This was so much fun seeing the diverse, unusual, spectaculer "Stars" that are growing spectacularly (is that a word?) in our garden loving community!💕 You all are wonderful gardeners! I'm glad this giveaway was a blind draw as everyone presented fabulous entries! But we only have one giveaway prize and one winner, a huge congratulations to........drum roll...... watch the video to find out who.....then be sure to congratulate this months' Potted Garden Society Giveaway Winner.

Picked and ate my first cantaloupe from my container garden It was delicious. Found two more about the size of baseballs. Hope they grow and ripen as well!

𝐵𝑖𝑔 𝑓𝑙𝑎𝑣𝑜𝑟, 𝑠𝑚𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑓𝑜𝑜𝑡𝑝𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑡. Don’t have a lot of space? No problem! You can still enjoy a variety of fresh herbs by growing them all together in a single container. With a bit of planning and the right combination of plants, you can create a thriving, flavorful herb garden right on your patio, balcony, or windowsill. 🪴 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐏𝐨𝐭? * Saves space * Easy to maintain * Portable—move it to chase the sun or bring it indoors * Convenient for cooking—just snip what you need! 🌿 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬: 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐛𝐬 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲 𝐍𝐢𝐜𝐞 When planting herbs together, it’s important to group those with similar needs. Here are three combinations that work well in one container: 𝐌𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐌𝐢𝐱 Full sun, well-drained soil, prefers it dry * 𝐑𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲 – Tall and woody, plant in the center or back * 𝐓𝐡𝐲𝐦𝐞 – Low-growing, great for edges * 𝐎𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐨 – Sprawling, adds lushness and flavor * 𝐒𝐚𝐠𝐞 – Bushy, aromatic, pairs well with others in this group 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐡 & 𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐛𝐨 (Partial to full sun, moist but not soggy soil) * 𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐥 – Needs warmth and frequent pinching * 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐲 – Flat or curly, thrives with a little shade * 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 – Upright and hardy, adds height * 𝐂𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨 – Prefers cooler weather—great for spring/fall mixes 𝐓𝐞𝐚 𝐆𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐏𝐨𝐭 (Full sun, moderate water) * 𝐋𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐧 𝐁𝐚𝐥𝐦 – Uplifting and stress-soothing * 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐞 – Small daisy-like flowers for calming tea * 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐭 – Contain its roots by planting in a sunken pot inside the main container * 𝐋𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞r – Adds fragrance and calm 🌱 𝐓𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐌𝐢𝐱𝐞𝐝 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐛 𝐏𝐨𝐭 * 𝐏𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐚 𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫—at least 12–18 inches wide and deep, with drainage holes. * 𝐔𝐬𝐞 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡-𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐢𝐱 that drains well but retains moisture. * 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐛𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐫 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤, with trailing or low-growing herbs around the edges. * 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲, but don’t overdo it—most herbs hate soggy roots. * 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐲 to keep plants healthy and producing. * 𝐅𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐥𝐲 with a diluted organic fertilizer for best results. 🍴 𝐁𝐨𝐧𝐮𝐬: 𝐀𝐝𝐝 𝐚 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐓𝐚𝐠 𝐨𝐫 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐫

[IMPORTANT READ] Wow! A huge thank you to each of you who joined The Potted Garden Society. This isn’t just a gardening group — it’s our green corner of the internet. Together, our mission is simple: 👉 Build a vibrant community of 10,000+ passionate plant lovers — from curious beginners to backyard legends — who are here to share, learn, and grow 🌼 Think of Skool as your gardening clubhouse. A space where tips bloom, ideas grow roots, and plants (and people!) thrive together. Here’s what we’ll dig into as a group: 🌱 Seasonal planting tips, tricks & troubleshooting 🌼 Celebrating plant wins (with proud pics!) 🐛 Solving pest & soil challenges 🍅 Learning how to grow food at home 🌿 Swapping advice on tools, composting & containers Our FIRST main focus as a community: 🔥 Help each other grow more confidently each season 💬 Make daily conversations about real plant wins & woes 🌍 Share eco-friendly ways to garden & give back to the earth A Few Quick Things: 1️⃣ This space is for plant newbies and seasoned growers 🌻 2️⃣ Say hello below 👋 Tell us what you grow, your zone or location, and a pic of your current favorite plant! Let’s grow something beautiful — together. Let’s grow The Potted Garden Society! 💚 – Donna

When we think of container gardens, we often picture seasonal blooms or a rotating mix of herbs and vegetables. But did you know perennials can also thrive in pots—offering beauty year after year with less maintenance? With the right selection and setup, perennials bring vibrant color, structure, and long-term charm to patios, balconies, and porches. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐃𝐨 𝐈𝐟 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐒𝐞𝐞 𝐈𝐭 * Long-term color: Come back year after year with minimal effort. * Cost-effective: Invest once, enjoy for seasons to come. * Easy to rearrange: Refresh your display or move plants as needed. * Great for limited space: Enjoy landscape-worthy beauty without a yard. 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐏𝐨𝐭𝐬 * Look for compact or clump-forming varieties that don’t mind tight quarters. Some great options include: * Heuchera (Coral Bells): Colorful foliage and delicate flowers. * Hostas: Shade-loving with broad, lush leaves. * Lavender: Fragrant, drought-tolerant, and great for sunny spots. * Long-blooming and pollinator-friendly. * Echinacea (Coneflower): Tough, tall, and striking. * Sedum: Succulent, low-maintenance, and great for hot areas. 𝐏𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬 * Size: Go for deep containers (at least 12–18 inches deep) to accommodate root systems. * Material: Choose weather-resistant options like fiberglass, plastic, or glazed ceramic. * Drainage: Ensure adequate drainage holes—perennials hate soggy roots. 𝐒𝐨𝐢𝐥 & 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐢𝐩𝐬𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬 * Use a high-quality potting mix enriched with compost. * Avoid heavy garden soil—it compacts easily and may drain poorly. * Mix in slow-release fertilizer at planting for season-long nourishment. 𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐏𝐨𝐭𝐬 𝐒𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: * Refresh soil surface and apply compost or balanced fertilizer. * Trim back dead growth and encourage new shoots. 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫: * Water consistently—containers dry out faster in heat. * Deadhead spent flowers to promote more blooms. 𝐅𝐚𝐥𝐥: * Cut back fading foliage on some varieties. * Add mulch to insulate roots in cooler zones.