Container Gardening

I like container gardening with vegetables because it makes me feel more productive than just growing flowers.  I’m not just spending time in the yard working with dirt, I’m building groceries!  It makes me feel virtuous to be able to put a dollar value on my effort.

Just because I’m growing something usable, however, doesn’t mean I can’t make it beautiful, too.  How do you go about making your container garden beautiful?  Here are five tips for growing a beautiful container garden.

1. Pick attractive plants

Chives In Bloom

It may seem obvious, but plant selection is the first step to getting an attractive container garden.  Look for pictures of your chosen plants to see what they’ll look like at various stages.  If the look of wire cages turns you off, choose tomatoes that don’t need cage growing.  If the jumble of vines from a bush bean plant doesn’t appeal to you, don’t grow them!

On the other side, feel free to choose some plants primarily for their ornamental value.  I grow more chives than I need because they’re pretty, with the vertical stalks and fun purple flowers.  Many herbs have variegated varieties, with pretty stripes of color in the leaves.  Summer squash plants have really pretty flowers in the morning, and cherry tomatoes are absolutely beautiful when they reach maturity, with clusters of little fruits.

2. Pick attractive containers

This step can be trickier, since containers almost always cost more than your plants, and if you are working on a budget, the bland pots may be the most practical.  If you can afford dozens of beautiful ceramic pots, go for it!  If not, try accenting the garden with one or two focal pieces.  Start with small pots, placed prominently.  Select plastic containers in neutral colors for the rest of your plants, and the decorative pots will jump out.  Every year, replace a few plastic pots with more decorative containers.

3. Use different sizes and shapes

A row of identical 5-gallon pots of tomato plants is bound to be a bit dull.  Instead, choose plants with different sizes of pots, stems, and leaves, and place them near each other.  A tall tomato plant might be complemented by a shallow bowl of herbs or a windowbox of lettuce.  This keeps the garden interesting

This works particularly well if the smaller plants have particularly interesting colors, such as red cabbages or variegated herbs.  Just make sure to place the larger plants as background and the smaller ones as foreground, or you will lose the little ones.

4. Use different heights

If you place everything on the ground, the little plants will be more or less lost in the sea of pots, and the pots themselves will be much more prominent.  Instead, try to arrange some tiers or levels on which you can place plants.

There are a few ways to do this.  My container garden is arranged near the door to my sunroom, so I use the steps that are already there, placing larger containers on the steps and a windowbox on the wide railing.  You can also build inexpensive shelves with cinderblocks and simple wooden boards.  A low table can be a platform for a pot or bowl.

Don’t be afraid to hang things!  Hanging baskets of cherry tomatoes or herbs can add height and fill in empty spaces in a container garden.

5. Plant multiple items in a single pot

There are two reasons for planting more than one item in a single pot.

One is that many plants take a long time to reach maturity.  If you know your tomato plant will be two months in reaching its full height and don’t want to waste that 5-gallon pot in the meantime, you can plant some plants with quick crops, like radishes or carrots, to fill out the container in the meantime.  Full pots are much more attractive than empty ones.

Multiple Herbs in a Planter

The other reason is that the assortment of different plants in a planter makes it more interesting to look at.  When a single pot contains four or five types of leaves or flowers, it holds the eye better.  Try planting a few kinds of lettuce or squash in one container, or grouping herbs for contrasts.  Plant chives with basil and thyme to create three levels of herbs in a single pot.

Just because your garden is functional doesn’t mean it can’t also be beautiful.  Good luck!

So, you’re looking to get started in container gardening, but you don’t know what to grow?  We can help!  Here is a list of five edible plants that grow well in containers.

1. Herbs
If you don’t have much experience with container gardening, herbs are hands-down the best place to start. 

With a little care and nurturing, you can keep a basil plant alive on your kitchen windowsill through a winter, and it is even easier to plant a container bed with several herbs at once to thrive through the summer months.  I always start my herbs from seedlings.  If you have an urn or windowbox, consider planting several varieties side-by-side.  I keep basil, parsley, chives, tarragon, oregano, and thyme in mine.  Find out what you use most!

2. Tomatoes
Depending on how much space you have, you can opt for the right style of tomato plant for you.  If you are limited in space, you can grow cherry tomatoes in baskets: they’re both decorative and tasty.  Good varieties to try for that include Florida Basket Tomatoes and Anmore Dewdrop Tomatoes.  Get more info on Growing Cherry Tomatoes in Containers.

If you have more space, you can upgrade to larger tomatoes in pots and planters of five gallons or more.  Roma tomatoes grow very well in pots.  Remember to stake and water well, and you can get a great harvest.

3. Radishes
Radishes can be a lot of fun to grow, especially with children, because they are very quick to grow and don’t need much space.  You can plant them in a windowbox or a little planter and have a harvest in 3-4 weeks!  Moisten the soil in a pot, plant radish seeds, and cover with 1/4 inch of soil.  Cover the pot with plastic wrap until the seeds sprout.  3 weeks after that, your radishes will be ready to eat!

4. Lettuce
Lettuce is a pretty plant, and works well as combination vegetable and ornamental container plant.  I like to plant it in windowboxes, for a nice bit of greenery.  They don’t need too much depth, but be sure to space the plants adequately.  Following the instructions on the package should be fine.  One advantage to lettuce is that you can find good partial shade varieties, which can help if you don’t get much direct sun.

5. Squash
In my experience, summer squashes are a terrifically forgiving plant.  You need a good-sized pot for container squash, but if you get a pot of around five gallons or more and try to keep them watered, you can get a fabulous crop from them.  Keep in mind, squash plants (especially zucchini) like to spread out and fill space.  You need to either prune them back or be prepared for crazy trailing leaves and vines.

Nearly any vegetable you can grow in the ground can be grown in a container, provided the container is big enough.  These suggestions should help you get started, but feel free to experiment on your own and find what works best for you.  Good luck!