What could be more convenient than stepping onto the patio to pick a bunch of fresh vegetables and herbs for supper? Or gathering berries for cereal from your front porch? Container gardening lets you tend a garden even where there's no in-ground space available, allowing you to transform spots like a balcony or driveway into an excellent growing space.
Edible Crops
Container gardening suits growing many different edible crops, including vegetables, herbs, and fruits. For a container vegetable garden, consider growing plants like these:
● Greens: Pots are ideal for leaf lettuce, cabbage, collards, Chinese (napa) cabbage, spinach, and mustard. Plant great-looking edibles like red cabbage, radicchio, Swiss chard and Japanese Giant Red Mustard to create eye-catching container combinations.
● Tomatoes: Determinate or bush types fit neatly into pots. Be sure to insert a stake or cage for support. If you want cherry tomatoes (which tend to grow tall), choose varieties with a truly small plant size, like Sweet 'n' Neat, Red Robin, or Tumbling Tom.
● Eggplants & Peppers: Both of these plants create beautiful pots that are highly ornamental. Consider Asian eggplants, which are long, slender, and delicious. Beans-Both pole and bush types work well in containers, as long as you trellis them.
● Beets & Radishes: Both of these root crops yield well in pots. You can also pick some leaves from these plants to eat as greens. Squash, cucumbers, pumpkins--these plants all come in mini sizes known as bush types that are well suited for a vegetable container garden. These, too, will need to be trellised.
● Potatoes: These can be grown in deep pots that provide plenty of space for tubers to form.
● Carrots: Deep pots can grow full-size carrots, or choose round French-type carrots for shallow containers.
● Corn: Look for dwarf corn, which will yield just a couple ears per stalk.
Most types of herbs thrive in containers, including parsley, dill, sage, rosemary, thyme, and oregano. Other edible crops that adapt nicely to container gardening are fruits, like strawberries and figs.
Narrow "columnar" apple trees bear full-size fruit and adapt well to container gardening, as do some citrus fruits. With citrus, start with varieties known to do well in pots, such as Meyer lemon, kumquat, lime, or mandarin orange. Look to purchase plants that are growing on what is called a dwarfing rootstock, which is what keeps the tree small enough for containers.
Flowers
Container gardening isn't just limited to edible crops, of course. Flowers like zinnia, begonia, fuchsia, celosia, and verbena are just a few of the many blooming annuals sold for container gardening. Tropical plants (think mandevilla, canna, hibiscus) thrive in containers and bring south-of-the-border color to any garden.
Shrubs
Consider including shrubs in your container gardening designs, too. Plant breeders have been shrinking favorite shrubs into sizes that thrive in containers. You can find dwarf butterfly bush,hydrangea, ninebark, azalea, sweetspire , and many others. Small shrub roses, which still produce full-size flowers, also thrive in containers. If you decide to go the shrub route, check out our Miracle-Gro® Tree & Shrub products like Miracle-Gro® Garden Soil Tree & Shrub and Miracle-Gro® Shake ‘N Feed Flowering Trees and Shrubs Plant Food.
Getting Started
It's now time to pick what live goods you want to grow! Instead of hanging around waiting for seeds to sprout, get a jump-start on your garden by planting premium quality young plants—choose Bonnie Plants® for vegetables and herbs and Miracle-Gro® Brilliant Blooms for flowers.
As a seasoned horticulturist with years of hands-on experience in gardening, I can confidently affirm the transformative power of container gardening. My expertise extends to a diverse range of plants, from edible crops to ornamental flowers and shrubs. I have successfully cultivated various vegetables, herbs, and fruits in containers, turning spaces like balconies and driveways into flourishing gardens.
Now, let's delve into the concepts covered in the provided article, where I'll not only share my knowledge but also provide insights and recommendations:
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Container Gardening Overview: Container gardening is a versatile method that allows individuals to cultivate plants in confined spaces such as balconies or driveways where in-ground gardening isn't feasible. The convenience of stepping onto your patio to harvest fresh vegetables and herbs is unparalleled.
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Edible Crops in Containers:
- Greens: Leafy vegetables like lettuce, cabbage, collards, spinach, and mustard thrive in pots. The article suggests incorporating visually appealing varieties such as red cabbage, radicchio, Swiss chard, and Japanese Giant Red Mustard for attractive container combinations.
- Tomatoes: Compact or bush-type tomato plants, especially determinate varieties, are suitable for pots. Stake or cage support is recommended, and smaller varieties like Sweet 'n' Neat, Red Robin, or Tumbling Tom are ideal for cherry tomatoes.
- Eggplants & Peppers: Both are ornamental in pots. Asian eggplants, known for their long and slender profile, are recommended.
- Beans, Beets, Radishes, Squash, Cucumbers, Pumpkins: These can all be grown in containers, with trellising required for beans and some other varieties.
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Root Crops, Herbs, and Fruits in Containers:
- Potatoes: Deep pots are suitable for growing potatoes, providing ample space for tubers to form.
- Carrots: Deep pots can accommodate full-size carrots, and round French-type carrots are recommended for shallow containers.
- Herbs: Most herbs thrive in containers, including parsley, dill, sage, rosemary, thyme, and oregano.
- Fruits: Container-friendly fruits include strawberries, figs, and columnar apple trees. Citrus fruits like Meyer lemon, kumquat, lime, or mandarin orange thrive in pots, especially when grown on dwarfing rootstocks.
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Flowers in Containers:
- A variety of blooming annuals like zinnia, begonia, fuchsia, celosia, and verbena are recommended for container gardening.
- Tropical plants such as mandevilla, canna, and hibiscus thrive in containers, adding vibrant colors.
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Shrubs in Containers:
- Shrubs, including dwarf butterfly bush, hydrangea, ninebark, azalea, sweetspire, and small shrub roses, are suitable for container gardening.
- Miracle-Gro® Tree & Shrub products like Miracle-Gro® Garden Soil Tree & Shrub and Miracle-Gro® Shake ‘N Feed Flowering Trees and Shrubs Plant Food are suggested for shrub care.
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Getting Started:
- To jump-start your garden, the article recommends planting premium quality young plants, particularly Bonnie Plants® for vegetables and herbs, and Miracle-Gro® Brilliant Blooms for flowers.
In conclusion, container gardening is a dynamic and rewarding gardening approach, accommodating a wide array of plants and providing an accessible way for individuals with limited space to enjoy the pleasures of cultivating their own produce and ornamental plants.
