Grow a Container Garden

I have a checkered past when it comes to gardening. In my early married days I went through an earth-mother phase that would have guaranteed entry to even the choosiest hippie commune. I had an acre of land and felt obligated to plant it up with anything a human could consume. We ate like kings...fresh black raspberries and peaches, green beans, sweet corn, tomatoes the size of small canned hams. I spent every free minute tending the garden...composting, turning the soil, pinching blossoms, shaking corn stalks for pollination. About the only thing I did not do to complete snapshot of nature was milk goats in my maxi skirt.

Over time my gardening style has changed dramatically. Things like jobs, children, dogs that tear up the grass and a back yard that lies completely in the shade of a two-story house have seriously cut into my in-ground gardening success. So much so that last year I didn't plant one thing. Not even a petunia. That is a sad performance I do not plan to repeat.

While it's not currently practical to plant in the ground, I do have a nice deck that gets plenty of sunshine. The deck is right off the kitchen via a sliding glass door, so easy access for watering and weeding. A little research has let me know there are very few things that cannot be grown in containers, including my favorite root veggies. This bucket list goal is to create a container this summer on the deck. A garden of function and beauty that will feed both my body and soul.

Sunshine on Their Shoulders

Some important things to consider while container gardening include the amount of sunshine or shade plant will receive, the size depth and width of the containers, proper drainage for containers, placement of plants for maximum insect control, and choice of plants for best variety of produce and floral color. Plants that do well in full sunshine (6-8 hours per day) include:

• Tomatoes
• Strawberries
• Peppers
• Onions
• Potatoes
• Lavender
• Petunias
• Snap Dragons
• Roses
• Mint
• Rosemary
• Lemongrass

Plants doing best in partial shade (or the soil being kept below 80 degrees) include:

• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Peas
• Arugula
• Beans
• Spinach
• Leaf Lettuce
• Kale

Some Overall Tips for Growing in Containers:

1. The container must allow for water to escape, or the soil will remain too wet and the plants will suffer root rot. Often this can be alleviated by simply drilling holes in the bottom of containers. If the container cannot be drilled, sometimes placing several rocks or a layer of gravel in the bottom, helps water wick through the soil and away from plant roots.
2. Plants that like sunshine should be rotated 180 degrees every few days, so all surfaces are evenly exposed.
3. Container gardens are susceptible to high levels of nitrogen, so it is best to use a natural compost to fertilize plants instead of commercial fertilizers. Bone meal is a good source of phosphorus.
4. It's important to leave the recommended amount of open soil around each container plant. For example, spacing is not quite as critical to radishes, but onions need a 3-inch swath of open soil around each plant for optimum growth.
5. Container plants often need help bearing the weight of their produce, and plants are healthiest when properly staked or put int a wire 'basket'.
6. Containers should not be planted in the spring until the outside temperature remains at 55 degrees or more.
7. Most container plants need to be planted between 6 and 12 inches deep.
8. Water containers when the top layer of soil appears dry. But take care to not over water.
9. Don't get water on the leaves of container plants, as this can lead to certain mildew-type diseases.
10. Planting marigolds near vegetables can help reduce the number of insect pests on the vegetables.
11. Don't let others discourage your container garden effort, as most anything can be grown this way!

Fresh Produce

Not only are gardens a healthy outlet and aesthetically pleasing, but the food grown by one's own hand often has a completely different taste and texture than commercially grown foods. Most people realize that fresh strawberries and tomatoes taste exponentially better grown at home. But even items such as potatoes take on different characteristics when grown "up close and personally". Homegrown potatoes are more dense and 'juicy' than commercially grown spuds, and have a richer flavor. Peas pods are brighter green, and broccoli takes on lovely shade of blue. These seemingly small changes add up to more nutrient-dense sources of food.

On My Deck

Here is the vision for my personal garden: A combination of produce, herbs, functional flowers, and just plain beauty. I plan on having the following: Spinach, snow peas, grape tomatoes, potatoes (something fun...blue ones?), peppers, broccoli, radishes, carrots, sage, thyme, rosemary, lavender, lemongrass, marigolds, pansies, miniature roses, petunias, snap dragons, miniature carnations, baby's breath and double begonias (bright red, to attract humming birds). I'm looking forward to getting down and dirty!