This hot and dry time of year can wreak havoc on your fatigued summer containers. Don’t be discouraged by those drooping annuals; it’s easy to rehabilitate your established pieces by removing those spent blooms and adding some color from our Fall Magic collection. Our in-house container gardening expert, Susan Frakes stresses, “The rule of thumb with container gardening is to choose something that will survive in Zone 5. Anything that is hardy to that area will live in a container in our zone (7) year round. I don’t know of anything that does not follow that rule.” It’s easy to find the right fall annual or perennial to refurbish your current planters. Don’t just leave a hole or be afraid to rejuvenate what you have left over from spring. “Everybody is working with holes and tired summer annuals in their containers right now. I have over 250 planters at my house now and they have holes too. I’m filling them in with perennial grasses, Heuchera, and cool weather hardy Petunias,” Susan admits with a smile. We recommend including any of our new four-inch selections: blooming annuals that should get your containers through to the first frost of the season including red and variegated Geraniums, perennial grasses and Heuchera. Consider including some perennial herbs such as Rosemary or Oregano to compliment your current blooms as well as spice up your recipes for dinner. But be forewarned, even perennial herbs won’t last forever in container gardens.

The most important thing to remember in August is to provide adequate moisture and a drainage system as well as to continue with a healthy liquid fertilizer plan, such as Fertilome Blooming and Rooting. With our current heat index it is nearly impossible to over water this time of year unless your containers are not draining properly. If the planter is located in a compacted mulch bed or does not have a drainage hole for excess water, then these issues need to be resolved in order to ensure successful growth. If densely packed mulch is inhibiting excess water flow, simply elevate your container to facilitate drainage. We recommend using a 5/8 size bit to drill a hole in the bottom of most planters. Drainage is of utmost importance as the nature of container gardening requires individual plants to live in close quarters and share a common space. It’s a good idea to continue dead-heading Petunias to flush out new growth and pinch back your Coleus to encourage a more bushy habit. Properly fertilizing your containers obviously depends on your selection of plants. For a spruced-up fall planter with blooming annuals and perennial grasses, we recommend a healthy dose of Osmocote Flower and Vegetable 14-14-14 Plant Food. If you choose to design a winterized evergreen container with a Winter Pansy border, then an Espoma Plant or Holly Tone and Fertilome Pansy Food would best serve.

If plans for your planters include evergreen shrubs, we will be getting in a wide variety of Spruce, Holly, and Boxwood in the next few weeks. When creating something new for fall remember to make sure the container you select is large enough to handle the plant for at least two years. An average rule of thumb is to make the container at least twice as large and deep as the plant’s current pot. Most evergreens and perennials should be planted in a combination of Black Velvet planting mix and a little peat moss. If the pot is extremely heavy to handle, consider putting a few inches of either large chunk mulch or Styrofoam packing peanuts in the bottom before planting, to both take up space and make the pot lighter to move. We also recommend adding Soil Moist to the soil before planting to help sustain moisture during the dry season. Add enough soil to ensure that the top of the root ball will be approximately one inch below the rim of the pot. This leaves room for water to accumulate before it settles into the root system when you water. Loosen the roots up if there is a mass around the bottom. If they aren’t loosened, they will bind up so that the plant will suffer and eventually die. You will need to fertilize more often than what is recommended on the label, since containerized plants use more food than plants in the ground. Keep in mind if you choose to pot up trees or shrubs that they will require large pots and may eventually need to be transplanted to a garden bed. Don’t be afraid to add new life to your stressed and drooping summer containers whether you choose to add fall perennials or winter evergreens. We make it quick and easy for you so that the only dilemma you will face is choosing between all of the blooming and vining varieties we have in our Fall Magic Collection!

Fall Magic Annuals and Perennials currently available in our greenhouse:
Heuchera
Petunia
Geranium (red and variegated)
Lemon Drop
Verbena
Strawflower
African Daisy
Creeping Jenny
Million Bells

Evergreens and Perennials coming soon or currently available in our nursery:
Alberta Spruce
Heuchera
Hellebores
Sedum
Ivy
Vinca Vine
Evergreen Ferns
Carex Grass
Berry Hollies
Sky Pencil Holly
Dwarf Boxwoods