Johnson's Garden Centers Text File document - copyright 2006
PDF file available at http://www.johnsonsgarden.com/advice.html#flowers

Container Gardening
    Gardening in containers is a great way to add color and natural
beauty to your environment. Accentuate a deck or patio with colorful
pots of annuals. Fill window boxes with trailing blooms so you can enjoy
the view from inside and out. Take advantage of the flexibility of
container gardens to decorate an area for a party and then move them
back after the festivities are over. Use containers on steps, balconies,
fences; and around trees, mailboxes and flagpoles.

    1. Select a container that has a bottom hole for drainage.

    2. Use a well-draining potting mix such as ferti-lome Ultimate
       Potting Mix.

    3. Add a slow-release fertilizer like ferti-lome Start-N-Grow and a
       moisture-absorbing polymer crystal (Soil Moist), or use a potting mix
       which already has these ingredients. The fertilizer in these mixes is
       very minimal so remember to fertilize during the season with Daniels
       Plant Food (10-4-3) or ferti-lome Blooming & Rooting (9-59-8) soluble
       plant food.

    4. Choose your plants according to the sun exposure they will receive--
       full sun, afternoon shade or shade. (See below for plant suggestions.)

    5. Place plants closer together than you would if planting in the
       ground, but allow a little space for growth.

    Check moisture daily. To determine if your plants need water, stick
your finger into the soil. If the soil feels dry give it water until
it's running out of the drainage hole.

Design Tips 
    1. Use a variety of plants for color and texture. 

    2. Plant taller varieties toward the center or back of the container,
       depending on whether it will be viewed from one side or all around. 

    3. Surround the center plant with low to medium growing plants.
    
    4. Finish with trailing plants around the edge.

Annuals for Full Sun (need 1/2 day sun)
     Angelonia, Blue Daze (Evolulus), Cosmos, Dahlberg Daisy, 
     Diamond Frost Euphorbia, Ganzia, Gomphrena, Hibiscus, Lantana, 
     Marigold, Melopodium, Mexican Heather, Pentas, Purslane, Rose Moss, 
     Salvia (Blue), Scavolea, Sunflower, Vinca, Wave Petunia, Zinnia

Annuals for Afternoon Shade
     Ageratum, Alyssum, Begonia (bronze leaf), Celosia, Dahlia, 
     Dianthus, Diascia, Geranium, Heliotrope, Margarita Daisy, Nemesia, 
     Petunia, Salvia, Snapdragon, Straw Flower, Sun Coleus, Verbena

Annuals for Shade 
    Begonia, Caladium, Coleus, Impatiens, Lobelia, Mimulus, Torenia

Accent Plants (most work in afternoon shade to shade)
     Asparagus Fern, Dracaena Spike, Dusty Miller, Fiber Optic Grass, 
     Ivy, Licorice Plant, Sweet Potato Vine, Swedish Ivy, Wandering Jew, 
     Vinca Vine