Small Spaces: My Season of Container Gardening
Hi Gardening and Wellness Friends 👋🏼
This is an interesting season I’m in. Over the last 15 years, I started with a small 4x4 garden bed, migrated to a medium garden with 4- 4x4 beds and at the end of 2024 I left my 3 gigantic garden beds that were each approximately 30’x20’. I’ve come full circle, and I currently have a small container herb garden on a terrace. It’s interesting where life takes us on our journey’s. I foresee a large garden again in my future, but for now, I’m content with my container herb garden, and my ability to teach excited gardeners how to grow in Florida.
Not everyone has the luxury to grow a garden in their backyard. If you’re like me, and you’re in a season of in between, where you’re not where you want to be, but not where you used to be, and you want to garden but don’t have a backyard, then know you have the ability to grow a small container garden on a patio, a deck, a terrace, an indoor south facing windowsill or on a porch. Our gardens will look a little different than the traditional idea of a vegetable garden. Using pots, planters, food grade 5 gallon buckets, cloth grow bags, or windowsill planters are all options for container gardening. If we needed to be more resourceful, solo cups, or milk jugs could work temporarily for smaller rooted plants. I’m of the belief to do what we can, when we can, in the season we’re in. Gardening shouldn’t be a luxury. It should be a basic skill, accessible to everyone as a source of food security, wellness and resilience.
Use some of my tips to cultivate a container garden:
use small pots/containers for small rooted plants such as: herbs, celery, lettuce, arugula, onions, shallots, radishes
use medium sized pots/containers for medium rooted plants such as: beans, beets, carrots, cucumber, peas, peppers, zucchini, marigolds, pentas, zinnia’s
use large sized pots/containers such as the 5 gallon bucket for large rooted plants such as: okra, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, tomatoes
use a mix of compost and potting soil to provide proper nutrients
feed the plants once a month with an organic all-purpose feed
keep the containers watered regularly because containers dry out quickly
always ensure pots/containers have drainage holes
Container gardens make it possible for anyone to grow vegetables, herbs or flowers in Florida. Even in the smallest of spaces we can create a lush little garden oasis. Tell me, have you tried container gardening?
Until next time…..
🌿To our health and the health of our gardens🌿
Tina