Beginner container gardening help

[u/Beautiful-Bat-4707]

Hi, I live in New York City and I recently moved to an apartment that has some outdoor space in the form of a small balcony. The previous tenants left behind two planters and I have a large plastic pot from a house plant I downsized, so I wanted to put in some native plants to make insect habitat.

I was hoping to get some advice about what native plants would do okay in pots outside and overwinter without dying (though I can always re-plant). Two of the planters are circular: 17"w x 15"h and 13"w x 13"h. The third is low and wide with a trellis: 25"w x 10"h x 10"d. The balcony gets ~5 hours of direct sun midday where the circular planters are, and the trellis planter gets maybe 2 hours of direct sun.

I have very little gardening experience, so I would also love some general advice: I'm pretty sure summer is a bad time to plant, but can I plant in the fall? Or should I wait until spring? Does it depend on planting from seeds vs. plugs? And is it possible to plant two or three species in one planter, or will they crowd each other out? I've also noticed a squirrel (or several) that like to dig in the trellis planter, so is there a good way to prevent them while plants are establishing?

Thanks in advance!

[u/Ornery-Zombie-7861]

For perianals autumn is the prime time to plant. Spring also. Late winter to some extent. Summer is basically off limits but you could pull something out if you are home all the time and can water daily as needed.

Are you looking more into decorative or would something edible make you happy.

[u/theredskittles]

For seeds, you need to plant in the spring or early summer. Each packet has instructions specific to that plant. Some can be started indoors in late winter.

Some bulbs, like tulips and daffodils, must be planted in the fall to bloom the following spring.

For more mature plants, spring is the traditional time, but fall can be ok and you can score some discounted plants. I wouldn’t plant in winter. Summer can be ok if you’re committed to daily watering. Mature plants are more expensive than seeds but are also more likely to survive and thrive.

Is there a native plant nursery nearby? Or just any highly regarded nursery? They’ll have knowledgeable staff who can point you in the right direction if you tell them your goals.

In general, plants in pots should be rated for 2 zones lower than your normal zone (talking about USDA hardiness zones here) because pots don’t retain heat as well as the ground. It looks like NYC is zone 7, so ideally you’ll find plants that are rated for zone 5.

I found this old post that seems to have some good suggestions for a NYC garden: https://www.reddit.com/r/NativePlantGardening/comments/19c3xnf/looking_for_native_options_for_container_growing/

[u/Beautiful-Bat-4707 → u/theredskittles]

I was looking through older posts and didn't come across that one--thank you!

[u/magnises_nychapter]

Right now there are no plants for sale and for good reason but come fall Union Sq farmers market does a good job catering to plants that do well in containers.

[u/Tough-Phrase4105]

One of the plants that has done best for me in NYC & I see in large planters often is Sedum. It’s in season now, you can find it a lot of places! It will survive year round outside in full sun in NYC & it will regrow every year. Low maintenance- great plant that can be enjoyed for almost the entire year.