Greenbook: A Local Guide to Chesapeake Living - Issue 7 | Page 14

Choose your container. You could buy
the perfect container to meet your plant
plan- terra cotta, ceramic, plastic or any
watertight vessel will do. Or you could
raid the garage to repurpose something
unique and interesting, like watering
cans, metal buckets, vintage cowboy
boots, foot bathtubs, vintage wheelbarrows, antiqued fountains and even old
tires. You can also create your own pot
from polystyrene (Styrofoam) found for
free from area groceries and markets.
Really any watertight vessel with holes
for drainage will do. Here are the basics
of what you will need:
Make sure your vessel has good bottom
drainage. Plants will drown if water
cannot flow past and away from their
root systems. Plan for at least two holes
of about 1" in diameter each. It is fairly
easy to drill holes into most vessels when
necessary.

Photo by Rita Calvert

all, but just by putting down on paper what you like, your final
garden will transform from a loose idea to an image of
possibility.
You will need an anchor, varieties to surround and possibly
trailing tendrils or pops of color to really make your container
attractive.
Prepare soil by creating a DIY potting mix or choosing one from
the nursery. Be sure to go with a soil that drains well and is full
of organic matter and microbes. If your soil mix is very dry,
recondition it by watering and turning it several times, adding
compost or worm castings. Yes, you can use potting soil from a
bag. But generally speaking, you get what you pay