Rooftop

Like balconies, rooftop gardens experience weather extremes, such as heat. But full sun is great for vegetables and herbs. Consider putting up a sturdy trellis to protect your plants, make sure you've got a water supply nearby and mulch around the soil.

Wall planting & hanging baskets

There are a variety of lightweight wall-hanging pots you can attach to a wall at the side of a balcony. Remember to plant with trailing vines or ivy so that by midseason, the pot is brimming with growth.

Cherry tomatoes can do very well in a hanging plant as long as you pick a container that's large enough and there's enough sunshine. Beans, peas and cucumbers also do well as these "upside down gardens".

Picking a container

Almost anything can be used, but make sure it is big enough and there are drainage holes in the bottom. Poor drainage is the biggest reason most container gardens fail. The pot is best slightly raised off the ground, sitting in a saucer or tray, so that water can drain out of the holes. If the planter has been used before, make sure it is clean before you use it.

The bigger the pot the more you can plant. If the pot is large enough, you can add a small shrub or perennial in the middle where it can be left over winter.

Be creative and think outside the container

You don't have to buy a container. Look around your home or a local garage sale for ideas. Creative containers include old iron or copper pots, wire baskets lined with moss, antique pails, wooden buckets and boxes, an old washtub or even a claw tooth bathtub (for a large space.) Remember, if you can't make drainage holes, insert a flower pot or container inside the more decorative piece.

Preparing your garden

1. At the bottom of the container, place "chunks", course grit, stones, sand, broken clay pots. This helps drainage because it pulls excess water away from the roots. If the container is very large and you're worried about its weight, Styrofoam "peanuts' work well.
2. Fill the container around and above the chunks with soil. Don't use dirt of garden soil, but a container of "soil-less' mixture from a garden centre.
3. Leave about an inch at the top so you have room for watering.
4. Arrange plants with larger ones in the middle or at the back; vines and smaller plants near the rim.

Design Tips for Flowering Planters

Think "contrast".
• Pick out plants with an assortment of leaves that range from dark green to bright lime green. Make sure you've got a red/burgundy leafed plant and perhaps a couple with variegated leaves.
• If you have room for 12 plants, don't pick 12 different ones. 3-4 varieties are best.
• All plant colours go together so don't over-think it. You can always move plants around later, plus you learn as you go.
• Pay attention to the various leaf colours and textures. Pick spikey leaves (Dracaena) as well as trailing leaves (ivy).
• Add a bit of interest, like a ceramic frog or miniature garden gnome!
• Make sure you group more than one container together, with large pots, shorter as well as wide ones. Select varying textures of terra cotta, glazed pottery, wood, etc.

Maintaining your container garden

• Water to keep moist but not soaking. There are soils available that keep moisture levels high, but be careful, too much water is usually far worse than too little.
• Feed from 6-8 weeks after planting right into autumn. Pick a slow release granular fertilizer that lasts the season.
• "Deadhead", meaning pinch off the flowers after they bloom to encourage more blooms.
• Spray or mist regularly (plants love this). If you're worried about insects, mix a ½ tsp. of dish soap into the spray.
• If a plant dies, remove it.

Reliable container combinations for flowers

• English ivy, geraniums and lime green "sweet potato" vine (Ipomoea).
• Multi colour coleus, black "sweet potato" vine (Ipomoea) and Petunias.
• Containers full of various Coleus on their own make a stunning display.
• Silvery leaves of dusty Miller, Trailing Purple Lobelia and Impatience.
• Licorice Vine, Marigolds, Begonias and Dracaena Spikes.

Remember, herbs can easily be mixed in with containers containing flowers or vegetables: parsley, basil, lavender, rosemary and oregano work well.

Reliable vegetable container gardens

When choosing vegetables, the most important consideration is how many hours of sunlight. Never choose a container that has been used for anything toxic! Make sure the container is large enough, and use a "soil less mix" container soil.