Pandemic Gardening: How to Start a Container Garden
We’re all living in unprecedented times. The rise and spread of COVID-19 has reshaped our way of life, impacting virtually every aspect of our daily lives.
Although its popularity has waned in the recent decade as our lives became increasingly busy, gardening has experienced an impressive resurgence in vogue. More and more people are turning to gardening as a means to occupy time, ease pandemic concerns, and live a more conscious lifestyle.
“What people are starved for right now isn’t food but contact with something real. We spend all day on screens. We can’t be around each other at restaurants or ballparks. We can’t even give hugs or shake hands. So, all of a sudden, the appeal of sinking your hands in the dirt and using your body in ways that matter, becomes irresistible.”
Psychological benefits of gardening
Something about sheltering for months in our homes has brought out the Victory Garden mentality in many of us. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), social distancing is directly associated with a higher incidence of boredom, frustration, loneliness, anxiety, and depression. From Trees.com we found that “The hobby appears most beneficial for older adults. Ninety-three percent of respondents ages 54 and older said the hobby has positively impacted their mental health, as did 91% of retirees” (Trees.com, Jan 12, 2022).
And research has shown that spending time outdoors is not only good for our bodies but also for our minds.
Gardening helps settle our minds by keeping us active, reducing our anxiety and stress, and boosting our moods. From Trees.com we discovered that “individuals who began keeping plants during the past year seem to have found a hobby that offers some relief. Eighty-eight percent of respondents who began a plant-keeping hobby said it has had a positive impact on their mental health” (Trees.com, Jan 12, 2022).
Research points to gardening as improving “quality of life, physical strength, fitness and flexibility, cognitive ability, and socialization” in older adults.
Advantages of starting a container garden
Container gardening is incredibly flexible.
Container gardening is portable, affordable, and can be adapted to awkward spaces—perfect for urbanites and many suburbanites.
You can move the pots around during the day so that some plants stay in the shade and others get several hours of full sun.
You can create your own potting soil mix, customizing it with timed-release fertilizer, compost, and worm castings.
You can even tailor planting mix for plants that thrive in more acidic or more alkaline environments. Simply test your soil with a test kit from a nursery or hardware store.
Anything that permits drainage and holds 2 to 6 inches of soil can serve as a home for a plant!
How to start a container garden
First, set a budget.
Let’s start with the not-so-fun task: setting a reasonable budget. As with most things in life, it’s smart to start slow.
Here’s the thing: Your container garden possibilities are endless. Container gardens can start in simple and affordable containers, or they can be grown in more elaborate and expensive conditions. It’s easy to get excited and want to go all in immediately, but you might find that your preferences evolve over time.
Check out second-hand outlets like Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, and even thrift shops, where you can save big on containers and gardening supplies.
Second, evaluate your space.
How much room do you have for your garden?
How much sunlight do those places get?
Where can you place your thrillers (tall, prominent plants), fillers (medium-height plants), and spillers (plants that trail over the sides)?
You want to have plants of various heights and textures, which will set each other off.
One way to add more space and add visual interest? Go vertical!
Double Easy plus 12-inch Leg Extenders (also comes in 6-inch, 18-inch and 24-inch sizes).
Double Easy plus 12-inch Leg Extenders (also comes in 6-inch, 18-inch and 24-inch sizes).
Photo courtesy of @cyrilcybernated.
Third, consider the plants that you want to keep.
Different plants should be grown in different containers.
Consider the size and shape of a plant's root system; whether it is a perennial, annual, or shrub; and how rapidly it grows. (Rootbound plants, which have filled up every square inch of the soil available, dry out rapidly and won't grow well.)
Choose a large pot or tub for a mixed planting, one that will offer enough root space for all the plants you want to grow.
Light-colored containers keep the soil cooler than dark containers. Some plants are especially sensitive to temperature fluctuations.
Photo courtesy of @cyrilcybernated.
Keep these tips in mind for selecting the proper container material:
Clay or terracotta. These are quite vogue and beautiful, but easily breakable with high temperature fluctuations. If you live in the Northern states, you should store your clay and terra cotta pots in a frost-free location to prevent cracking. This material isn’t suitable for hardy perennials or shrubs that you plan to keep outdoors year-round.
Concrete. Concrete is long-lasting and comes in a wide array of styles and finishes. These can be left outside in all weather. Of course, they are very heavy, so don’t plan to move them often. You can even try making them yourself! Don’t use them on your deck or balcony. For a lighter cast concrete pot, mix in vermiculite or perlite, or concrete and fiberglass blends. For a lighter pot with a concrete look, go with hypertufa.
Plastic. These pots and planters are lightweight, cheap, and available in a wide variety of colors, shapes, and sizes. Choose sturdy and somewhat flexible containers. Avoid thin, stiff ones, as they become brittle with cold or age.
Wood. Wood containers are classic, timeless, and protect roots from rapid temperature swings. They’re also easy to build by yourself using single or double raised bed brackets. Choose a naturally rot-resistant wood like cedar or locust, or use pine treated with a preservative. Absolutely avoid creosote, which is toxic to plants.
Metal. These are better for indoor decorative use as an external nesting pot to a plastic or terra cotta internal pot. Metal pots are strong, but because they conduct heat, your plant roots will be exposed to rapid temperature fluctuations.
Conclusion
If there is one thing that we can all agree on, it's that COVID-19, and its downstream impact on our lives, has everyone stressed out and anxious.
On the flip side—it’s a wonderful time to be a home gardener, because you’re home.
No matter your level of experience, a little research, planning, and dedication are all that is needed to take part in starting your own container garden. Whether you have an entire plot of land or just a few window boxes, you too can experience the joy, pride, and health benefits of growing your own food. And you’ll likely feel better too.
Have you tried container gardening? What were the results? We’d love to hear your thoughts down below!
Check out the article from trees.com here!