The gardener can pot bulbs in late fall, give them a cold treatment for 12 to 14 weeks, then gradually acclimate them to room temperature and enjoy the blooms indoors in mid to late winter. Check catalogs or your garden center for those suitable for forcing. There are a few hardy lilies that do well in containers for summer color, including Lilium auratum , L. formosanum , L. longiflorum , L. pumilum 'Black Dragon' , 'Cambridge' , 'Dukat' , and 'Stargazer' , as well as Fiesta hybrids and plants of the Jamboree strain. There are many space-saving vegetables suitable for container culture, and new cultivars are becoming available all the time. Check current vegetable seed catalogs for varieties and cultivars that do well in containers and give them a try.
Many herbs lend themselves to growing in containers.
The smaller herbs, such as thyme, chives, and oregano can be grown grouped in a container, while the larger growing shrubby types, such as rosemary and bay, are best grown singly in a container. Container Maintenance Installation Steps in planting containers are relatively easy. Make sure the container is clean before planting, and soak clay pots in water for a few minutes before planting. Place a small stone, shard of pottery, or coffee filter paper over the pot' s drainage hole to keep the potting mix in. Prepare your potting mix by adding amendments as desired, hydrogels, and slow-release fertilizers.