Are your spring-planted pots, containers and window boxes getting a bit bedraggled looking? Now that summer is upon us, we can transform our containers into easy-to-maintain stunning creations … with very little work and expense.

First, let’s look closely at our containers. Remember, the container is just as important as the plant to the overall impact. Those of us fortunate enough to have beautiful ceramic or concrete containers just need to tidy them up. Clean them off. Polish them. Use a stiff brush on concrete and spot clean with bleach or rust remover.

But most of us use clay or inexpensive molded or plastic pots. Those can be dramatically altered with only a little work and some spray-on paint. Even nursery plant pots can be transformed in 15 minutes. I love the new rust-preventative spray paint that comes in hammered metal colors č silver, bronze, copper; one can will cover several pots (just remember to paint both the outside and the inside top 2 or 3 inches of the pot). I try to harmonize my pot color with my flower color: maybe silver for an arrangement of green, gray and silver-leafed plants with perhaps a zing of a purple-flowered accent. (I can repaint my pots each time I change my plant selection.)

Think carefully about container location. If your container will get all-day sun, choose plants that love to bask in the sun. For shady areas, you can be a bit more adventuresome. Try something different this year. Wander around a good nursery and ask for help. You may discover a new and wonderful plant just right for your container.

Finally, summer containers take lots of watering. Take advantage of modern inventions. Use potting soil with a moisture-control feature. Get those polymer crystals that swell, holding many times their size in water (called water grabbers or water crystals and widely available) č just be sure to hydrate them before mixing them with the soil, and don’t put them in the top 2 or 3 inches of the potting mix.

And finally, don’t toss out those spring plants. Cut them back, pop them in a shady nook in the garden, maybe tucked behind a camellia or gardenia, and give them a regular dose of diluted liquid fertilizer. They will often perk up and be ready for use in a new planting in the fall when it is time to redo our containers once more.

Contact us with all of your gardening questions at 252-946-0111 and ask for a master gardener or email your questions to beaufortcomg@gmail.com.