Choosing the right varieties is the key to successful container gardening. Growing container plants from seed is a great way to get your gardening fix when the garden is just getting started.
Before the last frost, most seeds will need to be sown indoors. By purchasing more seeds and fewer plants, you can save money on flowers for your garden.
It's crucial to remember that perennial flowers planted from seed may not blossom during their initial growing season, so be patient.
Annual flowers, on the other hand, should bloom throughout the growing season, and some annuals may even self-seed the following year to produce new plants.
Container-friendly plants are compact, flourish in small locations (such as greenhouses and patios), and yield a lot of food.
Here are a few plant seeds that can be easily grown in containers.
Nasturtium
Nasturtiums can take a lot of abuse, and these tough blooms can put up with anything. The leaves and blooms can be eaten and are frequently used in salads.
However, due to their exquisite smell and vibrant colors, they're arguably more popular as a cut flower.
Nasturtiums can endure poor and dry soil, but they should be watered during long periods of drought. In hot climates, shield them from the afternoon sun.
Because the seeds have a tough outer covering, you'll need to soak them in water for 24 hours before planting them. The seeds will germinate about a week after being planted.
Those with attractive foliage, such as 'Empress of India' (red blooms and bluish leaves) or 'Alaska,' are the most helpful (variegated).
Sweet Alyssum
Because of its tiny, clumping size and persistent, fragrant blossoms, sweet alyssum is a mainstay of container gardening.
It usually comes in white or purple, with a little bit of both. While it can withstand hot summer days, it enjoys mild afternoon shade and wet soils, so combine it with flowers that have similar requirements.
You can straight sow the seeds in your garden a few weeks before the last frost date, or start them indoors about six weeks before the last frost date.
Zinnias
Zinnias are ideal for container gardens since they bloom continuously until the first frost. They can also withstand a lot of sun and dryness.
Their mounding growth style makes them an ideal container filler. After the latest frost date, sow your seeds straight in the garden.
If you want a lot of flowers, sow new seeds every few weeks till June. To get some blossoms early in the spring, plant seeds inside four to six weeks before your expected last frost date.
To avoid disease, space your plants so that they have sufficient air circulation, and deadhead the spent flowers to encourage more flowering.
Moss Rose
These blooms create an excellent ground cover for a sunny location. They are drought-resistant and require little maintenance.
They're even deer-resistant, and pest and disease problems are rare as long as the soil is well-drained. After the last frost, sow your seeds straight in the garden or start them indoors.
Blooms will begin in the summer and last until the first frost in the fall. You can either deadhead the flowers to stimulate more blooming or leave part of the spent blooms on the plant to encourage self-seeding.
Cosmos
Even if you don't live near a meadow of wildflowers, you may still enjoy their untamed beauty this summer by growing them in a container.
This arrangement features bright pink cosmos, globe amaranths, and pincushion flowers, all above a thick bed of beautiful green sheet moss.
Cosmos are excellent cut flowers for bouquets and bloom throughout the summer. Although they're annuals, they usually self-seed.
They'll even grow in poor soil, making them genuinely low-maintenance flowers. Sow them in the spring after the last frost, or start them inside six to eight weeks before the last frost.
Plant them in an area that is protected from high, damaging winds, then remove the spent blooms to ensure that they flower for a long time. If you want the plant to self-seed, leave some of the bloom heads on the plant.
Cilantro
In addition to flowers, several herbs can be grown easily from seed. If you like to cook, you will want to grow these herbs from seed so that you’ll have plenty on hand to add to your culinary creations.
This plant leads a double life: its seed is considered coriander, while its leaves are called cilantro. In either iteration, it’s a tasty and useful herb.
Cilantro requires a pot with a depth of at least 12 inches and a width of at least 18 inches for it to take root. A plastic pot will assist hold water and keep the plant moist, satisfying the plant's need for humidity.
Once planted, the herb grows quickly and will bolt, or go to seed, sooner than most. To keep a constant crop, you can plant the seeds every two weeks or so.
Marigold
Because marigolds are annuals, you'll have to plant them every year. If you maintain them deadheaded, they'll bloom all summer (remove the spent blooms).
At the conclusion of the season, save some of the seeds to replant the following year. Flowering may slow down during the hottest months of the summer, but it should resume in the fall.
Give your plants some afternoon shade if you live in a hot environment, and keep the soil uniformly moist.
Marigold seeds are long, light, and easily blown away, so sow them in a draft-free location. After the last frost, wait to place your marigold seedlings outside.
Calendula
These blooms range in color from bright yellow to deep orange, and they make a wonderful container plant or garden edging plant.
After the last frost, put the seeds directly in your garden, or start them indoors six to eight weeks before the last frost date. Season to season, they will self-seed.
If you reside in a hot region, protect your plants from the sun in the afternoons and keep the soil damp. Remove spent flowers as well to encourage more blossoming.
As a colorful garnish, add the edible, bitter blooms to soups, salads, or rice dishes.
