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Huwald has been gardening for 30 years, starting with flower beds after seeing her neighbor’s abundant garden.
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“It was meticulous. Every row was so straight,” Huwald said. “The colors were all coordinated.”
Gardening appealed to her perfectionist nature. Huwald loves combining colors and textures for beautiful results. As soon as she gets home from her custodian job at Saint Mary’s University, she throws her purse inside the house and heads straight for the garden.
While Huwald loves spending countless hours in her garden, she knows not everyone has the time or desire to dig in the dirt that much. That’s why she recommends container gardening for beginners or those who aren’t sure how much time they want to dedicate to gardening. It’s also good for people who have physical disabilities, because it doesn’t require the same labor that goes into maintaining a garden, Huwald said.
“Your creativity is endless. There’s nothing you can’t do,” Huwald said.
She started container gardening because the front of her house had huge steps and a bare wall that drove her crazy. Now she takes care of a full garden and countless containers that are filled with begonias, geraniums, potato vine, petunias, silver shield and whatever else appeals to her gardener’s eye.
“Gardening is an absolute passion,” she said. “I love to grow.”
Huwald says you can start small, gradually creating your own botanical wonderland.
She says the pots available for container gardening make it easy to have a green thumb. Huwald recommends using lightweight pots, which are much easier to move.
It takes her nine hours to do the first weeding of her garden in early May. The containers are much easier, and quicker, to weed. She has grown plants, cucumbers and tomatoes in containers.
“There’s not really anything you can’t put in a container,” Huwald said.
She starts looking at seed books in January. Her big tip for selecting what you’ll grow: Know your location. If you are in a shady area, choose plants that like that environment, such as begonias and impatiens. If it’s sunny where you live, try dusty millers or geraniums.
Now is still a good time to plant. Don’t be afraid to ask for help at nurseries, letting the experts know what you’re looking for.
Roses are touchy, requiring constant checking on air circulation and black spots, so Huwald recommends those for people who don’t mind doling out extra TLC. Plants such as hydrangeas are lower maintenance. Be sure to look at how each plant is labeled, as that will let you know what kind of home it’s looking for.
As with any gardening, you have to keep an eye on the weather. You do have the advantage of bringing plants inside if needed with container gardening, Huwald said. She suggests fertilizing every two weeks.
Put your finger about an inch to an inch and a half in the soil to determine whether your plant is thirsty. Also, look at your plant for signs of stress.
If your thumb isn’t so green at first, don’t feel bad. Huwald has had her share of plants die.
“You will always be making mistakes,” she said. “You’re constantly learning.”
POINTERS FOR CONTAINER GARDENING
Source: Dody Huwald
Contact Käri Knutson at kknutson@winonadailynews.com or (507) 453-3523.
