Gardening in Pots

Recreate Paradise on Your Patio

People have been gardening in containers for thousands of years. It's part of our cultural heritage. Since the Almighty cast them out of the original garden, human beings have been trying to recreate Eden in all sorts of odd places. Containers make this doable.

Take an imaginary trip back in time, to the hanging gardens of Babylon. Envision the beauty of this terraced pleasure garden built by King Nebuchadnezzar to cheer his wife by recreating the lush greenness of her homeland. Imagine the roof gardens of the Ancients outfitted with clay pots from which lush greenery cascaded over the walls of their houses. Now cast a fresh eye over your own living space. Where might you create a miniature paradise with the aid of a few pots?

A sun drenched patio is ideal, but any available space can be pressed into service. Ferns will grow with wild abandon in a shady nook, even if that nook is in your living room. A mixture of different sizes and types will give the eye a variety of textures to study. Boston fern grows wild in my woods. Every once in a while, I go out, pull up a big clump, and pot it for the screen room. My parakeets enjoy nibbling on it; and it gives the porch a romantic look.

I have a friend who lives in a tiny apartment in the city. She hasn't got a porch so she stashes her impressive collection of house plants just outside her front door in the shady breezeway that runs between the units. This is where they spend the summer months. She and the lady across the way are engaged in a friendly competition to see who can grow the prettiest flowers. It's a pleasure just walking through there. In the winter, the plants make my friend's living room their greenhouse. She grows the shade-lovers because her apartment is a bit dim. I've seen people grow small fruit trees in apartments not much larger than hers, but with brighter light.