Kitchen Container Garden – Think Small
If you don’t have space for a large kitchen garden, think creatively — try a kitchen container garden. It may be possible to grow a small selection that combines the ornamental with the tasty.
Salad crops such as tomatoes and lettuces are especially good for growing in containers, as they respond well to confinement, they are easy to grow, and you don’t need many small plants for a small family. They can be grown in window boxes or patio pots. Be prepared to stretch your horizons, however, as most vegetables can be grown successfully in containers with a little determination.
Lettuces
Lettuces are really easy to grow and small varieties don’t require much space. Sow a pinch of seeds each week from spring onwards for a succession of hearted lettuce, or choose loose-leaf types such as “salad bowl” so that you can harvest individual leaves over a long period. This does not leave such obvious gaps when you harvest, in comparison with a hearty variety where you used the whole head. Choose different types of lettuce with a variety of leaf shape and color to make attractive displays in troughs, containers or window boxes.
If you choose to grow your lettuce in window boxes, use two or three liner boxes to fit inside a more attractive outer box. Sow in succession in the various boxes, and move those at their most attractive stage into the decorative outer box. When harvesting is over, replaced the inner trough with one containing maturing lettuces and re-sow the one removed.
Other vegetables
Zucchini, cucumbers and most types of peppers can all be grown successfully in growing bags or in large containers such as half barrels. Zucchini can be quite decorative, with large yellow flowers. Some varieties have yellow fruit.
If you don’t mind giving up most of the space on your patio, you can really grow quite a number of different kinds of vegetables in a relatively small space. Use large containers that hold plenty of potting soil, make sure to line the bottom of the containers with pebbles for proper draining, and don’t neglect the watering.
Growing bags are also a solution for the kitchen garden. It is surprising what you can raise in just a few of these bags. You might try spinach, green onions, or early potatoes. While they are quite functional, growing bags are not as attractive as the containers and pots that you may choose to decorate yourself. You may wish to relegate growing bags to a less visible corner of the patio.
All in all, the success of your kitchen container garden is up to you. With just a little tender loving care and a moderate amount of attention, your vegetables will grow to be both beautiful and tasty. Happy planting in your new kitchen container garden!