More container gardening

I know that I go on and on about my container gardening efforts but this time I'll show you what a local garden center has done.

JR and I had heard about a place in Katy that is big on water gardens and since I have a special affinity for water gardens of any sort we thought we'd trek on out there to look them over. This place was having some sort of open house/celebration/sale thing going so there were demonstrations, music and information booths. It must be a big deal because they had a couple of policemen there directing traffic.

Since, we were going there to look at water gardens I was surprised to see container vegetable gardens. Pleasantly surprised but surprised none the less.

This one was filled with tomatoes, corn, and basil. I'm not sure why they chose corn unless it was to train the tomato up the stalk. One stalk of corn only produces a couple of ears per plant so it is not a very efficient use of space. The whole point of veggie container gardening is to get a decent yield in a small amount of space. While fresh corn on the cob is yummy it doesn't really qualify as efficient.

 This one is fairly standard issue; tomatoes, peppers, an herb or two in a narrow planter box. Perfect for a small patio or balcony. Intensively planting in a box or two like this will give you a nice little salad garden throughout the season.

Not sure what to plant with what? It is easy. Plant a tall sun loving plant, like a tomato or two in what will be the back of the planter. Plant a medium size sun lover in front of the tomato that takes either less time to yield or more time to yield than the tomato. Check the tags on the starts that you buy at the garden store. In the very front plant a low and fast grower. Herbs such as thyme or oregano work well as does lettuce. A packet of mixed lettuce seeds are cheap and will having you nibbling on baby greens in only a few weeks.

Think you only have room for a fountain or a veggie container but not both? Think again.  The veggies are planted in the fountain. It is almost hydroponic. Keeping your fountain full keeps your plants watered. Perfect for folks that leave for a couple of weeks in the summer.

This one makes a little less sense. It is placed in a much larger pond. One would have to give a lot of thought to placement. Too far into the pond would make harvest a wet experience.

I encourage you to grow your own if you can. Even a container on the balcony gives you a sense of accomplishment, lets you control a little bit of the healthiness of your produce and adds some life in an urban environment. Plus it is literally no work. No hoeing the rows. No weeding between the plants. And no tilling up the soil at the end of the season. Container gardening is a pick and eat affair with a little bit of tending and consistent watering. 

Tis the season, so go out there and grow your own.

Love,
M

PS: I'm calling this my Meatless Monday post because you can't really container garden cows.