Gardening With Gutner: Happy 4th Of July -- Time To Spruce Up Your Patio

CAMBRIDGE (CBS) - We have made it to the big 4th of July weekend. Are you having a barbecue and lots of people over? Is your patio or deck full of flowers for your guests to enjoy?

If not, now is a great time to visit your favorite garden center or nursery for those last minute touches to make your yard colorful for all who will visit this weekend.

Here at Pemberton Farms (and I am sure at your favorite nursery) we have a large selection of fresh patio size pots full of Zinnia's, Salvia, Cleome, Cosmos, Impatiens, Coleus and mixes of colorful plants that are reasonable priced and easy to just purchase and set out on your patio.

Watch: Gardening With Gutner

The key is getting the right plants for your sun/shade situation. I for one have a patio that bakes in full sun all day and have plants that can both take the heat of the sun and also not dry out when I am at work. Be sure to ask at your nursery which plants require lots of sun or which will do well in shade. You can also create your own planters with some of my favorites like Million Bells, New Guinea Impatiens, Petunias, Bacopa, Marigolds, Gazania and lots more.

Here are some Patio Planter Tips and Advantages:

Tips:

Planters are good for flowers, plants and herbs. Place them on patios, front porches, and balconies. Group them in sets of two and three; they look so much better in clusters.

Garden planters, outdoor flower pots and window boxes come in a large variety of materials, styles and sizes—wood, ceramic, terracotta, fiberglass or resin, clay, concrete and metal—there are so many choices! But did you know that the characteristics of each type will make some better-suited than others. Making the right choices in both planters and plants for the growing conditions, location and size of your container garden will make a big difference in your results.
New production methods and materials result in outdoor planters that are more resilient to extreme weather, lighter in weight and bulk, and offer a greater variety of decorative styles, textures and colors. Look for innovations such as self-watering features, illuminated or extra large and lightweight outdoor planters.

Advantages:

• Add color, fragrance and style to balconies, decks, patios, entranceway or home landscape
• Hide eyesores around your home with planted pots and hanging baskets
• Garden planters can be moved or replanted when displays fade or plants outgrow space
• Less chance of pest damage
• You can take your container garden with you when you move
• Plants not suited to your yard soil conditions can be grown in containers and planter boxes

Simple and easy to enjoy. Head out and spruce up your patio now. The 4th of July weekend is rapidly approaching.

Thanks, Mark Saidnawey