Yesterday was the first day of spring, but we all know that winter chills still lurk around the corner, threathening to nip any tender new growth. But, the containers in the Madison City Project look wonderful.....and you can certainly see who are the champions. They survived three hard blasts of freezing temperatures and blustery winds. When things weren't bad enough, Mother Nature sent in four inches of snow. I know who are the "come back champs".....the violas...they are strutting their stuff right now. While all of the pansies that I planted are doing well, the violas are out shining their sisters.

One of the reasons I think that all of the container plants are doing so well is the addition of Daniels Plant Food. This is a new fertilizer for me and I love it!!! If I was doubtful, one particular container proved its merits. Aphids had overtaken all but the sedum and the pansies were stunted or dying. After a serious spraying with insecticidal soap, I fed it with Danials. Within three days I could see new lush green leaves and big blooms. A check one week later showed fully blooming plants filling the container once again. By the way, the sedum was happy with the new food and fighting for its space in the container.

I am looking forward to the containers looking their very best for at least the next six weeks. Madison has a number of big events coming up and we need for the City to have on its "Sunday Best". Color change out should happen the second week of May and I am really excited about the new plants that will be part of the new family of containers.

More new projects are coming this way....so stay tuned.

This blog brings on a whole new aspect to my love of container gardening. The Madison Georgia City Container Project began in the spring of 2008 with the idea of just bringing color and excitement to the 34 containers spread throughout the town. It now includes searching for new and unusual plants and partnering with some of the largest growers in the country; helping local growers and retailers increase their sales through the plants visibility; learning which plants will survive the elements and the hazards of city living and sharing that knowledge through garden magazine articles....and now this blog....a way to reach more people and excite them about the joys of gardening.