Best Flowers for planter boxes?

We just moved into a house that has 6 planter boxes on the patio. What would be the easiest and best flowers to plant in them? I was thinking pansies since they are colorful and fairly easy. And if I decided on that, would it be best to remove the dirt that's already in the boxes and replace with new soil?

Best Flowers for planter boxes?
Petunia, silver lace, licorice vine, allysum. A variety of container flowers always looks pretty.



Pansies will reseed every year if you put them in the ground.

Yes I would replace the dirt with new
Reply:Pansies would be a good choice of a hardy, easy, and cheap flower to grow. Make sure your containers have drainage holes in them. And yes, it is probably best to replace the dirt, especially if you don't know what was grown in the container before that and what it died from. Geraniums are also a good plant if you like how they look, planted with dusty miller they are very attractive in some settings. Another of my favorites for containers is called Mexican Heather. It is a green fern type plant that has little purple flowers at the ends of all the leaves. My all time favorite combination in a barrel planter was a Martha Washington geranium, Mexican heather on both sides , purple cape daisies/osteosporum (sp?) in the back, and lobelia and white alyssum in the front. They were very "cool" colors and looked great.

Good Luck!
Reply:I've found that leaving the dirt in the planter box and digging out holes large enough for a terra cotta pot containing a plant is a real time saver. First of all when you water, the soil surrounding the pot stays moist and there is little run off while keeping the terra cotta moist so I water less. I also like the fact that I can remove just one container and replace it when a plant is struggling or dies without having to dig it out. Depending on your sun conditions you can have all kinds of geranium varieties. I have ivy geranium and Martha Washington together in one box so that I get upright plants as well as trailing. If you have low or indirect sun conditions, impatiens work really well in boxes.
Reply:In addition to flowers, also add some beautiful follage. I use sweet potatoe vines in my planters. They hang/trail and are beautiful, just trim them if it gets to long or leggy. They do like moist soil.



Also i use a 15-30-15 granual fertilizer " Colorburst" for all my flowering plants. It is awesome. Just sprinkle some on the top of soil (not at the roots or it will burn them) and it releases into the soil when you water.
Reply:Hi:

Replace the soil in the planters. Use a light weight potting soil with no bark. You can add some vermiculite and humus to the soil. This will help with the root establishment of your plants.



You will want to decide if you want annuals or perennials in your planters. You could do some of each.



Dianthus is really nice in planters. I will link you to the gallery of plant section of my website. There is a page on annual flowers and a page on perennial flowers. There are photos, descriptions and climate zones. See if any of these plants will work for you. Many of them grow in a wide range of climate zones.



You can add a little decorative rocks on top of the soil, or pine straw or mulch. This will help retain the moisture as well as giving your planters a finished look. Think about also add some plugs of ivy in the planters. The ivy will drape over the sides and would be a nice addition to your planters.



I will also link you to the site map of the website. This page has everything that is on the website. Browse through and see if there is any other tips, techniques or articles that may be useful to you. Good luck with your planters and have a great day!

Kimberly



http://www.landscape-solutions-for-you.c...



http://www.landscape-solutions-for-you.c...
Reply:yes replace the soil get the miracle grow potters soil it is the best already has nutrients in it and pansies would be beautyful any kind of perenial would look nice in the boxes go to your local nursery they will help you pick some nice perenials out.