We have a great post lined up today. Before I share the article on container gardening written by Curtis Hamilton here at Goodwill, I wanted to share a few links on creative container options.
15 Creative Container Ideas from Planet Green (Discovery)
Container Gardening: Tips for the Beginning Gardener
Container gardening is a great alternative to the traditional garden, especially if you do not have the space or time to maintain a garden. You can grow flowers, veggies, or a mix of both. Some types of flowers and herbs are a natural pest/animal deterrent, which will give your veggies an edge on making it to your table. For example, planting nasturtium near radishes and any plants in the cabbage family helps to ward off aphids and squash bugs. Golden Harvest Organics lists suggestions on companion planting.
Container gardening is pretty simple: all you need is a sunny spot (not too hot), containers, and soil. Get creative with the containers you use – just avoid woods that have been treated, stained, or painted. All of these have the possibility of leaching chemicals into the soil. Five gallon plastic buckets are probably the easiest and most common; these are perfect for tomatoes, eggplant, cucumbers, or peas. The deep bucket will give a good weight to offset the height and weight of these plants. Old wooden bushel barrels are a good choice and will give your garden a more rustic look. If you kid has outgrown the old Radio Flyer wagon, use it to plant lettuce. Old sinks will also add some character to your yard. Whatever your choice of container, make sure it has holes in the bottom to drain off any excess water.
Next, you will need decent soil to give your plants a good start. I recommend using potting soil for container gardening. Avoid digging up soil from you yard, as it will contain seeds from grass or other weeds. The idea of container gardening is to give you the most reward in plants with the least amount of work, so you don’t want to spend your time weeding.
The articles I have read recommend a mixture of organic potting soil mixed with peat moss, 2/3 soil to 1/3 moss. Another article added that compost mixed in will replace the need for any fertilizer.
So give it a try and have fun in your new “garden.”
