What are some easy flowers to grow outside in pots?

I live in Las Vegas, and we do not have a garden area. I would like to grow some flowers in pots and keep them on the patio. What flowers would be good for that? Our patio gets bright sunshine AND plenty of shade.

What are some easy flowers to grow outside in pots?
We have your kind of weather too. My hubby and I do lots of container gardening.....even vegetables. You can grow anything you like in pots. Here is our method (USA):





Plastic pots 14 inches across the top.





Holds 25 pounds potting soil-we use Miracle-Gro Potting Soil with Plant Food for flowers (not vegetables-ask the clerk at the nursery for vegetable potting soil).





Mix water crystals into the top six inches of potting soil-these hold water so you do not have to water more than once per week when the temperatures hit 100 degrees.


Water well and leave it alone for a few days so the crystals can absorb the water. Do not plant or the swelling crystals will push your flowers up and out of the potting soil.





After a few days, mix 4 tablespoons Osmocote flower fertilizer into the top four inches of potting soil. Water in well and wait a day or so. There is also a vegetable Osmocote fertilizer. (Read and follow the directions on the container just in case your container is different from ours.)





Now you can plant. Water well.





Every 14 days fertilize with liquid fertilizer - we use Miracle-Gro Bloom Booster.


Check for a vegetable liquid fertilizer.





Stop fertilizing one month before your first autumn frost. But keep watering.





Let your flowers go to sleep after the first frost or take them indoors and place in a south facing window (sunny window).





Lightly water through the winter months, but do not fertilize.





Do not put back outside until all frost has past. We usually wait till the nights have reached 68 or 70 degrees.





Add the Osmocote fertilizer again each spring (or other good flowering fertilizer).





When flowers start failing, change the potting soil's top 1/3 or 1/2, mix in well, add new water crystals, add fertilizer. Buy new plants. This is usually done every third spring.





Hint: Always water till it runs out the bottom. Wait a few minutes and then water again. This only need to be done about once per week to ten days when using the water crystals.





Take a look at this self watering large container, we love ours:





http://www.earthbox.com





Send for free gardening catalogs to get use to the different types of flowers and colors:





http://www.parkseed.com


http://www.burpee.com


(there are hundreds more free catalogs, google "free gardening catalongs" )





Happy gardening to you.
Reply:Try some Dwarf Marigolds. They can take the heat, and really don't need a whole lot of attention. I use them when I plant my vegetable garden. I put some Marigolds out too. They seem so attract a lot of bees, which you know, you need to pollinate.
Reply:You live in Vegas so you're going to have to buy tough plants that can tolerate heat and drought.





Pansies will live as long as it's cool. Consider them a winter plant for your location. Expect them to die off in spring.





I would buy sedums. They aren't traditional flowering plants like daisies, but they will tolerate your hot dry climate and be easier to care for. They're also perennials. I like Sedum 'Autumn Joy'. Their flowers look like green broccoli and they gradually turn pink and then deep red.





When you buy containers take your climate into consideration. If you buy metal containers line the sides with two layers of bubble wrap before you put in compost otherwise you will cook your plants to death. If you buy Terra cotta containers line them with plastic so you'll loose less water. In both instances, make sure there are drainage holes at the bottom of the containers. You don't want to water log your plants and deprive the roots of air. Without air the roots will die.





To help you with retaining some moisture in your soil either buy a ready-made compost or mix your own. What you need is a compost with vermiculite or water holding crystals. Either one will hold extra water for your plants to use as they dry out. A bonus would to have perlite in your compost too. Perlite holds air and prevents water logging.





Fertilize lightly. Over-fertilization can kill your plants.





Visit your local garden center and have a chat with them. Cactus, aloe and yucca are beautiful plants which love hot and dry conditions. Pick plants that are easy to care for in your area and you'll be more successful.
Reply:roses, mogra,marigold and seasonal flowering plants which are easily available in nearby nursery
Reply:Geraniums are ideal. The trailing variety is best and the colours are truly vibrant. They will stand up to your climate really well.





I live in England we grow them in pots in our garden as they are easy to grow. We go to the South of France on holiday. Their climate is similar to yours, hot and dry in summer. The people there grow them in abundance and the look fantastic en masse.
Reply:tomatoes are very good to grow and sunflowers
Reply:Pansies


Diathus


Minature Roses


Hydrangeas


Lobelia


Geraniums


Yuccas


Begonias


Lillies


Impatience [busy Lizzie]





There's also loads of bulbs you can plant too.