A touch of colour can have a powerful effect, especially in areas that usually do not support plant life. It can make commercial complexes more welcoming and apartment buildings and condominiums feel more relaxed and friendly. It can even make the noise, pollution and hubbub of the city melt away. Transform your drab concrete patios, and courtyards, entrances and walkways, pools and spas into urban oases with a few strategically placed planters and baskets brimming with annual and perennial colour. Your only limits are budget and the imagination of your designer.



Clearly, patio pots and hanging baskets offer plenty of perks, but these high-style creations must be designed and maintained carefully to maximize your investment. Grafting haphazard colour creations and underestimating your maintenance commitments are possible hazards that you can evade if you plan carefully and pay close attention to detail. Vibrant colour is catchy. When sprinkled elegantly in planters, it is practically irresistible to the eye. You can get a lot of bang for your dollar with the right combination of colours when patioscaping or transforming a plain looking entrance with beautiful potted flowers.

The instant gratification of containers and baskets makes these add-ons even more appealing. Emphasize colour for beautiful results that don't take a lot of planning or design work. You can make a big impact quickly in a limited space and on a limited budget, without the mess and fuss of an earthbound garden. There are lots options are available in low, middle and pricier, high-end selections.

While pots and hanging baskets may be relatively simple to plant, it is important to pay attention to their ongoing maintenance. Be especially careful with watering, as plant needs can change rapidly based on heat waves, dry weather, downpours and frosts. When plants go down, it happens fast. In 90-degree weather, a plant may be lost in as little as one day. Containers lose moisture more quickly than earthbound beds, and should be fertilized more frequently.

You may need to visit your quite regularly - ideally three times a week - for pruning, deadheading and watering. Deadheading or periodic trimming ensures a continuous bloom and keeps your plants looking tidy.

Depending on your plant's environment and individual needs some professionals recommend fertilizing every three weeks with a good all-purpose liquid fertilizer. If regular maintenance is not on your agenda make sure to use a slow-release fertilizer.

Terrace gardens may need watering every day and some need water twice a day. For extra insurance, use subirrigation or drip irrigation. It's as simple as filling your subirrigation systems and monitoring the sprinklers to make sure they come on. Your efforts will be paid off with an urban home environment filled with colour and life.