Walk down any neighborhood in America and you can tell which houses are the ones that look homely and inviting. Many people show the extra work they put into their homes by showing their flowers and vegetables in their deck gardens.  The plants just seem to call to you, especially on these lovely spring evenings. You too can easily beautify your deck using simple containers and plants and vegetables.

 Plotting Your Container Garden

Spring is right around the corner and It’s just the right time to plan your garden, so start with picking which type of plants you want. This will depend on what sort of vegetables you like and the growing conditions around your house. There are plenty of ideas, like these and these, for you to play with. You might even find it hard to choose.

Fortunately, there are plenty of plants with a range of styles for different deck gardens. Here are some more combinations that I like:

• Wild Strawberry (or Alpine strawberries) and Wood’s Rose. These are native plants that like lots of sunlight and need to be watered regularly. The strawberries make good ground cover and the red berries match the roses. Rose hips make great teas, too.

• Colorado Columbine and Basil. Basil’s dark green color and wonderful smell will bring out the color of the columbine flowers. These plants like water and don’t mind shade.

• Aspen Daisies and Pasque Flowers. These are flowers that love the sun and don’t need a lot of water. The shorter violet and yellow daisies will match the violet, yellow or white Pasque Flowers.

Once you have picked your plant combinations, you can decide where to put your container garden. Pick a spot that gets at least 6 to 8 hours of sunlight during the day. Most plants need at least that much light.

Container Gardening

Now you can start actually beautifying you deck gardens. Once it is warm and frost-free outside, get seedlings of the plants you want and plant them in your choice of container.

You can use just about any container provided it is big enough and has drainage holes on the bottom. A galvanized water trough makes a nice choice, and it can complement the furniture on your deck. The might pick a container that matches the color of your deck, which could give it an organic feel. You could try terra cotta pots for a rustic look. The container doesn’t have to be huge, just big enough to support the plant.

Fill your container with a mix of potting soil and compost, generally about 1 part compost to 3 soil. Plant your seedlings, than water them. You will have to water them again whenever the soil gets dry to about an inch down. If you can put your finger into the soil up to your second knuckle and stay dry, you need to water your plants. When you do, water them until water comes out of the drainage hole. For an extra boost, you can fertilize your plants two or three times a year.

Makes sure to use a deck cleaner to clean up the dirty water and soil that spills on your deck! nothing takes away from admiring deck gardens like dirty soil all over the deck.

A deck garden is a great excuse to get out and putter around on a new deck, and we have everything you need to make a deck you will enjoy puttering on. If you need to spruce up the deck before putting your container garden on it, contact us. We’re here to help.