Have you ever considered how you might use baby diapers, sponges or other household items in your plant containers?

The public is invited to join Adams County Master Gardeners to learn more about container gardening Thursday.

Representatives from Stine, including Master Gardener Kathy Young, will teach us how to get the most out of container gardening.

A little creative thinking goes a long way when planning your containers. Think beyond pots to wastebaskets, aquariums, washtubs, hollowed out logs, urns, barrels, baskets and even old boots.

The possibilities are endless as long as you have drainage holes.

Plant possibilities also abound. Beyond the typical annuals we think of using in containers, perennials are great container selections.

A mix of perennials and annuals allows you to refresh the pot by changing the annuals with the seasons. Exploring the mixing of textures and colors can be a lot of fun.

The combinations of thriller, spiller and filler plants will be discussed along with various ways to arrange multiple pots.

Plants in containers require more water than plants in the ground. They not only dry out faster, some of the water runs through the containers.

This causes some of the fertilizer to flush out so more fertilizer is also required. A good potting soil is desired and can be expensive.

Kathy Young will share many tips to maximize your investment and keep your container plants healthy and happy. Join us for this great educational opportunity at 8:30 a.m. Thursday at the Adams County Extension Office, 75A Carthage Point Road.

For additional information, call the Adams County Extension Office at 601-445-8201.

Karen O’Neal is the reporter for Adams County Master Gardeners.