Despite the snow-covered, frozen ground, the topic of discussion at Jolly Lane Greenhouse on Saturday was roses, vegetables and spring planting during two free gardening seminars open to the public.

With more people taking up gardening, the seminars gave participants the opportunity to learn smarter ways to grow vegetables, flowers, bushes and perennials in this region. “This is the right time to start planning, while the snow is still on the ground,” Master Gardener Cathie Draine said. “Whatever you decide to grow, you need to have a plan first.”

Master Gardener Melvin Glover of the South Dakota Extension Service said he has seen a large increase in the interest in gardening. “More people are gardening for all sorts of reasons -- some for the good food or health reasons, or even to save money,” he said.

Gardening is fun, provides good exercise and is no longer limited to those who have large yards to cultivate, he said. “Growing in containers is growing in popularity. It’s great for people who don’t have a big yard. They can still grow fresh vegetables on a deck or patio.”

Container gardening is a booming industry, with seed companies starting to develop seeds specifically designed for containers. Vegetables that typically don’t fare well in containers because of longer roots, such as carrots and radishes, are being genetically engineered to grow in pots. The new vegetables are shorter and rounder and grow well in containers.

Some vegetables that tend to grow well in containers include mixed salad greens, lettuce, spinach, beets, chard, onion sets and herbs.

There are also container seeds to grow tomatoes, eggplant, zucchini and dwarf dill, she said. “You need make sure you educate yourself,” Draine said. “Choose plants that are developed for container culture. You will need to read package after package.”

There are specialty seed companies online, like Renee’s Garden and Landreth Seeds, that gardeners can order container seeds from. By next year, she expects most of the main seed companies to have special packages designated for growing in containers.

Growing in containers need not be unattractive. Gardeners can combine different vegetables in one pot to add eye appeal. Draine recommends that whenever planting vegetables in a pot, one adds a flower or two to draw the insects. The combination of taller herbs, such as dwarf dill, with leafy lettuce also can also complement each other.

LaVonne Wedland of Black Hawk attended Saturday’s classes and was excited to hear about the changes in the container gardening. “I’ve been gardening on a small scale for about 20 to 30 years,” she said. “I mostly have containers with flowers and a little bit of vegetables. There are so many great tips for the vegetables, I can’t wait for spring.”

There are several factors to consider when putting pots around the yard. Obviously, sunlight is a main factor, Drain said. Gardeners also want to remember proximity to a water source. “You don’t want to be hauling water all over the yard,” she said. “You will fall out of love with your parsley real quick.”

One tip for planting in areas where water is not as accessible is to buy a big garbage can or container to place near the pots. Fill the can with water, and use it to dip out of each day.

“Time is a big issue with containers,” she said. “They need to be watered one to two times each day.”

The size of one’s garden is largely determined by time, money, knowledge and energy, Draine said. “Everyone wants to be successful in gardening,” she said. “Success doesn’t always mean bushels of vegetables. It can mean we have knowledge, made good choices and are happy with the results.”