Thirwood Place News: Patio Paradise: Container Gardening for Seniors

For many, gardening is an art form. Flowers, herbs, fruits, and vegetables make gardens a colorful menagerie of different shapes, sizes, colors, and textures. They are beautiful to look at and delicious enough to eat. Gardening is an activity for all ages that exercises the body and mind and has therapeutic benefits.

Thirwood Place has quite a few resident master gardeners and we have some great ways for them to enjoy their passion. We have raised garden beds on property in the summer, and a well-maintained greenhouse for the colder months of the year as well.

Gardens are peaceful places that reduce stress and anxiety which is great for overall health. It’s an activity that gets your body and brain moving. Motion is lotion and gardening is a wonderful form of mobility training. The artistic process of creating your own container garden is a mental workout as well. Which flowers look nicest next to each other? Should I put the tomatoes next to the eggplant or the cucumbers. Getting the brain juices flowing is great for brain function and keeps you sharp.

There are a few things to consider before you begin your container garden. Will you be keeping your plants indoors or out? How much sunlight does your outdoor area receive at a given time of day? Are my containers compact enough to transport? What types of containers work best for my needs? And, most importantly, WHAT will I be planting? 

For many seniors, especially those who live in a community like Thirwood, container gardening is the way to go. Container gardening provides the most accessibility options and is ideal for smaller spaces and patios or balconies. At Thirwood Place, every apartment has a patio or balcony so any resident who would like to garden can garden.

Vegetables

When it comes to container gardening, space matters. Even if you have an outdoor area, you don’t want to plant something so big that it becomes unmanageable. Vegetables that are more likely to thrive in a pot are peas, tomatoes, carrots, lettuce, peppers and more. One important element to consider is if you want to grow them from seeds too. In that case, you would have to be able to transport the seeds from an indoor area to your container outside.

Additionally, container choice is also a very important decision. Size, shape, and material all come into play. Having accurate measurements of your container area will help you determine the size and shape you require. Material is more of a personal preference. Metal containers are some of the most sturdy for container gardening. But, they can still be heavy, difficult to move, and overheat in the sun creating a potentially dangerous situation for the gardener. Plastic and fiber glass containers on the other hand are lightweight, easy to move, and are durable enough to withstand most outdoor metal conditions. Style matters too. Many gardeners use classic terracotta pots for a more rustic feel to their container garden. Terracotta is porous though so make sure your plants are getting enough water.

Herbs

Herbs might actually be the best option to start with if you’re new to container gardening. Did you know that many herbs actually grow more successfully in container gardens because they are in a more controlled environment? For example, soggy soil can quickly kill a basil plant. When basil is in a container you have more control over soil drainage. Herbs are more low maintenance and tend to be more forgiving than vegetables. Specifically, rosemary, thyme, and oregano require less fertilizer and don’t need to be planted in expensive soil. Additionally, vegetables tend to have one main harvest unlike herbs which you can continually harvest throughout the year.

Flowers

Unlike herbs and vegetables, flowers need six inches of space between each other to thrive. So, the size and shape of container matter a little more. You might be someone who keeps each flower type to its own container. Or you might choose a taller flower in the center of the container and surround it with smaller flowers that complement the larger one in color and size. You can be as creative or strategic as you want, The world is your garden.

Plastic containers are perfect for flowers because they retain moisture better than other styles. According to the the Old Farmers Almanac some of the best flower types to thrive in containers are petunias, marigolds, and pansies. For anyone who doesn’t like the look of a plastic container the Old Farmers Almanac has a suggestion for that too. Buy a larger terracotta pot that your plastic container will fit in and you’ll get the best of both worlds.

No matter what you’re planting gardening is a wonderful activity. With container gardening and the Thirwood Place greenhouse our residents can happily garden all year round.