NORTH TEXAS (CBSNewsTexas.com) - As the summer heat rises, pools have become one of the favorite places to escape the heat. So why not add some color to everyone's favorite party?
Container gardening is simple and flexible. There are literally thousands of flower and leaf color combinations to play with. You can plant in the sun or in the shade, then move your container until you find a suitable place. When you feel the need to freshen up the look, simply plant it in the existing soil and start over.
However, there is one big caveat about container gardens. It's communication. In the heat of summer, they need to be watered every day, so make this a morning routine. Be sure to add a water-retaining agent such as humus or vermiculite to the soil. In our history, callow nursery soil has been used specifically for this purpose. If you want to make a homemade version, read the ingredients (warning: there are a lot of ingredients).
Also, many of these containers require a lot of food because they hold all summer flowering plants. I recommend a high nitrogen fertilizer in slow release granular form. Here's an example from Calloway's website. If you work on the soil, you should do it every month.
Watering from the bottom of the container and providing moisture to the roots not only promotes deep roots and plant strength, but daily watering prevents the removal of nutrients from the soil.
Callow's Jennifer Hatalski has selected three of the hardiest summer annuals to grow in the area. When choosing plants, remember the motto of the article: "Stir, fill and pour." For the central plant of "happiness", she used three red pentas (they are also pink and white). I like pentas because they handle both full and partial sun and don't seem to mind the heat too much.
Hatalsky introduced me to a special type of catharanthus called Sori Kawai, a type of periwinkle with small flowers and leaves. They are hardy, like the common swallowwort found in North Texas. This flower is known to withstand the Texas heat. These were container "filler" plants, slightly smaller than tall pentas.
As a "residue", the perfect indicator for this task is a branch of sweet potatoes. The classic lime green is a bright favorite, but this plant also comes in purple and dark green. These plants are cheap and grow explosively.
The combinations are endless and so are the color palettes. That's what makes container gardening so fun, it's a cheap and easy way to add color to your pool. Make sure you get into the habit of watering them every day, and if the heat makes them suffer, be prepared to move them to a better place.
You can find more of Hatalski's container gardening tips on her weekly blog.
I also want to thank our news director Billy Sexton, a fellow gardener who often shoots these stories with me. The pool and accompanying garden areas come from her backyard.
