This is a guest post by a friend of ours at NewPro Containers, Sarah Westin.  Sarah is also a contributing author at Cooks & Travel Books.

I live in the Marrott Apartments in downtown Indianapolis, a historic building known for its trademark neon sign. I have lived here for three years, and the only complaint I had was the lack of access to the roof. As someone who grew up in the country, I missed seeing the sky and wanted to start a rooftop garden.

After they received enough requests, they called in some roofing contractors, who sealed cracks, covered the roof with asphalt, and made it a safe place to go. The apartment management allowed me to plant an herb garden on the roof, which added to the aesthetic value of the property. This is how I did it.

Pick Your Poison

I am the furthest thing from a gardener that you will find, so I did some basic research into which herbs were easy to grow. I eventually settled on rosemary, fennel, parsley, mint, basil, sage, thyme and dill. I also bought tarragon plants from my local nursery, and at the urging of my girlfriend, I planted some lavender.

Home Sweet Home

The next step is to find the right pots to grow your herbs in. I found some patio planters from right here on NewProContainers.com. Because of my busy schedule and tendency to forget little things like watering plants, I liked the fact that they had a water reservoir, and since I could buy them wholesale, I saved a lot of money.

Location, Location, Location

Even though I chose herbs I thought would grow on a rooftop, some required direct sunlight while others thrived in the shade. There is little shade to speak of on my roof, but I calculated where the sun would cast a shadow for the longest period of time, and I placed the appropriate plants in that spot.

Get Your Hands Dirty

Buy potting soil and – if you’re forgetful like me – water-holding gels or crystals, and plant the seeds according to their individual requirements. If you do not have packets with printed directions, take a few minutes to look them up on the Internet. After your seeds are planted, place the containers in their designated spots and lightly water them. Depending on the soil you use, you may have to buy plant food.

The Waiting Game

It should be noted that a rooftop garden dries out faster than a land garden, so I recommend checking the soil once a day, and twice on hot days. It took a few watering attempts for the reservoir to be effective, but this and the water-holding gels worked well. Some of the herbs may need to be thinned out after a few weeks, but that’s it.

Once everything bloomed, the rooftop was transformed into a garden in the sky. Some of my other neighbors contributed potted plants and a couple more collaborated to grow some vegetables. We started off working independently, but within a few weeks, our endeavors brought us together as friends and neighbors. Gardening has a way of doing that to people.

The last few weeks we have been discussing outdoor containters. In order to have a little fun and inspire some creativity, I have found pictures of unique outdoor containers. Some are pictures of contianers that are elegant and beautiful and may give you some new ideas for arrangements, others are strange and unique and probably would not be used in a professional setting, but they may spark some new ideas. All of the pictures come from the creative commons on Flickr.com.

Enjoy!

This hanging basket is simple, it is the background that makes this picture spectacular.  How can you use your the settings you work in to create interesting plantscapes?

A generous flowering plant hanging before hills by Horia Varlan

This photo displays an elegant and brilliantly colorful arrangement.  What ways have you used color to add interest to your outdoor containers? Pay attention also, to the height and depth as well as the color found in the container.  What plants or objects have you used in your outdoor containers to create a sense of height?

Flower Pot 201 by silvia_straka

These outdoor containers catch the eye with their bright colors and challenge the onlookers perspective with their size. The giant flower pots dominate their space and cannot be ignored. What tactics do you use to catch people’s eye?

Giant Flower Pots by meddygarnet

This picture offers a unique take on hanging pots.

Plant Hanger by LadydragonflyCC

These clogs are repurposed as decorative planters. What objects could you repurpose as interesting containers.

Clogs as plant pots by nanimo

The ambiance on this patio is created by unique lighted containers.

Cafe Seats with Lighted Flower Pots by sovine5

Two weeks ago we discussed ornamental edibles.  These pretty garden edibles are growing in an old bathtub.

Bathtub Plants by Michael Coghlan

These containers are just a few examples of all of the creative objects and arrangements you can use in your outdoor plantscapes. As you are looking for the perfect container for the spaces that you are shaping and creating, be sure to browse the NewPro Containers Outdoor Planters collection.  There is a large selection of durable, attractive containers in a variety of shapes and sizes. These planters can add personality and charm to you outdoor landscapes.

Please share with us in he comments how you have used unique objects or settings to create memorable outdoor plantscapes, or appealing ambiance for your clients.

When you plan for your outdoor containers, there are many different factors to consider.  Will the container be in the sun or the shade? What size is your container and how many plants and what sizes will it fit? How much space is over the top of the container to accommodate for the height of a tree or shrub. How will you water your containers? Are they situated where they will get wet when it rains? What color combinations will you use? How will you combat pests in your conatiner arrangements? What soil mixes are best for your containers? Your clients, most likely, will not demand the answers to all of these questions, but as you insure that their outdoor containers will maintain their beauty and be easy to care for, you must know these details. One detail you can discuss with your client is the importance of potting soil.

Functions of Potting Soil

According to “The Dirt on Dirt” an article from provenwinners.com there are three main functions of potting soil,

“To hold moisture and nutrients around your plants roots, acting as a reservoir for these critical elements of life in your container garden.

To provide enough air for growing roots to be able to breath and not rot once you plant your container. Most people don’t think about this, but it is critical to have a good amount of air in the soil.  Not enough and usually the plant roots have a hard time surviving.

To support your plant, providing anchorage for the roots. A soil mix needs to settle around the roots of your plant and help hold it in place, so that it doesn’t blow over from the first wind.  However, it also needs to be light enough to allow water and air to always be present under the soil surface so your plant’s roots have a balanced atmosphere to grow in”

The soil you use in a container can help a plant thrive or make it impossible to care for. Depending on the plants in the container and where it is situated,  the soil in the container can easily become too dry, too wet, or too compact. With the proper soil and nutrients, you can avoid these problems and your plantscapes will thrive, with less work to maintain them.

A Resource for Potting Soil Mixes

One way to get just the right amount of materials for your plantscapes is mixing your own potting soil. BackyardGardener.com has many recipes for soil for specific types of plants.  Among the formulas given are the Cornell Peat-Lite mix, and the Cornell Foliage mix.

What potting mixes have been successful for you? Do you make your own potting mixes or purchase pre-made potting?

As you are considering all the factors that go into creating an outdoor plantscape and finding the perfect soil for your plantscape, be sure to browse newprocontainers.com. The  Lechuza Trio Cottage Patio Planter is a great planter for outdoor plantscapes. It can be used with a trellis to create privacy or a windscreen.

Photo Courtesy of Francis Chung

"Ornamental Cabbage 3" by Tony Hisgett

Outdoor containers provide  a wealth of possibility for accenting patios, entrances, walkways, and other outdoor public spaces. As you consider what kind of arrangements will be eye-catching and intriguing, think outside of the box. The color, height and depth of ornamental edibles will draw interest to your outdoor containers. 

Not your average vegetable garden

Often, when people think of container gardens, they think patio tomatoes, green peppers and kitchen herbs. However, there is a wealth of edible plants that are unique and interesting, in varieties full of color and texture. These edible ornamental plants are not meant just to be eaten, but to add life to your outdoor container arrangements. 

Suggestions for Ornamental Edibles

Tasteofhome.comsuggests ornamental peppers as one of their top 10 edible ornamental plants saying,

“Compact ornamental pepper varieties, growing 6 to 20 inches high and 6 to 18 inches wide, are ideal for small gardens, hanging baskets and containers. Unlike their kin, which hang beneath foliage, ornamental plants produce upright clusters of peppers that face the sky.”

Taste of Home also suggests scarlet runner beans, which require a trellis or poles as some sort of support. This would add height to a large container, not to mention the bright red color of the flower.  Another suggestion from Taste of Home is purple ruffles basil, to add some deep colors of foliage to your containers.

Ornamental cabbages and kale can add purple and white hues to your containers and create nice low lying borders.  According to about.com, because they thrive in cooler weather, they also,

“make nice, long lasting replacement plants for spent summer containers”

Don’t forget to consider herbs such as curly parsley to add texture to your container arrangements. Fine Gardening.com suggests silver thyme, as an herb with a lovely summertime flower, that can cascade from the edge of a container.  They also suggest  ‘Berggarten’ sage as one of it’s top 10 ornamental herbs. It grows to 2 feet tall and could be used as a backdrop for a variety of other colorful plants.

What have you used?

As you plan your containers consider combining non-edibles with edibles.  Onlookers will be delighted as they discover the smells, colors and textures of plants that are familiar, yet growing in a new way. 

Let us know what you have tried in the comments.  What unique edibles have you used in your outdoor containers? What types of plants have been successful in your outdoor arrangements? What are the types of spaces where you could use ornamental edibles?

 As you consider new ways to incorporate edibles into your plantscapes, don’t forget to find containers that will complement your arrangements well.  Newpro Containers will be introducing a new line of outdoor planters. We will keep you updated here as the line is introduced. Also,  be sure to stay up to date on all of the latest container  posibilities by browsing Newpro Containers’ website.

 Photo “Ornamental Cabbage 3″ courtesy of Tony Hisgett

"Fireworks" by Amani Hasan

Having recently celebrated Independance Day in the United States, the  government is on our minds. As we celebrate with family, picnics, barbecues and fireworks, we are reminded of how the United States came to be and of the people that spend so much time and effort in the government moving us forward. You may be wondering what the government has to do with interiorscaping. Have you thought about the government as a potential client?  We often think of office buildings, apartment buildings and shopping malls among the list of those who may desire indoor plants to add to the asthetics of their spaces, but don’t forget to include government buildings.

Diversity in Government

There is incredible diversity in types of government buildings and the interior landscaping services they may desire.  There are educational institutions, with offices, auditoriums, classrooms and public spaces, that can all benefit from the clean air, and calming environment that indoor plants provide. Government buildings also include municipal buildings, public meeting rooms and spaces, courthouses, and many others. Improving the quality of these spaces through green plantscapes will impact the huge volume of people that move through these buildings.  Local governments also benefit from supporting local businesses, so this is a potential client you should pursue.

Resources for Help

It may be overwhelming to seek out the government as a client with all of the red tape, committees, boards and councils, contracts, etc. however, there are places you can turn to for help.  The Small Business Administration can help you in many areas of owning and operating your small business and they can help you navigate working with the government. Your local Small Business Development Center can also offer free expertise.  According to SBA.gov,

“Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) are partnerships primarily between the government and colleges/universities administered by the Small Business Administration and aims at giving educational services for small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs.”

You can find your nearest SBDC here. All of the consulting services offered by the SBDC are free to the public and confidential, they also offer a variety of courses for a small fees.

Building your Interiorscape Business this 4th of July

As you seek to build your interior landscaping business, it is important that you consider all of your potential clients.  Take the opportunity this holiday week to explore how you can include the local government in your list of potential clients. Who else could you include that you haven’t considered yet? Have you pursued the government as a client? What difficulties have you encountered? What successes have you had? What types of plantscapes have you used for government spaces?

Don’t forget to stop by newprocontainers.com as you make your plans for your interiorscapes and present your ideas to your local governments. Right now the  28″ Fiberglass Fishbowl Planter is on sale, buy 2 and get one for free.

Image, “Fireworks” courtesy of Amani Hasan

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