With spring approaching, what are you looking forward to? Exercising outdoors (and not having to bundle up)? The sun setting later? Green grass and flowers blooming?

If spring blooms are your thing, then it may be time to start your very own container garden on your patio or balcony. 

You can create a container garden for flowers, succulents, vegetables, or herbs – and enjoy some time getting your hands dirty, all while creating a beautiful space. Here are some tips that can help you be successful!

• Make Sure Your Containers Allow for Drainage: When you go to pick out some containers for your garden, make sure they allow for drainage. They should have holes in the bottom so that the water does not sit in the pot – which can quickly “drown” your plants.
• Pick Plants That Work With the Light You Receive: Do you know what kind of light your patio or balcony receives? If not, it’s time to find out! Investigate how many hours of sun and shade your container garden area will receive and use this information to help you choose the right plants.
• Use Good Soil: It can be tempting just to pick up any bag of soil and fill your pots, but once you know what you’re going to plant – choose soil that’s specifically designed for your choices. This will help your plants to grow and be healthy.
• Feed Your Plants As Needed: Good soil goes a long way to keeping your plants healthy, but don’t forget to give your plants some additional “food.” 
• Water Regularly: Do you have a tendency to forget to water your houseplants? Then carefully choose what you’ll be planting in your container garden. Most plants do require regular watering – especially as the temperatures increase.
• Read the Plant Tags: When you purchase your plants, you’ll probably notice that most of them have a tag that tells you a little about the plant and its requirements. You’ll be able to learn how much sun or shade it needs, how big it will get, and how much water it needs.
• Pick Healthy Plants: When buying your plants, be sure to look for healthy ones. Green leaves, healthy buds, and stems that aren’t wilting are all signs of healthy plants. Healthy plants will have a better chance of thriving – especially if you happen to neglect them occasionally.
• Pick Plants That Match Your Lifestyle: Do you have to travel for work? Are you forgetful when it comes to watering? Do you like things that are low maintenance? If you answered “Yes” to any of these questions, then you need to be mindful of the plants you choose. Pick plants that match your lifestyle.
• Do Some Planning and Choose the Right Size Containers: Once you’ve picked your plants, do some planning to decide what plants you’d like to put together. This will help you to decide on the right size container. If it’s too small, the plants can end up competing for space, water, and nutrients.
• Loosen the Roots: Lots of times, you’ll find that the plants are “rootbound” in the container that you purchased them in. Take the time to loosen the roots with your hands before transferring them to your containers so they can branch out and get water and food.
• Trim Off Dead Leaves and Flowers: Take the time to trim off dead leaves and flowers. This will help keep your plants healthy. 
• Watch for Pests: Because your plants will be sitting on your patio or balcony, be sure to watch out for pests that can create havoc with your plants. Hit the local nursery or garden center if you find pests. They can make a recommendation to help you get rid of them.

Are you ready to do some container gardening? Then now is the time to start planning! Take a look at your space and use these tips to grow some amazing things this spring and summer.