Potting Tropical Plants for the Season
The outdoor terraces and stone ledges around my Winter House are filled with potted plants.
This time of year, I always display a variety of warm weather specimens around my home. These tropical plants are usually kept inside my greenhouses where they can be properly maintained, but it's nice to see them outdoors in beautiful ornamental urns during spring and summer. Last week, my head gardener, Ryan McCallister, filled a collection of pots outside my carport. Some of the smaller ones were planted with calla lilies, wild ginger, alocasias, and ferns.
Here are some photos.
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- Before potting anything, Ryan places the plants in their designated spots and positions them in the order that looks best. He selects plants that not only fit the containers but also look good grouped together.
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- Each of these ornamental urns has a drainage hole. It is important to make sure any planter has at least one. Plants will only draw up as much water as they require. Drainage holes serve allow excess water to ‘drain’ out, thus helping to prevent the soil from becoming soggy and causing root rot.
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- Ryan places a layer of weed cloth in the bottom of this urn to protect the vessel itself. This will also make it easier to remove the plant next autumn, when it is put back in the greenhouse for the cold season.
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- Here, Ryan pots up a calla lily, which will flower from early to late summer.
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- The plant is potted at the same depth it was in its plastic container. Ryan uses compost that was made right here at the farm.
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- Calla lilies have smooth, sword-like foliage that looks neat and attractive all season long. This plant fits just right in this container.
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- And don’t forget to feed – I always say, if you eat, so should your plants. Ryan adds a sprinkling of Osmocote – an all-in-one plant solution containing essential nutrients and a unique resin that controls nutritional release.
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- In this pot, Ryan drops a scoop of compost first to weigh down the weed cloth.
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- Then he cuts the cloth to fit – just big enough to line the vessel’s interior but not drape over the sides.
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- Here he pots up a bird’s nest fern to match the four others that share this ledge.
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- The bird’s nest fern, Asplenium nidus, is an interesting plant with long, erect, spoon-shaped, bright green fronds that rise from a central rosette.
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- Here’s a close look at the frond of a crocodile fern, sometimes known as an alligator fern native to Australia. The fern gets its name from the scale like appearance of its leaves.
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- Also on this ledge, an alocasia, known for the distinctive and stunning broad arrowhead-shaped, textured leaves.
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- Next – wild ginger. Ryan carefully removes it from its pot. We always save these plastic pots for storing plants during the off season and for potting seedlings and bare root cuttings – nothing gets wasted here at the farm.
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- Before potting up the plant, Ryan makes sure to loosen the root ball. Loosening, also known as teasing or tickling, the roots before planting stimulates the roots and helps it form a good foundation.
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- He top dresses every pot with some mulch – also made right here at my farm.
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- Wild ginger has large, heart-shaped, deciduous dark green leaves – some varieties with silvery white markings.
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- And every pot also gets lifted off the ledge with wood shims, so water can drain properly.
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- We make our own shims from extra pieces of wood and use them over and over again.
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- Finally, Ryan uses our battery powered handheld blower from STIHL to clean the ledge of any dirt and soil. This blower is less noisy and perfect for around my Winter House.
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- Using potted plants to decorate the outside of one’s home can totally transform a space. These plants will thrive in this location. What did you plant over the weekend? Share your comments with me below.
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