It is very possible to start and grow a spectacular on your roof top or patio. In fact some of the most impressive gardens I have ever seen have been on the roof tops and terraces in some of some of the biggest cities in the world. There is no reason for people that live in apartments or condominiums to pass on all the joys of gardening. Using containers it is possible to create your own little sanctuary in the middle of the city! If you only have a limited amount of space to start a garden these are some steps to maximize your space using containers:

Containers: It is very important to understand that the only limitation of container gardening is your imagination! I have seen people grow plants in home made pottery, old bath tubs, coffee cans, or you can even make your own containers to fit the size of your space.

Hanging baskets: It is very easy to make a dramatic outdoor display by using hanging baskets and filling them with flowering vines and mosses. A popular approach is to take a wire basket that is most often filled with some type of moss and then filled with soil. This approach allows you to plant over the entire surface of the basket including the bottom.

Soil mix: For creating a hanging basket garden you need to buy a big bag of soiless gardening mix. You need to mix this stuff with water right before you plant what ever you are trying to grow…FYI… it is important to note that this stuff can create a real mess so try and do it outside if possible.

Annuals: Look for annuals with short growing heights… it can be difficult to manage tall plants in containers or in a hanging planter. Also, annuals make a great choice because they have such long bloom season so you can show them off all summer long.

Bulbs: Bulbs are interesting because the can be "forced" to bloom when ever you want them to. Most people grow bulbs in traditional planter or flower boxes depending on the amount of space they have. Do you home work because it is possible to plant bulbs with different blooming seasons so you can create a continuous ribbon of color on your patio.

Perennials: Perennials are one of my personal favorites when creating a window box. The great thing with perennials is that when it gets cold you can move them indoors and then back outside in the summer. You should experiment with mixes of bulbs, annuals and perennials to create a planter box that is bursting with color all summer long. As your perennials grow you may want to move them to larger containers so they do not become root bound.

Watering: It is important to keep an eye on your containers as they can dry out very quickly if they spend a majority of the day in the sunlight. It is fairly simple to set up drip irrigation systems that will continuously deliver a regulated amount of water to your planting boxes.

Fertilizing: Its important to note that fertilizers have a tendency to wash out of flower planters faster than they would out of a tradition garden. I normally take a regular garden fertilizer and apply it a half its recommended strength but then use it every two weeks or so.

If you like Gardening....These pages might also interest you:

Allium Directory, Amaryllis Directory, Begonia Directory, Crocus Directory, Daffodils Directory, Dahlia Directory, Hyacinth Directory, Iris Directory, Lily Directory, Tulip Directory

Also see:

A Love Affair With Gardening, Charming Camillias, Firescaping, Gardening for the Family, Garden Rodents, Garden Catalogs, General Gardening Tips. Gardens in the Shade, Hot Summer Cool Garden, How to Plant Leeks, Involve Your Children, Outfits for Gardening, Photograph Your Garden, Plant Care Basics, Using Leaves as Compost, What to Avoid Buying Guide, Cheap Garden Ideas, Creating Garden Berms, Garden Fragrances, Garden Lessons, Gardening for The Challenged, Gardening is Great, Gardening Math, Gardening Tools, How to Use Peat, More About Gardening, Love affair with Lilacs, Organic Gardening, Slow Down and Enjoy, Smart Plant Shopping, Tips for Beginners