How To Container Garden: Get Started Today!
Container gardening, also sometimes called raised planter gardening, is a continuing and hot trend. For over a decade, container gardening ideas have continued to sprout up. Whether it’s adding a splash of color to your urban balcony with a small tub filled with flowers, growing herbs in pots just outside your back door, or creating a mosaic of life and color in your back or front yard, container gardening is a popular pastime these days. Maybe that is because it is ideal for people who live in urban environments, have limited yard space, or small areas of sun in their yards. It opens the possibility to get your inner gardener on and embellish homes without having a wide swath of sunny acreage to till.
But, container gardening is not limited to those of us with postage stamp sized yards. Containers are also being used in large gardens and yards to add extra dimension and design elements, and as a way to change up the garden every year with new annuals set here and there. It is astonishing to see the creativity in container gardening. Both novice and savvy gardeners are taking more risks when designing their containers.
Some notable advantages of container gardening:
- They’re portable. Depending on the size of your container, your plants and flowers are easily movable, should bad weather threaten.
- You’ll have less weeding. You might not have any weeding at all. The contained space keeps weeds out naturally, without any chemicals.
- Diseases won’t spread. Since your plants are in their own houses, so to speak, common soil will not contaminate others if one or more gets diseased.
- It’s a great way to get started for newbies. Digging up a big patch of lawn is a big commitment, and can be a little scary for people who don’t know a hoe from a spade. Knowing what to plant where, which plants should be adjacent and which should be separated, which spread like wildfire and other gardening secrets can be intimidating. There is so much to know before digging up your yard. But putting some colorful flowers in a container and setting it on your front steps? That’s easy, even for the novice gardener.
Tips for starting your container garden
1. Choose your spot
The first thing on your container gardening to-do list is choosing the spot where you’ll put your containers. This will give you an idea of how many containers you should plan on buying. Also, it will show you the level of sun your spot gets each day. That will guide your choices when it comes time to decide what type of plants, veggies, flowers or herbs you’d like to grow.
2. Choose your containers
At Behrens, we offer a wide selection of containers that are perfect for gardening. Now that you know the size of your space and how many containers you need, it’s a matter of your aesthetic preference and needs. Whether you choose shiny galvanized steel or more rustic options, they will add beauty and charm to your garden for years. Galvanized steel patinas over time and blends with nature. Here are a few to choose from:
Planters and tubs. Our beautiful, rustic-inspired trough planters, oval stock tanks, hanging planter boxes, planters with legs, square tubs with stands, and storage and planter cans are durable, 100% recyclable, resistant to rust and rodents, and made from aged galvanized steel. Use these rustic planters for your flowers, plants and herb gardens.
Metalware Classics tubs. Our shiny, silver galvanized steel and hot dipped tubs are perfect for any type of container garden. Coming in an array of sizes, these tubs are durable and made to last. They’re made with galvanized steel that is both decorative and functional, withstands weather, rodents and chemicals and — importantly for you veggie and herb gardeners — unlike plastic containers, galvanized steel will not leach into seeds or food. So they’re salad-safe!
3. Choose your plants
What should you grow in your Behrens containers? Almost anything! Herbs, vegetables, annuals, perennials, even small trees and shrubs. Start by learning your gardening zone and which plants thrive where you live. Then, the sky’s the limit!
Here are some trendy ideas people are using today:
Themed container gardens
Grow different varieties of tomatoes along with herbs like basil, thyme and rosemary, and you’ve got your own Italian cooking garden. Peppers, tomatoes, onions and cilantro — you’ve got a Pico de Gallo garden. Different types of lettuces, cukes and peas? A salad garden. A word to the wise here. You’ll need to make sure your container is suitable for food, so choose our Metalware Classic tubs. None of the Behrens products require a PROP 65 warning, which protects you from harmful lead content.
Dramatic flowers
There’s a term in container gardening: Thrill, spill, fill. In one container, put a dramatic, colorful centerpiece that acts as the eye-catcher; plants that will spill over the edges of your container, like creeping zinnias; and plants that fill in the gaps. Those are smaller plants that provide cover. Try wild and cool plant combinations.
Wildlife habitat
This is a big trend right now. Savvy container gardeners are helping the planet by using plants and flowers that attract hummingbirds, butterflies, pollinators, birds and even pest-eating insects.
Water garden
Turn your gardening space into a Monet painting! This is as simple as filling a container with water and plants that thrive there, like water lilies, frogbit and water hyacinth. You may attract frogs who will sing you to sleep at night.
With the right location, the right plants and the right containers, you can easily turn your backyard into an oasis.
Visit our site today to view our products and find the ones that are right for you.
Behrens on Sustainability
Behrens wants consumers and retailers to know that steel is one of the most sustainable products on the planet. With 70% of domestic steel starting as scrap metal, it can be infinitely recycled with no loss of inherent properties, is rodent-proof, odor-proof, weather and chemical resistant with zero petroleum. All of these attributes make steel a superior material to plastic, a limited-recyclable material that is shown to harm wildlife, oceans and people.
Visit behrensmfg.com to learn more, including where to find a scrap metal recycler in your area. An electronic media kit is available at behrensmfg.com/press.
About Behrens
Founded in 1911, Behrens Manufacturing creates high-quality, well-crafted metalware in Winona, Minnesota. From the past century to today, Behrens is forever forged into the fabric of U.S. manufacturing and remains a tribute to American ingenuity and craftsmanship. Behrens Manufacturing is proud to be the number one steel container manufacturer in America. Visit online at behrensmfg.com to learn more.
