For some years I’ve dreamt of having a few acres outside the city in a little homestead where I could grow some of my own fruit and veggies and take in homeless animals. There’s something about creating something from near-nothing and watching it grow into a tangible object that makes me happy. It’s like a mini miracle. Until I have my acreage though, I’ll have to settle for growing produce in my backyard and around my house.
My house faces north which is excellent for keeping the house cool in the summer, but not ideal for growing produce that requires eight plus hours of daily sunlight. For gardening, this lack of direct sunlight would require me to push my garden more towards the center of my backyard, further away from the house, or use the front yard which would require permission by the HOA. The biggest complication for using either yard though, is that the lawn maintenance is performed by a company hired by the HOA and included with our monthly dues so that makes it difficult to monitor what’s happening in my yard and also makes it harder for the lawn maintenance personnel to do their jobs. My husband and I considered digging up some of our backyard and installing a raised garden bed but before we got the shovels out, I decided to try my hand at a mini garden to find out if gardening is something I actually enjoy or something that I only liked in theory.
This is where container gardening for me began. I found out about container gardening by searching for small space and indoor gardening online and discovered that many people use their apartment deck or door stoop to grow herbs and certain produce that work well in pots. YouTube has many examples of people sharing their small container gardens and what they do to make it work. I loved the idea of a container garden to test my enthusiasm for gardening because with a container garden I only needed to purchase some pots, seeds, and fertilizer to get started without the need for tearing up any of my yard. I figured I could start with a few containers placed inconspicuously in my driveway to test if it works and if it’s a hobby I’d stick with.
Before heading to the hardware store to get my supplies, I went online and discovered there are tons of free resources available that provide a list of the ideal produce and which varieties grew best in my local area and during which months of the year. I also picked up a book at Barnes and Noble in the Local section for gardening within my state. The hardware store also sold seeds that were a “container variety” to make it even easier. Around this same time, I also came across a book originally published in 1981 titled Square Foot Gardening. In it the author, Mel Bartholomew, writes about his innovative way of planting vegetables that allows more produce to grow in a smaller space with less effort. His way of planting sounded smart and simple and I knew that if and when I started a garden bed, I would implement his technique. However, since I had decided on attempting container gardening first, I decided to try and incorporate Bartholomew’s ideas into containers since they’re based on one square foot per each plant which is doable in large containers. With my supplies and knowledge ready, I filled my pots, planted my seeds, watered, then waited. And waited some more until the harvest reminders I had placed in my phone on when particular veggies were expected to be ready finally dinged.
Not everything planted was a complete success (one example were the carrots I pulled too early which were teeny tiny), but this is the most success I’ve ever had with growing anything. The Square Foot Gardening technique was a success and planting the correct variety of produce in the correct local season was extremely important. I’m also convinced me adding vermiculite based on the suggestion in Square Foot Gardening made a huge difference as I’ve tried to grow plants and flowers before without success. But with the vermiculite, every pot flourished.
Overall, I’m very happy that I tried container gardening and plan to do it for every future season. It was very satisfying to snip off some kale and spinach leaves and add them to my smoothie as I knew exactly what (and what was not) added or sprayed on the veggies and I felt a little more in touch with the earth. I’d recommend this endeavor to others.
What Worked for Me:
- Planting the recommended plants and specific varieties based on my geographical location
- Adding vermiculite when planting the seeds
- Square Foot Gardening book for specifics on how to plant for the best use of space
- Online sources and examples
P.S.
I understand gardening is not something everyone would enjoy, but I think it would be a boon for society if container gardening or the like were more encouraged. The effort to grow some peas, spinach, or many other veggies is not complex, doesn’t take much work, and could be a simple way for us to add some fresh produce in our diet. Small, personal gardening was at one time encouraged by some governments and proved to be very popular and successful.
Beginning with World War I and then restarting again during World War II, the Victory Garden campaign encouraged American citizens (other governments also participated) to grow their own fruits and veggies wherever possible to free up food for the soldiers and allies. The U.S. government provided pamphlets on how, what, and where to grow food, and even encouraged children to get involved through school programs and by 1944, it’s estimated that 40% of all fresh fruits and vegetables consumed in the United States were grown from Victory Gardens (link). It’s understandable that since there are no rations or food scarcity in current times that Victory Gardens would fall out of favor, but with food deserts and the price of fresh produce ever-increasing, I think a copy campaign with encouragement from the federal and local governments could be a net positive for society. Simply bringing awareness of the possibility a personal garden to the masses and maybe even providing free seeds or a voucher for supplies could pay for itself in future health expenditures. Just a thought.