Patio Gardening – Turn Your Patio into a Work of Art

Simple Patio Gardening Tips You can use to Transform Your Garden Patio into a Masterpiece!

Patio Gardening is much like the painting of a picture. Your childhood art teacher had probably taught you that a good picture should have a chief point interest and the rest of the points simply go to make the central idea more beautiful. Basically, all elements other than the central element serve to form a setting or a back drop. So in patio gardening there must an overall picture in the mind of the gardener of what is desired after the project is completed.

Patio gardening also has one distinct advantage over other forms of gardening in that you can plant your garden patio right in the middle of a place where you normally spend time relaxing. Your patio or deck may be a place where you have barbeques or may be a gathering place for outdoor entertaining with friends or just a place to spend a quiet afternoon or evening. So why not use a garden to decorate your patio or deck.

Patio gardening is also known as container gardening since most of the plants on a deck or patio are normally grown in planters. Keep in mind your patio garden should be placed in an area that will receive six or more hours of direct sunlight daily. Another element to consider is the wind. Containers and planters must be placed in such a manner to prevent the wind from blowing the plants off the patio or deck. This is especially a concern for second floor or higher patio’s or balcony’s.

Another point to consider when designing your garden patio is using plants to add more privacy or block an unattractive view. You can accomplish this by using tall or wide plants, trees and shrubs in strategic areas of the patio, deck or balcony. A trellis may also be added to block the view you wish to control then add attractive climbing plants or vines.

Potted plants can add a special charm to your garden patio. Practically any place that potted plants can be viewed close-up they provide special interest and appeal. Attractive containers used for patio gardening come in all shapes, sizes and materials. However, the most important ingredient in patio gardening is a high quality sterilized potting soil. It should be sterilized to ensure no fungus or insects are present that may infest your garden patio.

The soil should be absorbent enough to hold sufficient moisture and nutrients and light enough to allow for good drainage and air circulation. You can buy a good pre-mixed potting soil or you can mix your own soil for your patio garden. Just add equal portions peat moss, vermiculite and perlite. Mixing your own soil for also gives you the advantage of adding timed release fertilizer pellets to the mix to ensure your plants become established as quickly as possible. Timed release fertilizer is sold from 3 months to over a year in release time so purchase a product that suits your patio gardening needs.

For example, perennial herbs, trees and shrubs would require the longest release time. Short season plants like annual flowers and vegetables would need the shortest fertilizer release time. Be sure to choose a fertilizer high in nitrogen for leafy green plants and one high in phosphorous for flower and fruit bearing plants.

Depending on the climate where you perform your patio gardening along with the season of the year will determine your plants watering requirements. During the hot summer months plants will need more frequent watering. Smaller containers also need more frequent watering since they will dry out quicker in a garden patio.

However, even containers as large as 5 gallons will need to be watered every 3 to 4 days. Cactus and succulents are an exception to the rule and only require weekly watering. You may want to consider investing in an automatic watering system. Battery operated timers can turn on your sprinkler or irritation drip emitters for preset times and you can then discontinue hand watering. Lastly, it is important to remember to always water before sun up or at night. This will allow the water to soak deep into the root area of the soil and avoid the sun from evaporating water from the upper levels of the soil.

A common problem in patio gardening is that container plants have a limited amount of soil and growing space. If conditions of the soil deteriorate for some unknown reason the plants grow will be stunted or the plant will die. In an effort to keep container plants healthy it is important to identify soil problems and correct them if possible.

One of the most common soil problems is a build up of salt in the soil. Salts are deposited in the soil from the use of tap water and fertilizers and will accumulate over time. This condition is evident by a white crust on the soils surface and on the rims and sides of the containers. It is best to just remove the plant from the container and clean as much of the soil off the roots as possible and replant in a fresh potting soil mix.

Another area of concern in your garden patio is not enough drainage which produces a soggy condition in the soil. Again the soil should be removed and replace with a mix which provides better drainage. Moreover, it is advised to regularly change out the soil in all of your containers to avoid other soil issues like fungus and insects living in the soil and harming the roots.

With a little imagination and regular maintenance your patio gardening efforts will pay off with years of enjoyment. Patio gardening is a fun hobby that can be enjoyed by the entire family. With some patience and practice growing plants, tree and shrubs outdoors in containers can be achieved in your own garden patio.

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