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Potted flowers rely entirely on you, a detail that we sometimes forget when summer living gets busy. They rely on support for food, water, and shelter, and if you do it well, you can prevent your favorite blooms from fizzling out by mid-summer.
A thriving container garden requires you to be aware of your environment and the placement of your planters. It isn’t a set-and-forget landscaping choice. For us, making small, timely adjustments goes a long way. Here’s how we keep our potted container gardens stay lush, colorful, and healthy from spring until the first winter frost.
Smart Watering and Sun Placement
Hydration and daylight are everything. “Containers dry out faster than the ground, so gardeners must keep a keen eye on them for watering,” underscored Isabel Branstrom, Product Manager, Wave® Petunias and Wave® Pansies.
Some varieties, like petunias, might need to be watered twice a day. “Wave Petunias can handle some drying out between waterings, but if too much time passes between waterings the plants will begin to wilt and this should be avoided,” she added. “If the soil is dry to the touch an inch or so down in the container, it is time to water.”
Wake up 15 minutes early and get out there to start your day. It's always best to water before the sun is intense, because moisture has a better likelihood of sinking deep into the soil before the afternoon heat evaporates it. Watering at night isn’t always ideal, but if you do, focus on watering the base of the plants and not the leaves and blossoms.
Sunlight can be intense (and if the plant doesn’t need full sun, it’ll tell you on Day 1). Different plants have different needs, which isn’t surprising, but it is shocking how wildly different their daylight needs are, so always group plants in a container with companions with matching light cravings.
- Full Sun Lovers: Petunias and marigolds need six to eight hours of direct sunlight to thrive.
- Partial Shade Seekers: Begonias, fuchsias, and coleus prefer filtered afternoon light to protect their leaves from scorching.
- Cool Weather Varieties: "Pansies are truly meant for the cooler season,” noted Branstom. “They’ll be the spreading color you plant in the fall or the first pop of color in your spring! Wave Pansies generally do not thrive in summer’s heat. The high night temperatures will cause them to dwindle. If you can move them to a cooler shade space, that could help you get the most from them if you’ve purchased [your flowers] in the spring”.
Deadhead Before Plants Set Seed
Lots of chatter about deadheading from the garden community. Is it really that important?
Deadheading is just a gardening term for pinching off old, wilted flowers. “Occasional deadheading can help plants produce even more flowers,” shared Branstom. “This is because the plant will put energy back into producing more flowers and not setting seed. Deadheading is simple – once a flower begins to fade, remove it and be sure to include the small stem it is attached to.”
When you remove the fading blooms, the plant stops wasting its energy on reproduction and shifts that power back into making fresh new buds.
For certain varieties, this practice makes a massive difference in how many flowers you get. Plus, it helps keep your containers tidy.
Feed Heavily
Lots of folks fertilize at the start of the season without realizing that containers usually need nutrients into fall. Think of it this way: Every watering session washes nutrients out through the drainage holes. Many potted flowers are heavy feeders that need regular fertilizer; the team at Wave recommends a slow release fertilizer for its plants, and when I met with the team at an event in Chicago, the flowers on site proved how regular fertilizing made a big difference.
How often do you need to fertilize potted flowers?
“Once plants are established, a top dressing of fertilizer can be used to support further growth every 14 days (in general),” recommended Branstrom. “Water soluble options and formulations like 10-4-3 (lower dose) or 20-20-20 (higher dose) can be used. It is important to apply fertilizer according to the label to make sure you do not injure the plants.”
Pair With Companion Plants
Managing pests is also important to the health of your potted plants. Seasoned gardeners turn to companion planting to naturally shield plants from pests—potted flowers and vegetable gardens, alike!
For example, mixing French marigolds into your pots helps repel harmful nematodes and aphids, while sweet alyssum attracts beneficial insects like hoverflies that eat pests. Combining different heights and textures also creates a fuller look that keeps the soil shaded and cool.
“Petunias and Wave Pansies thrive in well-drained soil and full-sun, so the best companion plants are also well suited to those conditions,” noted Branstrom. “Some great companion plants in containers include lobelia, euphorbia, petchoa, sweet potato vine, and dusty miller.”
She added, “Marigolds and sun-tolerant coleus also pair well with Wave plants in containers and in the ground. It can be fun to mix Wave Petunias in with perennials like Perovskia (Russian Sage) for a dynamic landscape planting.”
Companion planting is a technique that I’ve applied whenever possible with gardening. My bible to the topic is Plant Partners: Science-Based Companion Planting Strategies for the Vegetable Garden by Jessica Walliser.
Why Are My Potted Flower Leaves Turning Yellow?
Yellow leaves usually point to overwatering or a lack of nitrogen in the soil. When soil stays constantly soggy, the roots suffocate and can't absorb nutrients, so let the top inch of dirt dry out completely before you grab the watering can.
Can I Save Container Plants Over the Winter?
You can bring tender perennials indoors before the first hard freeze hits your area. Cut them back by half, place them near a bright window, and water them sparingly until spring returns.
