If you are going to grow plants in pots there should always be at least 3 inches of drainage. For the pots, it is best to plant the ball of earth turned out whole, and rub a little off the surface, then fill your pot high enough with compost, and place the ball so that the collar of the pant, just above the ball, will sit within half an inch of the edge of the garden planter. Place soil around the edges, and perss it down between the plant and the sides of the container. Fill the container with soil up to the collar of the plant and the edge of the pot.
You should place your pots in a sheltered location, and keep them watered as needed which depend upon the particular season. Each pot should have a stake in the center, to allow the plants to be closely tied to as the grow upwards. As the beds begin to show, you should remove all but three, creating better flowers. Make sure not more than one blooming shoot is left on each plant.
When the buds have swollen and are about it burst you should tie bass matting around the middle, and carefully open the calyx down to the tie, at each division, so the flower can open all around alike. If you do not, it is difficult for the flower to form an even flower, normally bursting on one side.
As the petals develop, they will need to be shaded from the sun and rain. Planting in pots is not a common practice in this country, and is usually done for exhibition reason. And it is for this reason that we are giving such specific details.
The most common forms of flower cultivation is in beds and borders. Cultivation in pots brings more troubles and takes more time. Flowers will thrive well in beds of good garden loam, as long s they are drained properly. Too much water can soak the plant and cause it to die prematurely.
The soil needs to be trenched to a depth of eighteen inches during the fall. As you trench you should fertilize the soil with leaf mould and cow manure. If your soil is heavy you can add refuse of charcoal, lime rubbish or sand. Leave the surface rough, so that the winter frosts will act on it.
When Spring comes back, the beds will again need to be spaded to the depth of one foot, raked smooth, and at this points your plants can be moved from the pots, leaving the entire ball intact, and planted two feet apart each way. The after treatment will be the same as that for potted plants.