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Garden reporter Beth Botts has spent more than 20 years on staff at the Chicago Tribune, where her stories won bronze, silver and gold awards from the Garden Writers Association. She was raised on Chicago’s south side by an organic gardener and environmentalist and now resides in a leafy suburb on the edge of Chicago. She says there’s always something to do in the garden and offers her uplifting advice in a friendly, conversational tone on her new garden blog, “Growing in Chicago.”

Follow Beth’s blog, “Growing in Chicago,” here.

On Mar. 8, 2009, Beth Botts of the Chicago Tribune posed this question to Chalet’s Laura Justice , “How do you select the right pot for gardening?”

Container gardening is a growing trend as more people in urban areas fill their patios, balconies and roofs with flowers and plants, but more thought often goes towards what goes into the pot, rather than the pot itself. Justice, the herbaceous plant manager with the landscape division of Chalet, provided some tips for pot shopping.

Bigger is better. Small pots don’t hold enough soil and dry quickly, so watering becomes a chore. Justice advises never bothering with a container that holds less than three gallons. A larger container also enables better display.

The right material. “Nothing is forever,” Justice said, “Even concrete will crack eventually.” The most fragile materials are terra cotta and glazed ceramics, which are pots best kept indoors during harsh weather. For outdoor use, go for metal and concrete containers — though take caution not to go metal on expensive surfaces like stone patios or wooden decks because they could rust and stain. For a large, year-round container, go with plastic or fiberglass. Both can look good and are flexible, but over time even they could fade or crack.

Drainage is essential. Unless making a water garden, make sure there’s a hole in the bottom of the pot. Drill one if needed. Justice suggests elevating any pot on “feet,” purchased at garden centers (or use three bottle cap-sized objects). Wire baskets with moss or coir liners drain quickly, but dry out easily. The best suggestion for hanging plants is to put the plants in plastic pots with holes and hide the pot inside the moss liner.

Style matters. Choose a plant that blends into the look and feel of your house, yard or apartment. Don’t clash, it doesn’t look good! Avoid cheap, unattractive containers that detract from the plants.

Perspective and scale. When selecting a window box or hanging planter, think about how it looks from all angles. Ask yourself, “Does it make an impact from a distance?” Containers should complement the scale of a doorway or facade.

Read the entire article for more advice, here.

Chicago Tribune contributor Beth Botts suggests reading “Roy Diblik’s Small Perennial Gardens: The Know Maintenance Approach” (American Nurseryman, 132 pages, $24.95) in the July 13, 2008 Home & Garden section. With a design like that of a cookbook, Botts says the book will help with one of the trickier tasts for gardeners: combining perennials. The plants are all tested at Diblik’s Northwind Perennial Farm in Burlington, Wis., near Lake Geneva. Northwind supplies many of their plants to Chalet nursery in Wilmette.

Beth Botts’ article, “Exhibit a refreshing review of photosynthesis and why it matters so much to our lives” appeared in the May 31, 2008 issue of The News Press after its initial publication in The Chicago Tribune. When Botts experienced “Sugar from the Sun” she said while sometimes “plants may seem like just something to look at” its their chemical reaction that “keeps us all alive.” Though the process of photosynthesis is basically the same, through millions of years of evolution plants of all kinds have sprouted throughout the world in all shapes and sizes from broad leaves in the tropics to fuzzy green moss on arctic rocks.

Botts ponders some things as she walks through “Sugar from the Sun” and suggested any gardener walking through the exhibit might ask about the epiphytes (orchids, air plants) way up high or why some plants have red or white pigments when chlorophyll is a green chemical. Why do some roots grow out of the soil? And if plants absorb their energy from the sun, what part does water play in the process?

From the curious gardener to the casual observer Garfield Park Conservatory’s “Sugar from the Sun” exhibit offers something for everyone this summer and years to come.

Beth Botts describes in her “Chicago Gardener” column in The Chicago Tribune the raging popularity of succulents this summer using Chalet’s 10-inch topiary in the form of a purse as an example - perfect for Mother’s day.

Click here to read the complete article.