When I first arrived here I had little to no money and lived in a second floor tiny, tiny apartment. I wanted desperately to garden but, with little resources and no space what was I to do? The answer was container gardening. I used the small slightly enclosed porch that was no bigger than 4 x 6 ft. for my gardening space.
Look at the photos to see how it turned out. I grew marigolds, morning glories and nasturtiums. I even had a couple of tomatoes in some 5 gallon containers growing down at the foot of the stairs.
I searched the streets early morning before the garbage trucks were out. I found containers to plant in.... containers with soil...... and containers to hang from the porch. Yes that year was sparse in the flower and veggie dept. but, I had a garden. I even hung wind chimes I bought at the dollar store and stuck a chair out on that porch. What serenity and peace I derived while being out there and for such a little out lay of cash.
Container gardening is a great way to get things growing when you don’t have adequate outdoor space or if the weather isn’t cooperating. Here's a couple of tips...
Soil mix for containers;
1 part peat moss
1 part rich garden soil or potting soil
1 part sand
mix the ingredients in a bucket or wheelbarrow until blended
Vegetables
In addition to providing 5 hours or more of full sun, you must give attention to selecting the proper varieties and choosing the proper container.
Flowers
Great annuals for pots include: begonia, browallia, dusty miller, fuchsia, lobelia, marigold, morning glory, portulaca, snapdragon, statice, sweet alyssum, and sweet pea.
Great perennials for pots include: astilbe, bee balm, bergenia, bleeding heart, coneflower, evening primrose, hosta, hybrid daylily, Maltese cross, speedwell, and tansy.
Make it fun and enjoy the fruits of your labor. You can garden just about anywhere.
