Beautiful summer container ideas that are easy to maintain and stay hydrated all season long? In this video, I’m planting self-watering containers using the Proven Winners AquaPots Inserts—a clever solution that takes the guesswork out of watering your pots in summer heat! Plus we’ll be making arranging plants easier using container recipes! If you get overwhelmed at the nursery with the large number of options, using these recipes takes alot of the guesswork out of it! I really enjoyed planning my containers this past winter with the use of the recipes available on the Proven Winners website. In this video you’ll see how these AquaPots Inserts work, how to install them, and how to plant them up with stunning container garden recipes featuring colorful, long-blooming annuals. Whether you’re gardening on a porch, patio, or balcony, these DIY summer planters are perfect for adding big impact with less effort. Thanks for watching! – Steph🌱(Gardening in Massachusetts zone 6b). #garden #plants #ContainerGardening #SelfWateringPlanters #Summer #GardeningTips #HookedAndRooted @ProvenWinnersYouTube
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Hooked and Rooted is a gardening show on Youtube. My shows & content include topics such as: Offering gardening tips for beginners, low maintenance garden ideas, landscaping for beginners, new build garden transformations, how to make your garden beautiful, sharing perennial plants and evergreen shrubs for the garden, and the best ground cover plants you can plant in your garden.
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[Music] There it is. You can see all of the indents. We will be doing a series of videos where I set up my containers according to these recipes. Hi, it’s Steph. Welcome back to my garden. Today we’re going to work on the first planters of the season. And I’ve picked up some really beautiful annuals and I can’t wait to get them planted. Last fall when we did the garage skins project, I had picked up this planter here, which I really like. So, I ended up going back to pick up two more to put one on either side of our stairs so that we’ll have a set of three in the driveway that all match. I wanted to make these selfwatering containers. So, I started doing a little bit of research and I found that Proven Wyinners has these Aqua Pot light inserts so that you can convert your planters into selfwatering containers. So, that is what we’re going to do today. But before I get planting these up, I need to pick up some soil. So, I’m going to go ahead and do that. So, today I’m at my local Ace Hardware and I’m going to pick up some soil to get our planting done. But, as you can see, they carry a large variety of all of the Coast of Main soil. And today, I’m going to grab five bags of the Bar Harbor potting soil [Music] blend. All right, let’s get started. And the first thing I want to go over is these Aqua Pot inserts. Now, a couple of years ago, Proven Winners had come up with the Aqua Pot system, which consisted of a planter that had a built-in or integrated selfwatering system, but because they wanted to give consumers the option to also use their own planters, they now have this available, which is just the Aqua Pot light insert. And you can use it in any planter that is 16 to 20 in in diameter and in height. Now, we have a little bit of a unique situation here because the planters that I selected are 30 in in height. So, I had to do a little bit of a retrofit in order to get these to work. And all I did was take a planter. Now, I’ve shown this on my channel multiple times. This is usually something that I do to save for on soil that I fill large containers with. I just take a container and I flip it upside down and it will take up some volume in the planter. But in this case, I’m using this planter flipped upside down as a riser. so that I can sit my Aqua Pot light right on top and have my selfwatering reservoir. Now, the way that these work is it’s a wicking system. So, essentially, if you think of it like selfwatering or watering your seedlings, for example, I actually have some here that I’m going to use in these planters. These are my VGO trays that I grew some seeds in. This is some flocks. And you can see that when you water seedlings, you want to water from the bottom. So, you would have these on a tray. You would put the water into the tray and these would soop up the water from the bottom. Well, that is essentially how these aqua pot inserts work. You can see here in the photo that you’re going to fill it with soil and you’re going to use this tube to fill with water and the water will go down into the reservoir and then the soil will absorb that water from the bottom and water your plants. If you have a square planter, they also have this insert that you can use for a square planter, which is awesome. I’ve placed my Aquaot insert inside my planter and you can see that it has this spout. Now, this spout is adjustable up or down depending on the height of your planter. And you can also move it to different corners depending on where you choose to water from. Now, when I go ahead and pour soil into my planter, it is going to fall into this indent that you see here in the reservoir. And that’s right. That’s what you want. You want to make sure that your soil fills this area and continues to fill the pot because this is where the water is going to wick from. The soil that’s in this hole is going to wick from this reservoir and the water is going to rise and water all of your plants. This is the planter that I set up last fall, but now I need to make room to put in my aquapot insert. So, I’m going to have to dig out these perennials that I have planted here, as well as the soil. And what I’m going to do is because this soil is still fairly new, I’m going to use it to start the two planters that I just set up the aqua pots in. And these perennials, I have a Proven Winners I Spy Hookerella. I had two aers, one returned, one didn’t. And I have a caramel hooka. So, I’m going to take these three perennials, plant them out in the garden, repurpose the soil, and get the aqua pot placed in here as well. [Music] [Music] [Music] And now for my favorite part. We get to plant these up. Over the winter when I was really missing my garden and I wanted to come up with some fun and interesting containers for the season, I took some time to check out the Proven Winners website and they have something called container recipes. Now, if you like to cook, I love to cook. Um, you are familiar with a recipe. You basically get a list of the components, you put them together, and it works out to be something wonderful. And that is what I did with all of my planters this season. We will be doing a series of videos this year where I set up my containers according to these recipes. So today we’re starting with these driveway planters and the one that I chose for these is called Blew My Mind. Now the fun thing about these recipes is that you can use them loosely like I did. So for example, the blew my mind recipe on the Proven Winners website called for a patunia as well as um a gypsoilia and I opted to use some some patience as well as some euphoria in place of those plants. So, it’s really fun to just kind of get inspired by those recipes and then put something together that you like. Here’s a peek at the notebook where I worked on my combinations throughout the winter. You can see that I listed out the area that I was looking to plant up and the different plants that I wanted for those areas. And good thing I used pencil because there was a lot of erasing going on during the planning process. When I go to the nursery each spring, I love the process, but it takes me a really long time. Having a list made things a lot easier. It’s kind of like when you go to the grocery store hungry, right? You just want everything. Well, the same concept with this. You are making a list and you’re sticking to it. So, here are the plants that we’re going to place. I have some of this really beautiful uh sunatience compact white impatience. They are beautiful. And now, I love sunat. And while the recipe did call for a white patunia, I opted to use the sun patients because I’ve had really good luck with them. They go all season long. They don’t require any deadheading. they are self cleaning but also because they retain water pretty well and I want things that are very low maintenance in this driveway area. So that is what I’m going to use in place of the white patunia. And then I went with this euphoria because I grew it last year and it was beautiful. So this was what I chose in place of the gypsilia. Now this was in the recipe and this is the proven accents white licorice also known as hely crysum. Grew this last year. It is amazing. You need one plant in the front of the container and it will get huge throughout the course of the season. In the center, I’m going with another tried and trueue. It’s the graceful grasses, the purple fountain grass, which I absolutely love. And this will transition this container right from now through summer into fall because it will be a gorgeous tall purple grass with plumes. It’s going to look great. And this was part of the recipe as well. This was the angel face blue. It is a summer summer snapdragon. It’s called angelonia hybrid and it has a gorgeous deep blue flower. Very pretty. So, this is going in here as well. And something that I grew from seed. This is the blueberry swirl flocks. So, I’m using this also as a substitution to another plant that was in the recipe as my blue trailing accent. So, all of these plants I think are going to look gorgeous together. And the color scheme was white, silver, and blue. [Music] I’m all done planting up the containers and I really love the way that they turned out. So in the back I have the purple fountain grass. In the center, I tucked two of the white sunations. On either corner, I have a blue angelonia. And then in the front, I have um diamond frost euphoria, one here and there. And in the front, the white helocchum or white licorice. And I think this is going to look beautiful in the front of the container. I also tucked in two of these flocks that I grew from seed. This is the blueberry swirl flocks. When we did a garden tour at my friend Moren’s garden last year, she had grown some of this from seed and had them in her planter outside her garage and it was gorgeous. So, I made a note to buy the seeds this year and grow them as well. And I think they’re going to look really beautiful. And it was definitely time to plant them because they were getting stressed in their seed cells. You can tell by the foliage is a little bit yellow. But once they settle into this spot and we have these shades of silver and white and purple blues, I think this is going to be gorgeous and I can’t wait to see it grow throughout the season. But right now, we’re going to go ahead and water them. I have filled up my watering can and we’re going to fill our aqua pots [Music] insert. You’ll know that the Aqua Pots insert is full once the water starts overflowing outside the reservoir and starts draining out of your container. I also went ahead and completed this planter and I did the same combo here. And while I was working in the driveway, I thought that it would be a good idea to also do my stairwell planter. Now, this is one that is right off of the driveway and it is the stairs that lead up to our kitchen on the back porch. So, here is what I’ve picked out for this planter. I have some of the graceful grasses. Now, I’ve grown this variety before and I didn’t like it the first time around because I grew the king tot which was really large and fibrous and difficult to get out of my container at the end of the season. But this one is the queen tutt and it is smaller. So, this one only gets to be 18 to 24 in in height and 12 to 24 in in width. So, I thought that I would try this one again because I really love the way that these look like little firework bursts. I think they’re really interesting and I think the variety that I picked initially was just too large for me. So, let’s give this one a go. I also picked out two of my favorite lubilia from last season that I grew in this very same planter and it did wonderful. This is the Lagouna sky blue. Look at that. Such a beautiful shade of blue. And I’m pairing it with another sunpatient. And this is the compact deep rose sunpatient. Look at that. I think that with the blue is going to look so pretty. And then as my trailer, this was one that I tried for the first time last year as well, and I loved it. It’s the mazou trailing red. It’s sort of like a succulent, and then it gets this little bloom of a pink flower that I think will coordinate nicely with the sunasian. So, we’re going to go ahead and plant these out here. As I was finishing up that planter between the garages, I remembered a reel that I had seen on either Instagram or YouTube where you take your plant can and you press it into the soil. And what you’re doing is you’re making an indent or a mold of where your plant is going to go. And once you get it nice and low where it’s supposed to sit, you take your plant out of the plant can and you drop it into that hole, which I think is a really great way to go about planting containers because typically I just put my plant in and then I mount soil and tuck it all in around the plant. So, we’re going to give that a shot. I’ll bring you in closer so you can see how that works out. [Music] [Music] There it is. You can see all of the indents that we made for the plants. And now we’re going to take them out of the plant can and plant them out. [Applause] [Music] in this planter. I don’t have an aqua pot, so I’m just going to hand water it. And this corner is morning sun, but afternoon shade. So, the planter typically retains moisture pretty well. And here in the front, I also have a creeping jenny, which here in my state of Massachusetts, it’s actually an invasive species, so it’s not allowed to be sold in any of the nurseries. But I have a friend right over the state line in Rhode Island who shared some with me, and I’ve been growing them in my containers for several years. So, I’m just going to leave this here. I wouldn’t plant it in the landscape for fear of it taking over, but in planters, I really like it and it trails nicely. Has a really nice chartreuse color. So, we’ll leave it in there growing alongside the mazoo. I’m really happy with the selections I made for this planter. And as the plants grow throughout the season and fill out the container, I think it’s going to look really beautiful. So, this rose impatient, I think, contrasts so nicely with the Lagona sky blue lubilia. And then the mazoo is going to get a little pink flower that will also coordinate with the rose impatient. And I think this is just going to look lovely. And then we have a little bit of height in the back with the graceful grasses queen tutt that look like little fireworks. So I I’m happy with this. I think it’s going to be really really great. And what I like to do is tuck the tags from the plants or the annuals that I used in the back of the container there so that you can reference them if there’s something in your container that grows really well that year and you want to repeat that combo in the future. So I did that last year with the Laguna Sky Blue Lubilia as well as the Missou. I kept the tags. I put them in an envelope in my gardening notebook and that way I knew that I wanted to repeat those plants. Someone had made a comment when I showed that in my video last year. They said, “Oh, those tags don’t look great in the container.” And I thought to myself, well, you can see them now because the plants aren’t grown in, but once they fill out, you won’t even know that they’re there, and they’re really great for reference. And I did the same thing with the driveway planters. I have a set of tags in the back for reference. Planted out two of those perennials that we’ve removed from the planter near the garage. And here is where I put the aster right in this patio bed behind my uh mymonet purple effect wila and near my garnett Japanese maple. Now this is where I had a St. John’s wart that I planted last season or the season before but it didn’t return this year. It died over the winter. We had a really dry fall and then really cold temperatures in the winter. So I think the combination of drought with really cold temps I lost quite a few plants this year which was such a bummer. But that’s the new home for the aster and the caramel hooka. I went ahead and planted in this area where I already have a group of some caramel hooka. So I wanted to continue this beautiful plant. So I went ahead and I placed it right there underneath this aradney Japanese maple and the hookerella. I’m still trying to decide on a spot. So I’m going to place it here in Steph’s home nursery to keep it watered until I can plant it. Well, the first containers of the season are complete and I really love the way they turned out. And in just a couple more weeks, the heat’s going to really kick in and these are going to explode with growth. So, now that these are done, I’m on to the front porch. So, thank you so much for spending your time with me and I’ll catch you in the next one.
40 Comments
Beautiful summer container ideas that are easy to maintain and stay hydrated all season long? In this video, I'm planting self-watering containers using the Proven Winners AquaPots Inserts—a clever solution that takes the guesswork out of watering your pots in summer heat! Plus we'll be making arranging plants easier using container recipes! If you get overwhelmed at the nursery with the large number of options, using these recipes takes alot of the guesswork out of it! I really enjoyed planning my containers this past winter with the use of the recipes available on the Proven Winners website. In this video you'll see how these AquaPots Inserts work, how to install them, and how to plant them up with stunning container garden recipes featuring colorful, long-blooming annuals. Whether you're gardening on a porch, patio, or balcony, these DIY summer planters are perfect for adding big impact with less effort. Thanks for watching! – Steph🌱
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You do a very nice job. Great choice of plants. Thank you for sharing.
💖🪴🌸👍🏻🌸🪴💖
I really like the plant combinations. I am wondering how do you know when to refill the Aqua Pot reservoir?
You are so clever!
Lovely combos, Steph! I like that little blue phlox and the "Queen Tut" papyrus. It is interesting to learn about the self-watering reservoir system.
The birdsong was just beautiful throughout the video!
Great combos! Really pretty! 🤩
Thank you for all your ideas
That’s a GREAT idea, to put the tags in the pot. You are a GREAT teacher with loads of information. ALWAYS love watching you. Be Blessed.
Beautiful containers! 😍
wow, they are beautiful. love the way you set it up. thanks for sharing.
Beautiful looking containers and beautiful plants, they are the bees knees. In early March I bought thirty alpine flowers, six ice plants and twelve sempervivums and planted them into fifteen containers. I put horticultural grit on top of the pots to show the plants off.
What is the shrub in the middle of your Heuchera (16:54)? I love it!
Hi Steph! I did very simple planters this year Proven Winners Suncredible Sunflower and a Lowes brand Blue Lobelia! I love your material
For me, sunpatiens need alot of water… more than supertunias. But both are staples for me. I like that sunpatiens do not need fertilizer or to be sprayed for budworms. I like that supertunias come in more colors and are more cold tolerant come fall.
Very nice. Nice to know that Proven Winners has these inserts. May I suggest that even though you are using the self watering inserts, that you water your plants initially to settle the soil around them. Also, because it may take some time for the soil to become wet enough for the wicking process to begin. I have always left my tags in the pots. I group them together and lay them on their side, tucked into the back of the pot. It is very dry here in Colorado, so we always recommend that if we don't receive substantial moisture during a giving month between November and March, that you water your landscape on a day that is above freezing. This does help prevent the perennials dying out over the winter due to dry and cold weather.❤
beautiful ideas, looking forward to seeing them in a month. BTW is that invasion plant creeping Charlienot Jenny? I lived in Ma. fir 17 years, I remember creeping Charlie was invasive but not the smaller leaved Jenny
Where did you purchase those square brown flower pots?
Always have something to learn from your videos. Thks.Steph. Lovely combos.🌈
Thank you for another inspiring video! Could you please do a video on how you were able to put a drip irrigation from a sprinkler head from the Low Fuss front garden area you did two weeks ago? Thank you so much!
I love the pot with the queen tut! Beautiful
Steph…love the color schemes in your containers! 💚 Thanks for reminding us of the PW recipes & the great tip to substitute plants as needed. That Laguna Sky Blue Lobelia…love, love, love that color! 💚
Have a great week ahead!
~ Jaisa
Great explanation of the aqua pot insert. I've watched several other YT channels show them but none had the level of description and demonstration as you did. Thank you! Now I get it : )
The purple grass in the first driveway containers- LOVE
Have you watched videos by Corey at Up North Gardening? There’s one about planter trials showing how less plants in a pot do better over time and last longer.
Love all your choices! I discovered container recipes this year as well. I also write down different arrangements at garden centers, traffic circles and malls. Last year our casino circle had pink bronze-leaf begonias, purple ageratum, orange marigolds and dusty miller–and it was stunning, so I am duping that in containers this year.
You work so hard on your videos so I wanted to thank you! You are a rockstar in my books!
What are the trees you have potted at the bottom of your stairs. Pine trees? I love the tall one in the black square container.
Can’t wait for those containers to flush out! Love your planters they are a great color and texture 😊
In South Central Texas, everything goes behind a gate because…🦌..😡
Hi Steph, love your channel; I’m learning so much ! Thank you 😊 can you please explain what or how you pinch flowers back? Thank you ❤ hugs from Idaho
If I understand the self watering pots correctly, I would have to remove all the soil from the pot every year when I am planting again in the spring,? I usually reuse my soil, most of it, just adding a little new soil in the top and mixing it.
Thank you for not buying Miracle Grow
I love the long neck watering can, where did you get it? Thanks for all the great videos!
I wish I had a husband like yours. I was cutting the grass a couple of years ago and I was limping around because I have tendinitis in both of my ankles. He comes out and says that I shouldn't be cutting. I said that it has to be done. He turned around, went back inside the house to continue to drink and watch TV. Needless to say that I kicked him out because he loves beer more than me. I'm much happier now too. I'm sorry if this is too much but I just wanted to let you that you have a wonderful husband who supports you ❤
I have 4 Aqua pots for my shade pots filled with hostas and ferns and I love it.
How beautiful. I love watching all your videos ❤can I ask what color is your garage doors? I love them
Sooo pretty!!! I’ve never worked with Sun patients but I really want to after seeing yours!! How fun 😊
Omg I’ve gotta order this for mine!