>> "J Schwanke's Life in Bloom" is brought to you by... ...with additional support from the following companies... ♪ >> Container gardens and all the goodies they produce are the focus on today's "Life in Bloom."

I'll show you ideas for flowers and food grown in small spaces.

We'll also discuss the health benefits to gardening, even on a small scale or limited space.

And I'll make an herbal cocktail.

♪ ♪ I'm J Schwanke.

Welcome to "Life in Bloom."

"Many things grow in the garden that were never sown there."

With all the possibilities these days, anyone can enjoy a garden of some sort.

You don't have to commit to a full-scale garden in the ground.

Container gardens provide a great opportunity, whether you have limited space or limited time.

There are so many options -- an herb garden in a sunny kitchen, container gardens on a patio or balcony, or even small raised beds for those that are a bit more ambitious.

Along with the obvious rewards of fresh year-round herbs, produce, and flowers, gardening also contributes to well-being.

It can help with stress relief, boosting immunity, and even reducing depression.

Today on "Life in Bloom," we'll explore ways to integrate container gardens and all the goodies they produce into your everyday life.

♪ There's no better place to find the perfect plants for your region or climate than a local garden center.

Look to local garden centers for all the supplies you'll need for your container gardens.

Their expertise is invaluable.

We're at Jonker's Garden, which is your independent, local garden center.

You're second generation.

>> Third generation.

>> Third generation.

>> Yeah, yeah.

>> Okay.

>> So my grandparents started this business in 1948.

>> When I plant my container gardens and my garden just in general, everything that I have, I love coming to a local garden center because you guys know more.

Can you talk to us a little bit more about why we should choose a local garden center?

>> I mean, we have staff here that's been here for 30, 35 years.

>> Wow.

>> I mean, several people have been here for over 30 years.

>> Okay.

>> And it's because we all like what we do.

>> So you can tell us, too, about behavior, how something's going to act here in Michigan... >> Mm-hmm.

>> ...because you know what it does.

>> Yeah, and we grow a lot of our own stuff, where some of the larger big-box stores will bring in plants from other climates and areas.

You know, we have all of our greenhouses right here where we grow our own stuff, and they're meant for this climate.

>> Stuff is planted from seeds and also cuttings?

>> Yep, yeah, so we have a lady here, again, who's been here for 30 years who grows stuff from seeds, and our other grower's been here for over 35 years.

She does a lot of the vegetative cutting stuff.

>> It's like an art.

>> Yeah.

>> When I would watch the -- So we had a greenhouse, too, and we had a lady, Bernice, who was the lady with the dibble who planted the seeds and did the transplanting over time, and she knew how many she could get done and how many would work and all that stuff.

It was really great, so... >> She's probably a very patient person.

>> Absolutely.

Absolutely.

>> I'm not.

I can't sit there for hours and do that, but she's very good at it.

She does a great job, so... >> That's awesome.

One of the things that I do when I'm planting my container gardens is -- I'm definitely a color-blocking guy.

So I sometimes look for specific colors that go together, and it may not necessarily mean that maybe the best growing conditions, but I do like that the colors go together.

I'll -- I planted one that was inspired by the fishnet stockings.

>> Okay.

>> That was all blacks and had the fishnet stockings in it.

I had the black sweet-potato vine, and then, of course, I had the "eyeball" or "toothache" plant... >> Uh-huh.

Yeah.

>> ...that you got me excited about.

I had never seen that.

>> Did you ever try it?

Did you ever put it in your mouth and... >> Try it?

What would happen if I tried it?

>> Well, if you take one of the flowers, put it in your mouth, and chew on it, your mouth will go numb.

>> Really?

>> Yeah, you'll start drooling a little bit maybe depending on how much you... >> [ Laughing ] I am amazed by the different types of coleus you have, too.

>> Mm-hmm.

>> So there's all sorts of -- I mean, fishnet stockings is a great example, but there's one that looks like stained glass.

There's one that looks like a strawberry.

It's just...

It was an amazing selection, and I probably got 8 or 10 different varieties from you.

>> Yeah, yeah, it's hard to keep up with all the new selections that come out every year, but every year we choose some new ones.

We maybe get rid of some old ones.

Some years, we go a little bit overboard and get probably way more than what we need, but, yeah, we have over a whole full table full of just different varieties to choose from.

I mean, there are some that grow more upright, some that take more sun, some that trail a little bit, some that work through your plants, so... >> Right, right.

How awesome.

>> I mean, it's worth having different types.

>> So this arrangement is just a sampling.

All the plants I bought here, and all of them I was able to cut and create arrangements with it, so that's kind of my theory is that Arrange-Plant thing that I talk about is that anything I plant in my garden or in my containers I want to be able to cut.

>> Mm-hmm.

>> We even did your Tuscan kale... >> Okay.

>> ...in my containers, and it got real long, but I was able to harvest it for salads, so... >> Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

And plus, it's a really pretty plant, and it goes far, you know, into the season.

I've seen it with frost and even snow on it, so... >> So, now, this guy -- So I was calling this "Verbena Globiosa," but you said, "Nah."

You couldn't find it that way, so what did you find out about this guy?

>> Verbena Bonariensis, it's... >> Okay, so it grows a tall spike... >> Yeah.

>> ...and the little globes at the top.

>> Yeah.

>> And it reseeds itself.

>> Oh, yeah, like crazy.

>> So I have it everywhere, and I have swallowtail butterflies.

>> Mm-hmm.

>> I've got bees everywhere, and everybody loves it, but it also is a great cut flower.

>> Yeah, yeah, and it works well in your combination planters too, I mean, if you want something in the center that kind of comes up.

♪ >> It's an experience when you come here.

I love the fact that it's kind of nestled under the trees.

It's pretty.

You walk across the little bridges to get inside here, and it's always an adventure.

I've been here probably maybe five or six times this year, and every time I come, it's different.

>> Yeah, and you always have something different on your cart.

We can pick you out from across the store because you have all the neat and unusual things on your cart, so we like... >> Well, I like that.

>> We love plant people, so... >> I like it because I like that, the more unusual stuff I can find, the better off it is.

>> Mm-hmm, good.

>> So we have a tradition at "Life in Bloom."

So, I like to make flower crowns, but this flower crown is actually made from all of the things that came from here, as well.

>> Mm-hmm.

>> So this is for you to wear.

>> Nice.

>> How about that?

So there we go.

All right?

And I'll see if it fits.

We have a silk stocking, so -- Sorry.

>> What do you think?

>> I think it looks good?

>> You think so?

>> Yeah.

Do you think -- I'm thinking maybe all your people here could have those in the spring for your celebrations in the spring, would be fun.

>> Sounds good.

I need a chin strap so we can handle the wind.

>> [ Laughs ] Well, thanks, I appreciate it so much.

>> All right.

You bet.

Thank you.

♪ >> We use some fun containers to create some beautiful arrangements that will be perfect for any outdoor party.

When tulips come up in the spring, I love to cut them and use them in arrangements.

Flower arranging can implement the same techniques as garden plantings.

An interesting flower becomes the thriller, causing excitement.

Fill in between other flowers with accent flowers or fillers, and flowers like long-stem tulips actually seem to spill out of the vase.

Thrillers, fillers, and spillers help make a flower arrangement or container garden interesting and exciting.

♪ I loved it when I ran across these containers.

It's a wicker handled basket, but it has a glass vase inside.

I filled it with water and added my flower nutrients so that my flowers are going to last a long time, but because it has a glass liner, you can also drop a candle down inside, too.

Containers like these can be filled with garden flowers any time of the year.

♪ ♪ ♪ Daffodils are another spring favorite, and heather and Sweet William look great in a little garden arrangement.

♪ ♪ ♪ Filling a vase with foliage like Dusty Miller provides a structure that easily holds thin-stemmed flowers in place.

♪ I love the gray background that Dusty Miller provides.

I grow them specially in my garden just for cutting, and we have Ranunculus and Scoop Scabiosa.

♪ Flowers and foliage from the garden are ideal for quick party decorations.

These are all great examples of flowers that grow in the garden, but if you don't have flowers from the garden, You could also pick some up at a flower seller.

Notice how this one is monochromatic with pink tones and the gray background, or we can use more vibrant colors to make it more exciting.

Pastels are always great for a garden party, too.

These fun containers can sit on a table or be suspended from a tree or a pergola.

It's a great way to bring the flowers into the entertaining atmosphere.

Don't think you need a huge party to have flowers.

Even if you're having a friend over, flowers help set the mood for you to have a great time.

♪ The health-and-wellness aspect of flowers is evident.

So, today, I wanted to invite in someone who makes me feel healthier, and that's my chiropractor.

This is Dr. Adam Van Gessel, and I see him every 2 weeks, and so you are an activator chiropractor.

Tell us a little bit about it, how it works.

>> So a lot of people think of chiropractic -- They think of, "Crack my back," or... >> Right.

>> ...you know, manual manipulation, which is a form of chiropractic care, but I utilize a tool that I can deliver a thrust or control in a more precise way.

>> So one of the things that you do is when you're adjusting, you're looking at the bottom of my feet.

>> Correct.

Yeah.

>> And you can tell.

You're like, "You're 1/2 inch off, you're 1/4 inch off."

>> Sure.

>> And that's how you adjust it.

>> Sure.

We're always looking for symmetry, we're looking for muscle tone, and those leg-length checks allow us to do that in an easy way.

>> Now, so tell us a little bit too about how chiropractic is coming into more popularity.

It's being approved by more things.

You're working with a lot of that.

>> Sure, oh, absolutely.

I work with family doctors all the time now.

We're getting referrals from medical doctors on a more regular basis, but a lot of it is because we're moving in a more conservative approach.

You know, with the opioid crisis and other things going on, a lot of people are looking for alternative ways, and chiropractic is the number-one alternative medicine that's used in the United States.

>> So you help make me better with your chiropractic service.

>> Thanks for saying that.

>> So I wanted to help you feel better, and we'd arrange some flowers together.

>> Awesome.

>> Are you up for that?

>> Absolutely.

>> Okay, good.

So I have some flowers that I've selected today.

I just kind of made some choices for us.

We have some Protea.

These are from San Diego, so we've got pincushions.

>> Okay.

>> We have mink.

This one is called a King Protea.

We also have some succulents, and I put them on a little stick so we could stick them right into our arrangement.

>> Okay.

Awesome.

>> The physical act of arranging flowers releases endorphins in our body that allows us to feel more relaxed, feel calmer, happier, less depression.

>> Mm-hmm.

>> They talk about flowers also enlarging our circles of friends.

>> Okay.

>> So I think that that's good, too.

They say with seniors, too -- When seniors do it, that they'll be more apt to seek medical attention because when they're around flowers, it makes them more open to that, so I think that that's interesting, as well.

So...

Okay, so, I have a little cheat for us today, a little tip.

All right?

>> Okay.

>> So this is called a foliage bunch.

It's just a bunch of foliage.

>> Okay.

>> I'm going to cut the stem, and I'm just going to drop it down into my container, and it actually gives me a little bit of structure.

You may -- Oh, let's see how you're doing.

Oh, you're good.

You're good.

>> Easy.

>> Yeah, yeah, yeah.

We can add our other flowers to that, okay?

>> Okay.

>> And so by having a little bit of that structure down inside there, it allows us to place a flower and not have it just roll around in the vase.

>> Okay.

Just stick it in anywhere?

>> Yep.

So... And you can do your own thing.

>> Okay.

Awesome.

>> So now you have a special plant... >> Yes.

>> ...that you get for your mother every year.

>> Oh, sure.

My... Actually, it started with my grandma.

My grandma loved being outside.

She loved doing landscaping and whatnot, and I would always go with her to the local nursery that was near our house.

>> Uh-huh.

>> And we would just go pick out plants that she wanted to try planting, and for Mother's Day one year, I said, "Well, just get a plant, and that's my gift for you."

>> Okay.

>> And so she found this plant that she really liked, and it was the...

I asked the lady, "Now what if I wanted to have this again?

Is this something I need to ask for?"

And she said, "Yeah, it's called the strep-throat plant," and so every year now I go to that same nursery, and I ask for a strep-throat plant, and I get some pretty interesting looks from some of the people because they don't know what I'm talking about, but... >> So the strep-throat plant is called Streptocarpellum Saxorum.

I did some research on this.

>> Sure.

>> I did not know that, okay?

>> Sure, sure.

>> But my friend at the garden center sent me a picture of it.

>> Mm-hmm.

>> And so this is what it looks like.

>> Okay.

>> And so that's what you get every year.

So do you... >> That is.

>> And you just go in and ask for the strep-throat plant?

>> I walk in because I've gotten to the point where I enjoy the response I sometimes get from people, yeah.

>> Right, right, right.

>> And I'm like, "I'm here for my strep-throat plant," and they look at me like I'm crazy sometimes, but other times, the botanist is there or the people that run it.

They're like, "Oh, yeah, I know exactly what you're talking about," so... >> See?

Flowers do make a difference.

Okay, so I got some lilies for you, too, for yours.

>> Okay.

Cut them still?

>> Yeah.

>> Okay.

>> And you can make them whatever length you want because, I mean, you're going to tuck them down in there, probably.

>> Okay.

>> So do you feel relaxed?

>> I always feel relaxed.

>> Yeah.

You are pretty casual when it comes to... >> I'm a pretty easygoing person.

>> You are.

You are.

If you were going to give people advice... >> Mm-hmm.

>> ...about chiropractic, what would you say?

>> I think my first advice would be, if they've ever had a bad experience or have some negative feelings about it, I would say, "Keep looking," you know?

If people have a bad experience with another doctor or store or restaurant, they go look for another one, you know?

>> Right.

>> And in my profession, sometimes that doesn't happen.

>> Uh-huh.

>> And the other thing I would say is, "Everybody has a spine, and so it's helpful to get your spine checked."

>> Oh.

You did a great job.

>> Thank you.

Looks awesome.

>> Yeah.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Okay, so I have a tradition... >> Yes.

>> ...here at "Life in Bloom."

We have flower crowns for our guests.

>> Oh, awesome.

>> So this is a flower crown for you.

So let's see how that goes.

>> Fit pretty well?

>> Do I need to adjust it?

>> I don't think so.

It's well-adjusted, so... >> Okay.

It is well-adjusted?

All right.

Cool.

Thank you.

I appreciate you coming.

Thanks so much for sharing your expertise with me... >> Mm-hmm.

>> ...but also for what you do for health and wellness for other people.

>> Awesome.

Thank you, J.

>> Thanks.

♪ So, Dirk, I thought you could help me make a cocktail.

>> That sounds great.

>> And we're incorporating some of the things from you here.

I know that the basil that I got here.

I don't know if there's lime trees.

>> We actually do sell citrus, yes.

>> Okay.

Do you sell pineapple trees?

>> No.

>> Oh, okay.

>> Actually, no, the little, mini floral ones, you've probably seen them there.

>> Oh, okay.

Okay.

All right.

And juniper, you have juniper.

>> You got it.

>> We're going to use gin.

So our recipe, we're going to start with a lime.

>> Put this in here?

>> Yeah, that goes there, yeah, for you.

Okay?

One for me.

Okay.

Then we have our basil.

All right?

So basil blossom, basil blossom.

Then we muddle these.

>> Okay.

>> Okay?

So here, I'm going to let you muddle yours, how about that?

>> Muddle this?

Okay.

>> Yeah.

Okay.

All right.

So then here is ice.

We have gin -- so made from juniper berries.

>> Mm-hmm.

>> I like a good organic pineapple juice.

So we try and celebrate Flower Cocktail Hour every day.

Kelly and I have Flower Cocktail Hour, so what we do is we make a cocktail.

I make a flower arrangement.

We have cocktails, and then we sit down and have a discussion of what happened over the day.

>> Okay.

Good tradition.

>> And just -- Yeah.

And so we just call it Flower Cocktail Hour because it involves the flowers.

Okay, now I'm going to mix with my knife.

So we topped it off with sparkling water.

>> Okay.

>> This is a pineapple-basil cocktail.

>> Okay.

>> All right?

Cheers.

>> Cheers.

Thank you.

>> What do you think?

It's basil-y.

>> It's great.

>> Good.

Good.

♪ We'll paint our jars with a blackboard paint.

I like to work on a turntable so that I can turn them around as I spray-paint them.

We'll start with them upright and paint the entire jar.

Once it's dry, we'll flip it over and paint the bottom.

I like the accent of the bright silver ring, but sometimes the rings can get rusty.

We can also paint those using a silver paint, and then everything has a nice fresh coat.

Be sure when you're painting to do it in a well-ventilated area.

So we have our painted jars, and now we can plant our herbs in them.

This is going to make a great little windowsill garden that I can cut off of and I can use for cooking.

♪ ♪ Since the jars don't have holes in the bottom, be sure to add stones before the soil for added drainage.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ Select your favorite herbs for each season and for different cooking accents.

♪ I'm using a chalk-ink writer.

Or you can leave them blank if you want to.

Having these at the kitchen sink allows us to check them for water.

There's not drainage in these containers because they're jars, but you could also do it with clay pots.

Just test with your finger before watering.

Now you have an herb garden at your fingertips so you can add it to your cooking.

♪ There are 422 species of Geraniums.

Some are annuals, biannuals, and perennials.

Geraniums are also known as cranesbill.

Known for their distinctive seed dispersal, this consists of a beak-like column which springs open when ripe and casts the seeds some distance.

Geraniums are native to the Mediterranean.

Traditionally, they're an outdoor plant.

However, they can be kept indoors year-round or brought indoors over the winter months and will bloom all year.

The Geranium is toxic to the Japanese beetle.

Crushed Geranium leaves applied to a minor cut can stop bleeding.

There are superstitions that surround Geraniums.

White Geraniums are thought to ward off snakes, and Geraniums planted near windows are supposed to keep out flies.

♪ Today I'll show you some of my favorite tips when it comes to planting container gardens.

So, when I think about these, I always base them on color just like I do my flower arrangements.

What I try and do is block my colors together in the container garden.

There's a conventional wisdom about planting container gardens where we talk about a thriller that goes in the center.

So, in this case, it's our pink flamingo grass, or over here, it's a black grass that actually has a great big bloom that's going to come on it.

The thriller goes in the middle of your container garden.

Then we have spillers like this licorice vine.

This licorice vine is going to grow out, and it's going to go down onto the ground.

The Calibrachoa, the purple flower in the front, is going to do the same thing.

It's going to spill out of the container.

So we have a thriller in the middle, spillers on the outside, and in between, we fill in a filler.

So thriller, filler, and spiller.

You'll also notice that I plant my containers very dense.

I want them to be pretty right away, so if I want beautiful Zinnias or Celosia or Petunias, I crowd them in because a plant blooms well when it's root-bound.

So if all of these plants are growing together, they're all going to bloom more profusely.

Don't be afraid to use perennials in your container gardens, as well.

At the end of fall, you can plant those perennials in your yard, and then you'll have them the next year, and you can start with something new inside your pot.

♪ We know you've been inspired to give container gardens a try.

Have fun, and enjoy the process.

For "Life in Bloom," I'm J Schwanke.

See you next time.

>> Push your hair down a little bit.

>> Thank you.

Did I get it?

>> Yeah.

>> Tell me when I... >> Push forward a little bit.

There you go, just like that.

>> Am I in or out?

>> You're out.

You're good.

>> Okay.

Is it good?

>> Yep.

>> Okay.

>> You don't care what I look like?

[ Laughter ] >> No, we don't.

>> No.

Guess I look good by comparison.

It's all -- Yeah.

>> Whatever works.

♪ ♪ >> "J Schwanke's Life in Bloom" is filmed in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

>> "J Schwanke's Life in Bloom" is brought to you by... ...with additional support from the following companies... Closed-caption funding provided by Ocean View Flowers.

For everything flowers, recipes, projects, and more information, visit ubloom.com.