Growing a Container Garden
In my last post, about all the FoodieBlogroll.com giveaways, there was a picture of me on my tiny porch, here in downtown, Saint Augustine. Behind me in the photo you can see my tomato plant creeping up behind me! I love gardening. It has become increasingly important to me to be more and more conscious of where my food comes from. Therefore, I am working my way towards producing as much of the food we eat as possible. Right now, I am not even in the baby stages. For one, I have a very small porch, which is the only place for me to grow any food, and I certainly do not have the land to raise any farm animals, which is certainly on my to do list for the future. One day I plan to have a lot of land, and when I do, I am looking very much forward to starting my own kitchen garden full of vegetables, culinary and medicinal herbs and flowers and raising livestock. However until that day comes, I have started my own small, but fully functional container garden on my tiny little porch. Trust me, if you put your mind to it, you can really grow a lot of stuff!
We started with tomatoes, as I have heard a lot of successful stories about growing them in containers. Once we had success with a pot of tomatoes, we bought herbs β basil, oregano, mint, lemon balm, chives and oregano.
Last year I did not fare very well in the herb growing department, even though I had a lot of success with herbs when I lived in the Northeast. So we decided to try again this year. Instead of using seeds, we started with small plants. We also got another tomato plant plus a bell pepper and a banana pepper plant…and a few strawberry plants that we are growing in a hanging basket.
Once those were doing well, we added a Celestial (white) fig tree
and a blueberry bush
We also have several non- edible plants, including a small pine tree that we used last year to celebrate the winter holidays, and plan to use the same tree for many years to come.
Our local garden center was very helpful in helping us select plants for our limited space and giving us growing tips. Basically anything can be grown in a container as long as you have good soil, sunshine and some kind of fertilizer. As the plants grow, they can be transferred to larger containers. Fruit trees are a good option as they take longer to get bigger, and therefore can stay in pots for longer periods of time. I imagine it would be the same with nut trees.
We have just moved (this past weekend) to a larger house, out of downtown, and on the island side of Saint Augustine. Our new place has a very large screened in porch. Once we are more settled in here, I am looking forward to expanding our container garden to include a few varieties of citrus trees and possibly some more vegetables like lettuces and greens. I decided that although I will likely have flowers and non-edible plants too, that growing things we can eat will give me a lot more joy, and may possibly grow me enough food to start another new hobby I have been wanting to try for a long time β canning! I know that I can’t have my farmhouse with a true garden yet, but in the meantime, I can get as close to that as possible given my living situation. I think it is also a good exercise in becoming familiar with several varieties of plants so that when we do have a farm, we are comfortable with some plantings already! That will give us a nice head start!
Also, speaking of canning and being more aware of where your food, I totally want to win this from Nourished Kitchen. It is a pickle, sauerkraut and kimchi maker. I really love fermented foods, but I find the only good quality ones at the supermarket are so so expensive. So when I get these products, I don’t get to eat as much as I would like, because they are like precious gems. I would love the convenience of being able to make these things at home, and it totally fits in with my goal of making and producing more of my food at home! If this is something that interests you, you have one more day to enter!!!!
Peter G - June 3, 2009 at 8:18 am
I wish I had the time to look after plants. I am very jealous Jenn of your little garden. I’d love to see how the banana peppers turn out!
nina - June 3, 2009 at 8:37 am
Oh the fig tree……I envy you! I tried to get one to grow, but no luck!!!
Rosa - June 3, 2009 at 9:01 am
wow, I’m jealous of your gardening skills!
Cheers,
Rosa
dawn - June 3, 2009 at 9:12 am
a blueberry bush. see now that alone might make me want to start a garden.
and also those banana peppers.
I think you are all moved in by now?
kat - June 3, 2009 at 9:18 am
Great container garden! We did cukes, zucchini, jalapenos & tomatoes in containers last year. This year in our quest to eat more locally we’ve moved up to two 4′ x 8′ raised beds & its so much fun to watch all our produce grow!
Happy Cook - June 3, 2009 at 9:28 am
I dodn’t have green fingers at all. My hubby says the only plants which survive in out place is cactus as i don’t hav eto take care o fhtem.
Your garden looks so beautiful.
doggybloggy - June 3, 2009 at 9:50 am
excellent post – I have window boxes but I rarely have good results….oh well thats life in the big city…
Sue - June 3, 2009 at 10:24 am
Congrats on the move. IT’s really one of the most stressful, labor intensive events in our lives, isn’t it? Hopefully all your weight lifting will come in handy.
I JUST bought a bunch of herbs yesterday and I was going to plant them, but I kind of like the idea of leaving them in containers. Yours look great!
Catherine - June 3, 2009 at 10:30 am
Hi Jenn! I love your container garden. π We’re also planting our own garden this year. I think I may have been a bit over ambitious, but we’ll see if I can manage to get anything of note! I’m very excited to be growing my own fruits and veggies this year!
Laurie - June 3, 2009 at 10:35 am
Oh my gosh.. look at your fig tree and your berries! Yeah for warm weather! π I love that you put the strawberries in a hanging basket. It all looks so beautiful Jenn!
Bellini Valli - June 3, 2009 at 11:28 am
I have planted a few herbs as well as some tomatoes on my deck, but I see no sunshine until 4:00 so there is little production every year. Your container garden looks amazing and well worth the effort Jenn.
marguerite - June 3, 2009 at 12:00 pm
I LOVE your garden!! I can only have a container garden too. It’s so much fun! And is there anything better than going outside to snip fresh herbs for whatever you happen to be cooking??
Jenny @ Nourished Kitchen - June 3, 2009 at 12:26 pm
What a beautiful container garden! We lost our community garden this year, and so are focused on container gardening as well. We plan to do lots of cold-hardy vegetables since even the summer is chilly up here. That kimchi maker is AWESOME! I think we’ll be doing a second giveaway in a few weeks since the response was so positive this go around.
Patsyk - June 3, 2009 at 12:30 pm
I used to have a garden at our old house and did ok with it. I need to try containers where I live now, but am a bit afraid of the deer coming to eat the tomatoes and other veggies I may try to plant. They get awfully hungry in our area!
Superchef - June 3, 2009 at 1:26 pm
Love your garden. Even i have tiny garden in the little space that i have on our deck/balcony. Have some herbs and kale and the peppers have just started to grow. Wanna get some more herbs. But can’t even think of a big shrub or a tree..no space for all that!! im soo jealous!
The Duo Dishes - June 3, 2009 at 1:48 pm
Wish we had room for garden growing. π This would be a great past time.
Preston - June 3, 2009 at 2:09 pm
Kudos for your porch/pot garden. I wish I could grow veggies but I do not have a green thumb. π
Jenn - June 3, 2009 at 2:19 pm
Wow…lovely garden. I’m hoping to start up a little herb box in my porch. That’s the only thing I can grow with the limited space I’ve got.
Natasha - 5 Star Foodie - June 3, 2009 at 3:10 pm
Your garden looks amazing! So many wonderful things there! Wish I had a green thumb!
Judy - June 3, 2009 at 4:49 pm
Great looking container garden my friend! Can’t wait to see what you do with the larger area!
Natashya - June 3, 2009 at 5:06 pm
Yay for container gardening! I moved from an apartment in the city to a tiny semi in the burbs and have several pots of tomatoes and herbs (in the warm weather, this is Canada here..)
And I just love it, so nice to have grown you own tomato, basil..
Congrats on your move, I am going to check out this fermenter thingie now. π
Ps, the book Nourishing Traditions has lots of fermented foods recipes.
Toni - June 3, 2009 at 5:28 pm
I’ve gotten into container gardening even here in San Diego. My soil isn’t very good, water is limited and I’m just not that into weeding! So all my flowers as well as veggies and herbs are in containers. So much easier! (I’ve done the huge garden thing – much, much more work!)
Deborah Dowd - June 3, 2009 at 8:35 pm
Container garden is about all I have time for but it is still very rewarding! You have quite a garden despite a small space-enjoy every fresh morsel!!
Jen of a2eatwrite - June 3, 2009 at 10:08 pm
What a lovely container garden! I still am putting mine together for this season.
Ivy - June 4, 2009 at 1:36 am
We share the same dream Jenn. I am also dreaming of leaving Athens to go and live in the countryside, in a house with even a small garden to plant some flowers and herbs. We live in a flat and have a very small balcony where I’ve planted my herb garden in pots. This year I had oregano, mint, parsley, chives, thyme and basil.
Sue | Cater - June 4, 2009 at 4:50 am
Hi Jenn
Great ideas there, I too have a couple of strawberry plants growing and have had some fruit off them, have my little herd pots too, just didn’t know that one could grow a blue berry tree in a pot and still get fruit wow thats just great!!!!
Liz - June 4, 2009 at 8:07 am
Wow, I’m already growing herbs (and a sad little strawberry plant) on my tiny patio, but you’ve inspired me to try some fruit trees as well.
Happy Cook - June 4, 2009 at 9:18 am
i just received my monthly tast italia magazin and who do i see in the 3rd last page a add for your place.
Loved your pic with the crown.
Adam - June 4, 2009 at 10:24 am
Congrats on the new move. I’m doing the same thing with my garden (I can’t plant in the ground here), so I understand how cool it is to finally expand. Your tomato plants are coming along well. Ever wonder why some plants just don’t well year to year? I have to blame the individual plant sometimes, because my methods don’t change π
Mamaliga - June 4, 2009 at 1:00 pm
Lovely!
But I don’t see the egg-laying chicken crates on that porch! π
cheers!
Gabi @ mamaliga
Teresa - June 4, 2009 at 3:00 pm
Jenn, I evny your green thumb I would love to grow my own veggies and fruits, but alas, either the lack of a green thumb or the evil satanic El Paso sun manages to kill off anything I ever plant. I was so proud of my strawberry plant. I actually took picture of my first berry starting to blush all the way through to full scarlet…then the plant died. Don’t know why, but it did. I’ll just have to visit you to purchase my homegrown produce. π
Mrs. L - June 4, 2009 at 4:59 pm
I so do not have a green thumb so I’m looking at this post with envy.
kat - June 4, 2009 at 6:48 pm
your container garden is wonderful! I have been dabbling in one too!
elly - June 4, 2009 at 7:25 pm
Great post, Jenn. We just finally got our own (small) outdoor space when we moved, so I am definitely looking forward to planting some herbs and hopefully not killing them too quickly. π
lo - June 4, 2009 at 9:44 pm
A fig tree? and a blueberry bush??
*jealousy ensues*
But, you know I think it’s great that you guys are growing things. Container gardening is great fun… and totally worth the effort. And isn’t it awesome to walk outside and pick herbs for cooking dinner??
pam - June 5, 2009 at 7:26 am
Are you growing the fig tree in a container also? Is it difficult? I want figs!
Jan - June 5, 2009 at 10:28 am
Like Pam – I want figs too!
I love what you’ve done, it all looks so good. I only started this year to grow stuff and I’m so pleased with what’s happend so far – herbs, chilli peppers and tomatoes. I have bell peppers too but at the moment the plants are only 3 inches high.
This morning though I notice greenfly are on my tomato plants!! These will have to be dealt with!
GardenerGirl - June 5, 2009 at 10:54 am
I like the containers in that first picture a lot. I like how they all look together: they don’t match, but there’s a kind of vertical stripe theme that holds them together. They work well as a group while still being nicely organic.
I’m doing my first container tree this year (cherries, for me). Good luck with the figs!
lisaiscooking - June 5, 2009 at 3:37 pm
Growing edible plants, even on a small scale (very small scale for me) is so rewarding. Your fig tree is gorgeous!
Soma - June 5, 2009 at 5:59 pm
Wow you have done an amazing job in the pots! I have been growing things in the backyard, but don’t know how much success i would have in the pots. However I most envy your Fig tree!
NΓΊria - June 9, 2009 at 3:44 am
Great garden Jenn!!!! Isn’t it a pleasure to grow your own veggies and herbs? I love it too!!! I only have some different culinary herbs and 2 fig trees :D, but they don’t show figs yet… maybe they are too young π
Keep it up! It’s so much fun.
The Leftover Queen - June 9, 2009 at 1:50 pm
Thanks guys for all your comments! As I have found, no area is too small for a container garden! That is the beauty of it.
Hey kat – we are planning on doing the raised beds next year! I want to build our own boxes and grow some veggies!!
Gabi! I know, I wish I could have chickens…that will be another few years I think…
Pam, yes I am growing the fig tree in a pot. It doesn’t seem to be too difficult at all!
Danielle - June 17, 2009 at 6:45 pm
Wow! I am really impressed to see the success you had from just growing on your small porch! I really need to work on my gardening skills…i have a knack for killing most plants I try to care for. But with the help of my family, I am successfully growing basil, spearmint, peppermint, chives (and lots of them!), curly parsley, rosemary, oregano, thyme, marjoram, camomile, sage, and soon our cherry tomatoes will begin to sprout!
I would love to start planting dill, rhubarb, raspberries, and scallions!
tran - March 11, 2010 at 12:04 am
i have concern bout blueberries flowers, when flowers of blueberries blooms and after that did they falling off (white flowers )? i meants. Please give experience about blueberry tree because this is first time i plants blueberry tree.
Thanks.