6 Tips to Simplify Gardening

Spring is here and we may still be spending more time at home than we were hoping for. With capacity restrictions/reserve in advance tickets needed for many of our local attractions here in St. Louis here, we have been spending more time in our yard (which is often the easiest thing to do with kids anyways). It’s about this time of year with the warmer weather that I want to go rush out and buy flowers & vegetables for the yard. But a bit of planning helps streamline the flower shopping process & saves me time and money in the long haul.

I am by no means the best source for gardening or landscape information, but I wanted to share a few tips that have helped me & hopefully can help you get organized before heading to the flower store.

1.) Simplify with Container Gardening

I have found that planting low maintenance perennials in the ground (ones that come back every year) and container gardening works best for me at this time in my life. Container gardening allows anyone the opportunity to grow plants and requires very little maintenance. Really any type of plant, herbs, or vegetables can likely grow in a pot. Container gardening is a quick fix for a beautiful patio or front porch and can bring color to the smallest of spaces. Container gardening is also an easier way to get your kids involved and it doesn’t require them to dig holes in the ground :)

2.) Plan your Pot Quantity

In the past I would head to the flower store and over-buy because I didn’t account for the number of pots I actually owned or the fact that the ones I did own could only hold one flower. Also after a year of the pots being in a shed, I forget the number I actually own :). So before heading to the store- pull out the pots you own, assess their size, and determine the number of flowers that could actually fit in them. If you are in the market to buy some new pots, considering purchasing pots of different sizes/heights to add visual interest. It is also worth checking to see if your pots have excellent drainage holes & if not consider shopping for a new one when you head to the store. Lastly, when considering your pot quantity, remember your plants will be depending on you for water most days so decide how much time you will have each day for watering. Start small & don’t over commit yourself :)

3.) Decide your Color Scheme

Now that you know your pot quantity, consider the overall color scheme you want across the containers. I really like reds, yellows, and orange flowers against our white house. In the past I would randomly buy flowers of different colors. It still looked pretty but the affect now is more beautiful & coordinated in addition to helping narrow down my choices when I go to shop.

4.) Look at your Sunlight

Personally the type of flowers I like the most are ones that thrive in full sun. I’d buy them and they wouldn’t make it long in my containers or yard because my yard is pretty shaded despite us trimming back trees. Observing how much light your yard truly gets during the day can help you going into the flower store knowing what to look for on that little tag they put in containers. Flower stores often even group their offerings based on whether they are full sun, part sun, or shade plants/flowers.

5.) Find your “go to” Flower Store

Ask around to friends/neighbors to find a place that has a large selection & good prices. It will save you time to get the bulk of what you need at once place. For those reading this in St. Louis, my go to place is Wiethop Greenhouses in Ballwin. They have a huge selection, parking is easy, & prices are great.

Taking into account your color scheme & the lighting in your yard, have fun shopping! It adds some additional visual interest to your container to pick up spillers like some sweet potato vines & alyssums. This article here does a great job at explaining how your flower choice is the “thriller” of the pot and then you surround that focal point with plants that spill over the pot a bit.

6.) Assess what worked & didn’t work

If you can remember, take pictures of your containers once everything is planted and write a note using the Notes app on your phone or another method to denote what type of plants you put in each container. At the end of the season, note what flowers worked or didn’t work in your container..what you liked or didn’t like. That will save time next season when you prep again.

I hope you have a great Spring & Summer! Let me know what type of flowers have worked well in your containers!