Gardening in creative confines

You’re a responsible gardener and have removed thirsty plants, reduced your landscape and maybe even replaced lawn with gravel. But you yearn for colorful flowers and flirty fall foliage. You can still enjoy a garden, on a much smaller scale and be water-thrifty by creating container gardens. Fall flowers and/or foliage, in eye-catching colorful pots, urns, bowls or the like, can brighten up entryways, decks and patios. Plant edibles such as lettuce and herbs near your kitchen door. Here are five simple steps:

1) Start with large containers so there’s room for enough plants to make an impact. This also helps keep soil from drying out too quickly by raising humidity and reducing evaporation. Check before watering by probing potting soil at least an inch. Water only when dry. Consider adding water-retaining gels or polymers.

Decorate an entry or terrace with a tall design. Tropicanna canna ‘Phasion’ is the major focal point. Ipomoea ‘Sweetheart Purple’ and Ipomoea ‘Sweet Caroline Sweetheart Red’ add dark foliage. Plextranthus ‘Lemon Twist’, coleus ‘Sky Fire’ and Cyperus papyrus add more textural and foliage interest.Todd Holloway for Tesselaar USA

You can buy containers in a variety of styles and materials. If portability is important, consider the lightweight Styrofoam or plastic styled to resemble heavy pots. Or you can convert other objects like tubs or urns into containers by drilling drainage holes.

2) Use good quality potting soil; garden soil may harbor insects or disease organisms. Place pieces of mesh on top of the draining hole or holes to keep out insects, then place a thin layer of crushed rock or gravel at the bottom. This promotes drainage and keeps plant roots from getting soggy. Water, but don’t drown the plants. When the soil is dry below the surface, water thoroughly. Be sure that plants are really getting their moisture. If containers are too dry, water can run out the rim without soaking the roots.

3) Select plants that don’t need a lot of water. You’ll notice that dramatic container gardens are built with at least one tall or vertical plant, several plants that are rounded in shape, and several more that trail below the container. You’ll have lots of choices in plants. Right now, foliage and flowering plants with bright, bold colors are hot. This is great for inland San Diego gardeners because these colors hold up well under the region’s intense light. Coastal gardeners can play with pastel shades of flowers and foliage.

Edibles make simple, pretty and practical container gardens, Here, ruby and emerald lettuces are in colorful combination. You can harvest outer leaves for salads so plants continue to grow. Place in sunny location near kitchen for easy picking. Renee Shepherd

4) Fertilize. You can add a time-release fertilizer or organic mix, if you prefer, at the time of planting. In addition, use a liquid chemical or organic fertilizer of your choice diluted to one-quarter strength, weekly. Plants in containers need a steady supply of fertilizer, especially lettuces and other edibles.

5) You can also create simple container gardens by placing a single dramatic plant in an attractive pot, and then grouping several together. It’s a good way to make a strong statement on a deck or patio.

A container garden can be as simple as this foxtail fern, with alyssum as the cascading accent plant. Monrovia Nurseries

Consider these plants that offer lots of color or texture, while being easy on water: agaves; aloes; camellias; echeveria; ferns like foxtail and asparagus; herbs including lavender, rosemary, parsley, cilantro and dill; liriope; pennisetum and similar flowering grasses; salvias; yucca.

Pinch off dead flowers to increase flower production and prune or pinch plants to shape. Replace individual plants when they’re past their peak of performance.