How to...Make A Container Garden

(This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Miracle-Gro for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.)

Spring is here and summer is on the way! For as long as I can remember, that meant a trip to the greenhouse to buy flowers. My grandparents instilled a love of gardening in me at a young age, and now, nearly a half century later, I still think of them when I plant flowers.


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If you've read my other gardening posts, you know that, unfortunately, I didn't inherit my grandparents' green thumb. Plants tend to have short lives once they come to dwell in my home. Luckily for me, Miracle-Gro has several products that make it much easier for plant killers gardening-challenged people to have beautiful plants.


Every year, we put annuals on our front porch and deck. And rather than doing the same old thing every year, we like to change it up for a little variety. One thing we don't change is the brand of potting soil we use - Miracle-Gro. We've always used Miracle-Gro because we think it's the best and it's what has worked for us. This year, we decided to do fairly large container gardens on either side of the front door, and we have a tutorial for you!

What we used:

• Miracle-Gro Moisture Control Potting Mix
• Miracle-Gro Shake’n Feed All Purpose Plant Food
• 2 large planters
• plants of various heights, suitable for full-partial sun
• empty aluminum cans

1) Since the containers were so large, we filled them a little over halfway with empty aluminum cans. This not only reduces the weight of the containers, but also reduces the cost.

2) Then we added the Moisture Control Potting Mix to a level about 4-6 inches from the top of the container.

3) Next we sprinkled the Shake’n Feed All Purpose Plant Food...

4) and added a little more potting mix and worked them together (just in the top layer of soil).

Now for the flowers!


5) We put the tallest plant, the dracena, in the center of the pot.

6) Next we added three purple salvia around that.

7) Then we placed three yellow lantana staggered slightly in front of and between the salvia. And lastly, around the outer ring of the container, we added some pink and white vinca and one New Guinea impatiens plant.

8) Ta da! Looks great!!


I absolutely love how they look! And just imagine how pretty they will be once the flowers fill out!

Let's face it, folks. We all want our landscapes, porches, decks, and indoor areas to look nice. And it's not cheap to buy containers, flowers/plants, potting soil, etc. You want to make sure that you give the flowers/plants the best chance of survival, so that you're not just pouring time and money down the drain. Using Miracle-Gro products makes me feel like I've given my plants the best chance of not only surviving, but flourishing throughout the growing season.

And you don't have to limit yourself to a regular container for your garden! You can use galvanized tubs, old metal buckets, old boots, a drainpipe, or even a toilet! You can find more fun garden projects on Miracle Gro's Pinterest page. And be sure to check out The Gro Project for downloadable shopping lists and instructions for projects like the Toyrarium, Ukulele Garden, Origami Garden, G.Y.O.B. (grow your own bar!), & Throw Down (you just need to go there to find out what this one is!). Let your imagination soar - but remember that like most things in life, your flowers need a solid "foundation" on which to grow - and Miracle-Gro products can provide that.