Planting Made Easy!
A few weeks back, I shared on my instastory all my houseplants and how I care for them. Several of you had detailed questions as to how I go about choosing and planting my new plant babies. So, today I’m going to share my steps on choosing and planting flowers/plants for your home both indoors and out.
From an early age, my dad showed me gardening, planting, weeding and basic yard maintenance by allowing me to work for him and his lawn care business (Lovely Lawn Service). I have always loved the spring and summer months, and the colorful flowers throughout my home and yard make me love these months even more!
For those that haven’t planted before, I want to assure you that the outcome is worth the effort involved. By following my steps you can too create the perfect atmosphere for your flower or plants!
HOW TO SELECT THE RIGHT FLOWERS & PLANTS FOR YOU!
Prior to purchasing any flowers or plants, you’re going to want to make sure you know exactly where you’ll be placing your planters.
Ensure you’re following the flower/plant guidelines closely on the enclosed tag or label (provided on plant). If your planter will be in the sun all day, be sure to select flowers that love 6+ hours of sun (you’ll see this on the label). If it’s a shaded area, again, select the flowers accordingly same applies with indoor/ houseplants.
Keep in mind that you’ll likely only find plants at your local nursery or gardening center that are appropriate for your region. Living in Tennessee, we can use a fairly wide variety of plants in our summer months (especially annuals). But, what I use may not work (or be available) where you live, just something to keep in mind when you’re out shopping for plants and flowers.
I love a variety of colors and textures in my planters, so I buy accordingly. Some of my favorite easy to maintain flowers and plants for indoors and outdoors include; Begonias, Petunias, Hydrangeas, Poppy, Fiddle Leaf Fig, Split-leaf Philodendron, Snake Plant, Peace Lily, Aloe and Succulents.
When shopping for flowers or plants I actually prefer to buy smaller plants (if it’s fairly early in the season). I find that they do better when they are in larger pots as they get bigger, rather than being constricted to nursery pots. I also try to buy flowers that haven’t bloomed yet (look for ones with lots of buds instead). This way, you can enjoy them as long as possible when they do bloom! They may look a little wimpy when you first plant them, but I feel like they take off much more quickly when they start small!
SUPPLIES NEEDED TO POT PLANTS OR FLOWERS
The supplies needed to pot flowers or plants are fairly minimal.
Potting Soil- You’ll need a bag of potting soil (or several, depending upon pot size). We normally just buy what’s on sale, but usually prefer the Miracle-Gro options. Depending on what type of plants you will be planting you may need to switch soil, succulents prefer to remain dry and have a specific soil same with orchids and other indoor plants. If you’re carrying your soil over from prior years (I leave mine in the pots all winter), I usually do a mix of old and new to ensure there are still nutrients available in the pot.
Gardening Gloves- These aren’t necessary, but I always prefer them so I’m not cleaning soil out of my fingernails for days on end. I like lightweight options with a cloth/latex mix when working in my flowerpots.
A small shovel-. Again, this isn’t necessary but can speed things along. I typically just use my hands when working in pots and save the shovels for planting in the ground.
Planters- I’ve collected mine over the years, as they can be quite the investment if you plan to have a lot in your yard, porch or home. I prefer ceramic planters as they hold in the moister for your plants allowing less need for watering.
Fertilizer- I’ve used Miracle-Gro Shake 'n Feed Flowering for ages and recommend this for beginners.
Water-You’ll want to water your plants in as soon as they’re planted, make sure you have easy access to a water pitcher or hose.
HOW TO POT FLOWERS OR PLANTS
Potting flowers or plants is not a long process, if you come prepared and have followed the steps listed above. Once you get the hang of it, you can have a planter completed in less than ten minutes!
Prepare your planter and the soil. When using really large pots, I like to flip an old bucket upside down in the planter before filling it with dirt. Dirt can get very heavy when you need a lot of it, so this helps save on soil and makes the planters a bit more mobile.
Set plants and flowers in their containers in the pot to visualize placement and layout.
Dig a hole for each of the plants. Ensure that the top of your plants’ soil is just slightly below the surface of the top of the dirt. Start in the center and work outwards.
Carefully loosen the roots/base of the plant with your hand. They tend to get pretty packed in their pots from the nursery, so you’ll just want to loosen it all up a bit so they can grow better in your new pot.
Once all plants are planted, it’s time to fertilize! If you buy the bag of the fertilizer, I just take a small handful and sprinkle throughout the planter. If you buy the small version, which also acts as a shaker, you can just shake it a handful of times around the pot.
Water everything in! At this point, the plants have probably started to dry out, so you’ll want to water them (and the fertilizer in). I like to give them a good soak. Then, they’re ready to grow!
Within a week or two you’ll definitely notice a difference!
HOW TO MAINTAIN PLANTS AND FLOWER IN SPRING/SUMMER MONTHS
Now that you have your pots planted, let discuss how to maintain them throughout the spring and summer months!!
Watering is key during the hot summer months. There are many weeks when I have to water my plants daily (if we don’t have much rainfall). But, again, this will be dependent upon your local climate. Most flowers and plants will start to get droopy pretty quickly if they aren’t watered enough, so if you see this occurring, be sure to water ASAP.
I also try to fertilize the planters ever 3-4 weeks. Just a few shakes of the fertilizer, and they are good to go for another few weeks! I try to buy self-sufficient plants that don’t need much ongoing maintenance. However, I still cut off dead or broken leaves as needed.
That’s it. You did it! If I left anything out, feel free to leave a comment and I’ll get back to you with any questions!