There are places that can not be decorated without plants in containers — for example, paved squares, city streets, window sills, roofs, balconies, terraces. Basically, for these purposes, annuals are used — and this is justified: bright, abundant flowering all summer, and do not think about what to do with them in winter. Wood plants in containers are not less interesting, but are still not widespread.
Wood in containers
Decorate standard roses or other ornamental woody plants in containers place close to home means to create an atmosphere of a mini-garden. Container plants, unlike planted in the ground, mobile. They can be moved, forming different compositions, including not only plants, but also stones, and sculpture.
If you lose the decorative plants can be removed away from the eyes and replaced by others. For example, trees decorative almonds or forsythia during flowering fabulously spectacular, but after flowering unremarkable.
We can not say that the fashion for trees in containers appeared recently. For example, one of the elements of the manor houses of the past — tubs with trees, and not only indoor subtropical (lemons, coffee), but also with pears, grapes, apricots, peaches…
The containers can be grown relatively thermophilic species — standard roses, scumpia, palm-shaped maples and others, which are often frozen to the level of snow. In winter, they need a period of rest, so they can not be kept in a warm room. In the open ground they are sheltered for the winter, sometimes it is quite time-consuming. With container — easier. You can put it together with the plant into the prepared hole without damaging the roots, remove to cool, but not freezing basement or garage. In this case, the container gives you the opportunity to enjoy the summer plants characteristic of the more southern zones.
Especially often trees in containers can be seen on the streets of European cities. However, usually each such container is supplied with water for automatic irrigation, and the winters are warm — it is not necessary to protect the plants from frost.
But not all plants are well tolerated container growing conditions. If there is no automatic irrigation, it is preferable to drought-and heat-resistant species, with a compact root system that responds well to pruning, which maintains a balance between the underground and aboveground part of the plant. This balance and feeding help him to endure unusual conditions.
All sorts of spices look great in containers and well endure their conditions.
At one time it was believed that houseplants also need a change of scenery and it is better to make them outside in the summer. However, street conditions can be disastrous for them. A sharp change in temperature, light leads them to stress. In addition, some plants even on the usual rearrangement or inversion of the pot or tub react dropping buds (like lemon, for example).
Containers
In order to remove thermophilic species for the winter and move them from place to place, it is better that the container was light, plastic. Usually two containers are used — internal, in which the plant is located, and external — decorative pots (ceramic, wooden, clay, etc.).
Between these two containers formed air layer, which helps to protect the roots of plants from overheating. In addition, when watering excess moisture is stored inside.
The color of the container also matters. Black faster than white, warm up in hot weather, and plants may experience temperature stress. The shape of the container is also important: in round some plants twist the roots at the bottom; to avoid this, it is recommended to use square.
Drying up the earth’s coma is one of the problems when growing plants in containers. To reduce the evaporation of moisture, the earth is mulched with various materials — from a scattering of small stones to pine bark and shells of pine nuts.
More pros
Containers can be useful for forcing plants. In autumn, planting lilac in a container, forsythia, it is necessary to allow them to enter the resting stage, then in December to make the house and, creating conditions of good lighting, heat and watering, you can see them blooming.
Some plants do not tolerate transplantation — oaks, magnolias. For the subsequent planting in a permanent place they are best grown in containers.
Plants in the container provide an opportunity to creatively approach the process of creating a garden. For example, not always immediately imagine the composition of the purchased plants, you can not see how they fit into the garden environment. Container same trees and shrubs can be rearranged as you like, until you achieve the desired effect, and only then planted in the ground.
Assortment
Shrubs are often characterized by limited decorative time, except for those varieties that have beautiful foliage or crown shape. The containers can be grown various varieties Euonymus fortunei, Berberis thunbergii, dwarf forms Juniperus chinensis and J. squamata, Cotoneaster horizontalis, Potentilla fruticosa, Spiraea japonica.
Originally look miniature grafted forms, especially in combination with coniferous dwarfs. They are easier to choose in proportion to the size of the container. For these purposes, suitable vaccinated form Juniperus procumbens ‘Nana’, Larix decidua ‘Repens’, Rhamnus frangula ‘Asplenifolia’. Good different varieties of Caragana arborescens.
Therefore, do not neglect the woody plants for planting in containers — because they have so many advantages.