Container Gardening Complete

Job:06-700309 Title: CPS - Container Gardening Complete

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Job:06-700309 Title: CPS - Container Gardening Complete
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Job:06-700309 Title: CPS - Container Gardening Complete

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Gardeners with limited space are sure to appreciate this project. As long

as you have a wall or a fence, there’s a place to grow a gutter garden.

There are many ways to adapt this concept by changing the length of the

gutters, adding more layers of gutters, arranging them in some kind of

pattern, or even painting them.

The most important thing to remember is to choose the right kinds of

plants to fill it. Because the volume of soil in the gutter is so small, look

for plants that only grow to a few inches in height and can handle having

their roots in cramped conditions. A gutter garden is not the place to

grow full-sized plants. Instead, go for a mix of mini-sized flowers, foliage

plants, and edibles. For this project, we used the following plants:

• Spicy Globe Dwarf Basil (Ocimum basilicum ‘Spicy Globe’)


• Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)


• Sweet Marjoram (Origanum majorana)


• Tri-color Sage (Salvia officinalis ‘Tricolor’)


• Golden Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia ‘Aurea’)


• Portulaca (Portulaca grandiflora)


• Curly Juncus (Juncus effusus ‘Spiralis’)


• Dwarf Ivy (Hedera helix cultivar)


• Baby Swiss Chard (Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris)

Make sure the fence or wall where you plan to mount your gutter

garden is stable and secure, because once the gutters are filled with wet

dirt and grown plants, they will be heavy. Use only the mounting brackets

designed for the type of gutter you purchase to ensure the most secure fit.

At season’s end, there’s no need to take down your gutter garden.

The gutters themselves are completely weather-proof. Simply pull out

any frost-nipped plants and discard the spent potting mix. When the

following spring arrives, refill with new potting mix and replant with a

fresh generation of plants.

MATERIALS NEEDED

Aluminum gutter

(one length 6 ft.

long, another length

4 ft. long)

Gutter end caps (4)

Gutter mounting

brackets (7)

2-in. wood screws (7)

Silicon caulk

Enough 50/50 potting

soil and compost blend

to fill the gutters

Plants

TOOLS NEEDED

Hammer

Scratch awl

Drill with driver bits

Level

Tape measure

Marker or pencil

Safety glasses

Caulk gun

GUTTER

GARDEN

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HOW TO MAKE A GUTTER GARDEN

STEP 1 Lay the sections of gutter on a soft surface

and use the hammer and scratch awl to pierce several

drainage holes in the bottom of each gutter.

STEP 2 Push the gutter end caps over the open ends

of both pieces of gutter, being careful to line them up

properly until they slide into place.

STEP 3 Apply a bead of silicon caulking around the

inside seam of the gutter end caps to secure them

in place. Let the caulking dry before mounting and

planting the gutters.

STEP 4 Hold one piece of gutter against the mounting

surface with its flat side to the back, using a level to

ensure the gutter is level. Use a marker or pencil

to mark the entire top edge of the gutter onto the

mounting surface. Once the line is marked, set the

gutter aside.

STEP 5 Use a tape measure to measure and mark

off the locations for the mounting brackets. Place

the outside brackets about 5 in. from the ends of

the gutter, then mark two additional evenly spaced

brackets for the 6-ft. length of gutter, and a single

middle bracket for the 4-ft. gutter.

STEP 6 Screw the gutter mounting brackets to the

surface. Because the upper edge of the gutter will sit

slightly above the top edge of the brackets, position

the brackets slightly lower than the marked line. The

distance will vary, depending on the type of gutters you

have. (Note: If you’re mounting your gutter garden on

a brick or concrete wall, see the note on page 20 for

different bracket-mounting instructions).

Continued

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Job:06-700309 Title: CPS - Container Gardening Complete

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