Do your container plantings need a facelift? Try these pot- and basket-rejuvenating tips, along with heat- and drought-tolerant plants, to give your containers a fresh look for the long, hot season.

The bigger the better

Planting in large containers results in healthier root systems, less watering, and more flowers. Fill the bottom of extra-large containers with gravel or sand before adding the potting soil to prevent them from toppling. As the summer wears on, plants mature and their roots become so extensive that the soil in the pot virtually disappears. When your container annuals pass their prime, you can trim the roots of plants that will remain in the container, or replace them with new ones. Replant them after adding more soil mix, some time-released plant food such as Osmocote, and a moisture retainer such as Soil Moist.

What’s the dirt?

“The dirt in your garden beds may be great for growing plants in the ground, but plants in pots are a different matter,” warns Marshall Dirks, marketing director of Proven Winners, a national brand of flowering plants. “When used in a container, even the best garden soil has a tendency to settle and harden.” Garden soil can also contain insect larvae, weed seeds, and harmful spores, says Dirks. Potting soil that is specially formulated for potted plants provides the correct levels of aeration and water retention.

Keep ’em cool

Water potted plants when the soil just below the surface feels dry. In hotter weather, this could mean watering every day. Plants in a sunny location may need water several times a day. Shallow window boxes and hanging baskets dry out faster than deep containers. Don’t let containers dry out completely.

A layer of mulch on top of the potting soil helps protect the planting from getting too much sun and losing moisture. Try decorative mulches such as pebbles, packaged moss, or cocoa bean hulls that smell like chocolate. Be creative!

Plants that beat the heat

Osteospermum is a tongue twister that means South African Daisy. The plant covers itself in pretty flowers with unique purple eyes, and it loves sun. It comes in pink, purple, cream, white, yellow, and orange. Choose your favorite to complement any color combination.

Verbena is a lovely hanging plant whose purple, hot pink, or red flowers beautify baskets, window boxes, and container edges. They laugh at heat and drought, and revive quickly if they wilt. The common marigold comes in some very uncommon color combinations and sizes from mini to pompom. Use them for red, orange, yellow, or cream splash. As with the South African Daisy and the verbena, marigolds love being deadheaded and will respond well to being cut back if they start getting tired. Here’s a bit of trivia from Liz Ball’s Pennsylvania Gardener’s Guide: in 1915, the Warminster Seed Company in Alice Burpee campaigned to have the marigold chosen as the national flower.

Containers of foliage

To add a soft touch to any container, try silvery dusty miller. It has finely cut gray-green leaves that are especially striking with pinks and purples.

Or, for something completely different, plant an herb container, or add an herb or two to existing containers. The different colors, shapes, and sizes of the leaves of rosemary, sage, chives, thyme, and oregano give distinct scents and texture to container plantings. Don’t despair over summer-weary containers. Try these easy tricks to revive them — and yourself.

Lori Pelkowski operated The Midnight Gardener, dedicated to residential garden maintenance and garden writing. This article first appeared in the July 2006 issue of Minnesota Good Age.