A lightweight potting mix is needed for container gardening. Soil less planting mixes provide excellent drainage, aeration and water-holding capacity that ordinary garden soil can not supply.

Be sure that your basket or window box has drainage holes. Drainage is essential so that the planting mix will not become water-logged. Do not place pebbles or other material at the bottom of the container. They will not provide better drainage.

Plastic or wire baskets are available. Both have advantages and disadvantages. Plastic is inexpensive, easy to plant and is slower to dry out. Wire baskets allow more choices in size and planting arrangements. Many people find them more attractive. Window boxes are usually plastic, wood or long wire baskets called hayracks.

Liners are used in wire hanging flower baskets to hold the soil and plants in position. Liners can be made of dried sphagnum moss or coconut fiber known as coir.

Window boxes and flower baskets call for a strong support system. Remember that the containers will be much heavier when watered.

Choose small, healthy young plants for planting. They will adapt to new surroundings much faster than older plants.

Plant much closer in a window box or basket than you would in a flowerbed. Include plants with a variety of colors, shapes and textures. Trailing plants should be planted at the edges and bushy or upright plants will go at the center or back. Be sure that the taller plants will not block your windows or interfere with hanging the basket.

Site selection is as important for baskets and window boxes as it is for any other plant. Remember that most of the time the hanging basket will be viewed from below. Hang the flower basket so that it will be close to eye level so that it can be admired and watered easily. Window boxes should extend the entire width of the window for best appearance.

Use your imagination in selecting plants. Many types of plants will grow in containers including annuals, vines, tropical plants, herbs and even some vegetables. For hanging salads, grow leaf lettuce, parsley and miniature tomatoes. Herbs thrive in containers and require little care. Thyme, oregano and rosemary are good for containers because they like the soil to dry out between watering. Many plants normally grown as houseplants will be great for foliage in outdoor containers also.

Containers can dry out very quickly. Daily or even twice-daily watering may be necessary. Feel the soil to determine whether or not it is damp. If the potting mix feels dry 1 inch below the surface, it is time to water. Apply water until it runs out the drainage holes. If the pot dries out too much you should immerse it in water to presoak the soil mix. Containers will need frequent checking as the plants grow and temperatures become hotter.

Watering wands are good tools for difficult-to-reach flower baskets and window boxes. They extend your reach and produce a gentle shower.

Frequent watering flushes nutrients from the soil quickly, so frequent fertilizing is also necessary. Liquid fertilizers or timed-release fertilizers are the easiest methods of application. Time-release fertilizer pellets can be mixed into the soil at planting or worked into the top inch later. The soil in the container should be moist when fertilizer is applied, even liquid fertilizer. Feed baskets and boxes every two weeks from spring through summer with a complete liquid fertilizer diluted to half-strength.