One of my favorite spring garden chores is lining up my containers, cleaning them and filling them with fresh potting mixture.
I worry about what plants to put in later. Between fresh herbs, a new set of succulents and the annuals that strike my fancy, that usually takes care of itself.
My friend Kerry Michael, who writes about container gardening, is myth-busting again this week, warning us not to fill the bottom of our containers with gravel under the misconception that it will improve drainage.
Read Kerry's post to learn the science behind this, but the fact is, gravel will actually cause your container to hold onto water. She uses coffee filters, paper towels or a bit of window screen to keep the soil from spilling out.
But NO gravel.