I would like to do some container gardening but my deck in full sun almost the entire day. I live in northern Illinois. I am a VERY NEW gardener. Suggestions?
Thanks
Susan
Hot Sunny Deck
Welcome to DG, Susan!
I've got a deck and patio in full sun also, and the best tip I can give you is to add polymer moisture crystals to your potting mix... your plants will be happier, and you won't have to water twice a day. Check out http://www.watersorb.com/index.htm for information as well as for prices that beat what Home Depot will charge you for an 8 oz. container of "Soil Moist." Do not add more crystals than the directions call for... they really do swell up a lot with water, and you'll end up with plants heaving out of their pots and crystals spilling out over your deck like strange little cubes of jello.
There are lots of plants that will do well in containers... you want to look for ones that say "full sun," and "drought tolerant" is another good indicator that they'll do well (even with the crystals, you know your containers aren't going to stay moist). This may seem like contradictory advice, but do make sure you're using a good, well-draining potting mix... "potting soil" or garden soil in containers just doesn't work out well. Plants like water, but most of them hate wet feet.
Herb containers are fun -- thyme, oregano, basil (needs more water than other herbs), even rosemary or lavender or sage if you have a larger container. Most tomatoes will need a container of at least 5 gallons capacity (and bigger is better yet), but most peppers will do OK in containers of 3 gallons or more. With flowers, your options are endless... flipping through garden catalogs or online sites, or just thinking of plants you've seen grown together in your area, can give you some great ideas for combinations.
There was (is?) a co-op going on for the crystals from there, but since you're not a subscriber (not yet, anyway *smile*), you can't access the co-op forum.
Hmmm, I was all set to give you links to the Upper Midwest Gardening and the Container Gardening forums... but both of those are also open only to subscribers. :-) Well, poke around the forums for a while... if you like what you find on DG as a member, maybe you'll consider signing up for a subscription. There are "trial subscriptions" available (2 months for $5), and you'd be just amazed at everything that's available to you then...