening calendar will be ofhelp to you as your garden grows larger every year. Containergardening is addictive, and if the container bug grabs you, youwill always be on the lookout for a new container or garden spot tofill.

There are many variations in each gardeningarea. Check the monthly lists both before and after the currentmonth to see if these procedures are more in line with your localgardening schedules.

State extension offices are a great resourcefor gardeners. They have free materials and classes in all types offarming and gardening techniques. Search for your County OfficeExtension Area on Google to find your local office.

There are many ways of finding the correctinformation for your area. You can do research online. You can askquestions at your local nursery or garden center. Your localgardening clubs are always ready to answer your gardening queries.You can also ask advice from your neighborhood gardener if you haveany questions or doubts about the timing of any listed tasks in acertain month.

JANUARY

Since this month stands for new beginnings,your container gardening calendar for January focuses on planningfor a new season. If the seed catalogs haven't arrived by now,they'll show up in your mailbox shortly. What a great way to spenda winter evening - sitting in a warm, cozy house, curled up withyour favorite beverage and a pile of seed catalogs, dreaming of theperfect garden you will have next season!

Ordering seeds is one area where you do notwant to procrastinate. This is definitely one area where the oldmaxim, "he who hesitates is lost", holds true. Who amongst us hasnot had the experience of putting off ordering flower or vegetableseeds, only to get the dreaded message: "out of stock" Don't be theone who misses out because you thought there was plenty of time. Atthe very least, order your usual standby flower and vegetable seedsand if you want to browse the catalogs and experiment with newvarieties at a later time, you will at least have your basic seedstock in hand.

One way to know how much seed to order and tokeep track of your preferences is to keep a garden journal. You maythink you'll remember your seed orders from year to year but thatis just not so. In this age of information overload, it's very easyto forget even your favorite varieties so be sure to keep goodrecords for future years.

Below is a partial basic listing of flowersthat can be started from seed, suitable for containergardening:

Ageratum

Alyssum

Campanula

French Marigold

Nasturtium

Pansy

Pot Marigold

Snap Dragon

Sweet William

Sweet Peas

Nicotiana

Re-evaluate Your Stock of GardenContainers

Take the time to go through your stock ofcontainers. Are some of them becoming shabby? Did some terra cottaor ceramic pots break last season and are now in need ofreplacement? Have some of your permanent plantings outgrowing theirgarden containers?

Now is the best time to shop nursery andgarden centers while the stock of containers is at its peak. In amonth or two, these centers will be a hub of activity. Right now,you can shop at a leisurely pace and have the choice of the beststock available to you.

Planning your Garden Layout

It's not too early to begin to think of howyou want to place and plant your garden containers. Using graphpaper or computer software, make a basic layout of your gardenlandscape and the placement of your containers. Use this as a guidefor ordering plants, seeds, and containers for the upcomingseason.

Do this task now while you have the break ingardening chores. Enjoy this leisurely pastime to the fullest;knowing it will save you a ton of time and stress during theupcoming busy planting season. Gardening without a plan will oftencost more since you will be scrambling to pick up plants at thelast minute. If you ignore this step, you will either find yourselfpaying premium prices at the height of the season, or at the otherend of the spectrum, buying the dregs of plants and hoping theywon't die before you get them planted in the ground.

Force Some Spring Bulbs for Color andScent

When ordering your seeds or visiting yourgarden center, pick up some Paperwhite Narcissus, Hyacinths, orLily of the Valley bulbs for some easy to force spring flowers.These bulbs are especially easy to force in water, and the scentand color of spring they bring to your home make it well worth theeffort.

Miscellaneous Tasks for January

If you've planted bulbs for forcing, check tosee if they are ready to be brought out and enjoyed. See theNovember calendar for more information on this subject.

Also check your tender bulbs such asbegonias, gladiolus, or caladiums you have stored in your basementor garage. Remove any rotted or diseased bulbs immediately toprevent the spread of disease.

Don't forget to clean and dust your indoorhouseplants. If you have dry heat, mist them regularly or give theman occasional shower to keep them happy and productive.

So that's the end of our container gardeningcalendar for January. Enjoy this time for some leisurely dreamingand planning of the glorious spring days soon to come and theabsolutely perfect garden you expect to enjoy next season!

FEBRUARY

February is perhaps the dreariest month ofthe year for gardeners. Despite the gloomy weather, there are stillthings a dedicated gardener can do to keep up interest in this areaand improve the container garden. The tasks in the containergardening calendar for February are mostly maintenance andpreparation for the busy gardening season to come.