A four-season container garden is a great way of using any planter year round.  The principles behind this type of gardening are simple.  Using the plants of the season to design a multi-functional container garden is a budget friendly way of gardening and works in any area and for any season.

The first step to any container or planter garden is to use the best material you can afford.  Sturdy containers and/or planters with drainage are a must.  Also having a container trivet on wheels will help any homeowner to move around large containers through the patio, porch, or garden space.  Soil is another important component to any successful container garden.  Using a good quality of potting soil along with compost and sand is all that is needed for a container that will be maintained regularly.  If vacation time is going to be a possibility during the year then add hydrogel to the mix to retain moisture.  Once the soil mixture has been added to the container it is time to start planting the four-season container garden.

Deciding on the size of the container will dictate how much plant material can be used in the container of choice.  Also some of these plants are planted as seeds while others are planted as plants so plan the appropriate room according to what you choose to plant.

Fall

When individuals think of fall the colors of the season come flowing in.  But also the thought of witches, pumpkins, caramel apples, and hot apple cider also enter the mind along with the vegetables of the season.  Container gardens can mimic these memories by planting pansies, mums, flowering cabbage, flowering kale, peas, cauliflower, and assorted lettuces.  Pansies, flowering cabbage, flowering kale, along with peas, cauliflower, and lettuces can add beauty along with a boost to the fall diet if grown organically.

Winter

Winter is a unique time for container gardening.  Most individuals feel that nothing will grow in containers in areas where freezing is a problem but you can still plant in containers and be successful.  The trick to this type of planting is the ability to move the container if temperatures warrant.  Place the trivet on wheels before planting will allow the homeowner to move the container if needed to the garage, greenhouse, or sunroom if needed.

Plants of the season look great in this type of planter but also a little edible surprise never hurts any season.  Small evergreen such as Mugo pine, boxwoods, and Alberta Spruce are excellent specimens to use for this type of container garden.  Also rosemary from the garden looks fantastic in a container garden when shaped like a Christmas tree.  Finish off the winter container garden with red leaf lettuce to not only add that little splash of color but also add a culinary aspect to your planting.

Decorating the chosen plant material with weatherproof ribbon, lights, and ornaments will add a festive touch to the container.  Also staged elements can be added to complete the gardening story such as empty boxes wrapped as packages, Christmas characters, and a sled.

Spring

Spring can showcase the earliest flowering plants and cole crops.  These include pansies, assorted bulbs, flowering kale, flowering cabbage, along with peas, spinach, leaf lettuce, and green onions.  These combinations may be brief but the beauty that they bring after a long winter is what poets write about.  Also combining what is typically viewed as flowers and mixing them with edibles extends the use of any container garden.

Summer

Summer is a beautiful time to display flowers but also plants that add textual interest and culinary delight.  Begonia, marigold, germanium, vinca are great flower choices while coleus adds additional color and sweet potato vine adds an extra dimension to any container.  Nasturtiums, tomatoes, peppers, assorted herbs such as basil; lemon grass, thyme, and parsley also add an edible component to this summer container garden.

The key to the four-season container garden is to make sure that the plants you choose are compatible in nature.  In other words make sure the sun; moisture, and fertilizer requirements are the same for the plants you use in the container.  Also remember another key is the ability to move this container if need be so plan accordingly.  And finally the last key is to use plants that fit the season in a container that fits their size.  So enjoy your four-season container garden and all that it can bring in a simple year.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mindy McIntosh-Shetter has been an Agricultural Science educator, and is a horticulture and/or environmental blogger who earned a degree from Purdue University in Agriculture Education with a minor in biology, and natural resources.  Presently she is finishing up her Masters in Environmental Education and Urban Planning for the University of Louisville while working on her own agriculture/environmental blog.

Other Articles:

• The History of Container Gardening

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