I Love Container Gardening
I’m a container gardener and I grow vegetables, herbs, berries, and flowers in a wide array of containers on my deck for both culinary use and medicinal use as well. Even if you are an apartment dweller with a small patio or balcony you can join me in producing the vegetables and herbs you need fresh on hand or dehydrated and on the shelf.
All my friends and family members love hanging out on my deck, and so do the butterflies, birds and bees, especially, the humming birds and songbirds as I have feeders for the latter. Almost all of our salad greens, vegetables, and herbs come fresh from my deck to the table. They are bursting with flavor and I dry the herbs we don’t use during the summer for winter use.
There’s no feeling that satisfies me more than stepping out onto my deck and selecting fresh greens for a meal not only in summer but in most months of the year. While it’s true that I live on an acreage one doesn’t need acres of land to grow salad greens, vegetables, herbs and some fruits as well. After years of in ground gardening I was saddened to find that my body, most particulalry my hands were no longer able to cope and I became a container gardener at the urging of friends who brought me crops in pots.
I discovered I could grow abundant crops and companion plant them with flowers in window boxes, hanging baskets, and recycled containers of all shapes and sizes. What’s more about container gardening is I can move and rearrange my container plants at will, snuggling the the smaller ones into awkward spots and providing them with the conditions they need to prosper exactly when they need them. As our deck is covered and the larger containers are on platforms with wheels I can rotate their positioning so my plants don’t suffer from leaf burn. I also rotate the positioning of the hanging baskets too. What’s less about container gardening is insects, diseases and wildife helping themselves to a meal.
For centuries, herbs were the curative of choice across cultures. While the use of herbs and herb remedies has produced excellent results for many people, do note that they are drugs. Their health benefits may be limited when they are used in isolation. Side effects may result from using them in the wrong combination and or in the wrong amounts. When combined with some basic dietary and lifestyle good health habits, the impact on one’s health will be magnified. But I avoid self mediating without consulting my medical doctors and my naturopath first.
These are the culinary and medicinal herbs currently growing on my deck:
Basil (sedative and calming qualities)
Borage (anxiety, stress and depression)
Calendulaa/Pot Marigold (reduces inflammation)
Chives (stimulate appetite & promote digestion)
Dill (leaves are stimulant – stomach soothing – increases secretion & discharge of urine)
Echinacea (common cold preventive to boost the immune system and the production of white blood cells)
German Chamomile (reduces anxiety & aggression, encourages sleep)
Lavender (headaches & tension)
Lemon Balm (antiviral)
Lemon Verbena (fever, congestion, asthma, insomnia, intestinal problems, stress & depression)
Oregano (Historically, oil of oregano superseded anti-inflammatory drugs in reversing pain and inflammation and is nearly as powerful as morphine as a painkiller. Oil from leaves acts as an analgesic in teeth, fungicide, temporary relief from bee stings and venomous bites)
Parsley (anemia, digestion, hormone balancing and acts as a diruetic)
Peppermint (upset stomach or gas)
Rose (rose hips – vitamin C, iron, antioxidant)
Rosemary (headaches)
Sage (antibacterial and antiseptic)
Thyme (disinfectant)
These are the edible flowers I use for companion planting:
Bee Balm (Monarda didyma)
Calendula (Calendula officinalis)
Carnations (Dianthus caryophyllus – aka Dianthus)
Chrysanthemums (Chrysanthemum coronarium)
Cilantro/Coriander (Coriander sativum)
Clover (Trifolium species)
Cornflower
Dame’s Rocket (Hesperis matronalis)
Day Lilies (Hemerocallis species)
English Daisy (Bellis perennis)
Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica)
Jasmine (jasmine officinale)
Johnny-Jump-Ups (Viola tricolor)
Marigold (Tagetes tenuifolia T. signata)
Minature Sunflowers
Nasturtiums (Tropaeolum majus)
Pansy (Viola X wittrockiana)
Scented Geraniums
Violets (Viola species)
My blogging friend Sandra Lee shared this in — Gardening for health, joy, & awareness
My garden has become a medium for improving my health, increasing positivity and happiness, and learning lessons in self-awareness. Gardening helps me to evolve on all levels—physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual.
Eva Shaw, PhD, author of Shovel It: Nature’s Health Plan, gardening reduces stress, lowers blood pressure and helps fight depression. She reminds us that gardening helps ground us, re-establishing contact with our beginnings, and shows us a few of the treasures that we can expect from the humble task of digging in the dirt.
According to a study done by Kaiser Permanente the brainwave activity of a gardener mirrored that of someone praying or meditating.
“Hospitalized patients’ wounds heal faster and they require fewer pain killers and antidepressants when they are merely looking at a painting of a garden,” says Shaw. “Imagine the effect a real garden can have.”
If you haven’t started container gardening yet, there’s no time like the present to dig in.
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Wow! Your garden sounds much more impressive than mine! *laughs* I’m a container gardener too, ever since I moved in my current apartment last year. Third story, in the city and the first one with a good balcony space.
Since it’s only my second year, I have few containers. I’m buying a little bit more every year. I love my garden and it is so pretty! I’ve got flower boxes on the railing and long containers on the floor along it with lettuce, cucumber, zucchini, parsley, basil, chives, mint, oregano and thyme. The cucumber is all wrapped along the railing for a stunning look. I also have tomatoes and bell peppers in other pots.
Slowly but surely, my garden is spreading and it brings me joy to serve a tasty salad to my guests and know I grew every part of it. ;)
So I’m with you: come on people, start container gardening!
@Aheila,
Your balcony garden sounds fabulous. Here’s a tip about buying containers – don’t buy new ones. Go to garage sales, estate sales, recycling depots and thrift shops and don’t forget restaurants as they get all kinds of condiments in large containers. Never neglect alley shopping or keeping an eye out for what neighbors may be casting out and ask them “can I have that?”
I got excellent containers like 3 coal buckets from a thrift shop and they are galvanized metal so painting them was fun. I found large plastic black olive containers (50 gallons) behind a restaurant and asked the managers if I could buy them. They gave me two free of charge. :) They now have dwarf apple trees and red peppers in them with radicchio lettuce and other salad greens all around the outside edges along with trailing lobelia. I also have chamber posts that had chips on the edges from a charity shop that were very inexpensive and they are filled with herbs.
Once a person becomes a container gardener they become back alley gleaners. My city friends crack up when I visit. We drive down an alley I shriek “stop!” and then return with a container someone has set out for the trash man. Every container has planter potential and last year I found two stainless steel containers that were tall and triangular shaped and they fit into two corners of my deck perfectly. They were outside the storage room of an apartment building and the manager said they originally were outdoor ashtrays full of sand but the tops were broken – lucky me – they were free!
Container gardening is not only a productive pursuit with therapeutic effects – it’s a healthy addiction. lol :D
timethief
I love the way this article weaves in several different but relevant threads. The beauty of your garden just pops from your elegant choice of words. Thank you for telling us about the way that you have found container gardening to be easier on the body, while still bringing all the same benefits and joys. I’m also glad that you warn us of the powerful effects of herbs.
Growing your own vegetables, berries, and herbs is also a wonderful way to participate in reducing oil consumption since a great deal is used in transporting our foods.
I’ve just started growing a zucchini in a container in our greenhouse a few weeks ago and it’s already producing fruit. But sadly it did get some leaf burn yesterday when it was very hot. I’m such a novice and learning.
Thanks!
Hi Sandra,
It’s good to hear from you and thanks for the praise. You are right. Giving up in the ground gardening wasn’t a big deal at all for me as container gardening is just as therapeutic and rewarding but lacks the physical challenges. In some ways it’s even more rewarding because there are no weeds to pull and no fences to maintain to keep the deer and other wildlife out.
I’m so glad you mentioned the reduction in oil consumption aspect. If we all chose to start growing some of our own food we could make a difference and it’s a lovely way to do that.
One doesn’t need acres to grow food in. You can grow abundant crops in every small spaces. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if everyone started growing a little of their own food? I find that it tastes far better, and I know there is no risk if herbicide or pesticide poisoning because I don’t use any at all. It’s so easy to freeze or dehydrate what you don’t eat immediately.
Nooo, don’t mention gardening! lol Just kidding.
You probably know by now we moved last year to our new home and we are still in the process developing our garden. It is hard work, considering the amount of plot we have (1000sqm). We have some mature date palm trees, yuccas, plantaines and a lot more. We have also a lot of plants in pots and containers which adorn the window sills and our porch. We have a few herbs in containers but eventually I would like to have a bigger patch for other herbs, which you mention above, near the kitchen entrance. At the moment, the basil, dill, rosemary and thyme will have to do.
It’s great you can still garden and be creative with your resources. Fantastic job!
PS Chamomile healed my psoriasis. I’ve been psoriasis-free for 18 years.
Yes, I read your blog post that told us that you bought a home and I was absolutely delighted to hear that. Date palms, yuccas and plantains are all species I can’t grow here. I realize that you work very hard for eight months of the year but hopefully you will have the time to create a kitchen garden. Please dont’ reject the idea of a container kitchen garden especially if water is a concern because container gardening is water efficient unlike in ground gardening.
I too have used Chamomile and it’s good to hear it was effective on your psoriasis.
Thanks so much for the visit and the comment too. :)
That’s a lovely set of herbs you have there. I don’t know if I could be a gardener, though I have a large enough balcony to put a few pots out there. Plants die on me quite quickly, which I why I no longer buy them. Shame really, as there is nothing more uplifting than spending time in a lovely garden admiring the plants and flowers.
Hello there,
It’s so easy to grow salad greens and herbs in pots and they taste great! If you add some flowers that are edible and scented then you will have a special little garden of your own to relax in. Take a read of what Aheila has going on her balcony garden in ger comment on this post. It’s quite a selection. Thanks for the visit and for the comment too.
Cool post TT. I am very much interested in growing something. I dont know if I have the green thumb gene, but am willing to give it a try. What would you suggest for a beginner?
“gardening helps ground us” –That’s nice =)
Hi Jayme,
Why not start with salad greens? They are easy to grow and you can plant successive crops so you always have fresh leaves for your salads and sandwiches. Herbs and most vegetables are easy to grow too. Also check out your library because I found lots of container gardening and companion planting books in mine. I began by following the recommendations in them, and then started experimenting. If you have a balcony or any kind of fence or whatever you can use as a trellis you can grow peas and sweet peas and let them climb it. You will be so surprised at how easy it is to grow a little food and how good it tastes and good it makes you feel to grow things. Try it! You’ll be glad you did.
What a wonderful post and I love how its so encouraging to plant and grow our own things. I think many people have gotten away from growing their own items and things which has such importance like herbs, vegetables and other staples. We do need to think outside the box and what if you couldn’t go to the store to buy these things.
Thank you Cindy. The title of my post is the truth. I love container gardening. I love the idea of everyone considering starting small kitchen gardens, window box gardens and plants on window sills, decks, balconies, and everywhere one can find sun and space. I think we need to think about what Gels brought up in another discussion ie. a return to kitchen gardening as was done during the Depression. We would not only benefit from the food but also from reducing our oil dependency. I hope you are well and happy too.
Did you ever try growing crops in a sack, like onions or potatoes? I think it can be done indoors, though I guess there’d be a smell; never tried it.
No, I haven’t tried the grow bags. But I do have a friend who grows potatoes and climbing tomatoes in a pair of hip waders that’s hanging on the corner of her deck. :)
Good photos.
Oh the plants are in the waders, not the friend – ha ha, I see. I might try that next time I have worn jeans that the charity-shop wouldn’t take.
Gosh, you are prolific as a gardener.
No, I have a black thumb. Probably less than 5 different types of plants survive under my tutelage. I tend to forget to water and don’t make effort to learn how to prune, etc.
My experiences are tainted by childhood/teenagehood duty of weeding parents’ garden where we could only grow green onions, kohl rabi and water spinach. Obviously they weren’t gardeners –they just wanted food to feed their 6 kids. For the longest while I hated kohl rabi..until I met my partner who prepares and cooks kohl rabi in a way that’s different. I now like it.
At home, we only have 1-2 different containers of herbs growing on our balcony each spring/summer.
I do enjoy touring incredible gardens when I visit places. Northwest coast is great for that because of our climate. But with our abundant rain (not in summer), I’ve often wondered just how much work it must be for gardeners..constant pruning, etc. It’s prolific growth rate compared to other parts of Canada.
Hi Jean,
There are very simple drip watering sytems that can be set up to keep the plants healthy, and growing some food is not a really big challenge. One can also use moisture meters that clearly show when plants need water and when they don’t. All one needs is a windowsill, balcony, deck, courtyard, etc. and it’s a shame to see so much fresh water being poured into useless water hungry “lawns” and so much gas poured into the lawn mowers being used to keep it short. IMO it’s time for “lawn worshiping” in suburbia to come to an end and to replace that grass with food and herbs.
My parents always had gardens when I was young and I have always enjoyed growing food and flowers. I’d like to see more done when it comes to creating green roofs on apartment buildings, condos, and office towers in Vancouver and elsewhere. As you mention BC is the province that’s blessed with good weather and IMO we ought to be capitalizing on this. I think it would be a good thing if city people in those condos and apartments took responsibility for contributing to helping to reduce oil consumption by producing some of their own food. It really irks me that transportation and recycling is where the fous for oil reduction seems to be focused, rather than including all the small things we can all do to reduce the greenhousee effect.
A few months ago, I wrote this article to promote community gardens (in Vancouver) …for a tourism blog. For people to see.
http://insidevancouver.ca/2010/03/31/touring-vancouver%e2%80%99s-community-gardens-by-cycling-or-walking/ Coincidentally many of the gardens in the city are located near bike routes which resulted in the city creating a map that includes both. A rather nice marriage of 2 different activities to reduce our dependency on petroleum oil.
City of Vancovuer originally aimed for 2,010 community gardens to coincide with the Olympic year. But this year they have exceeded that target. Now, beyond 2,500.
I agree that the lawn craze and need to own property with this, is abit too much..especially out in the suburbs, etc. I don’t claim to become a food gardener any time in a way. We just don’t even have a car…or even own any parking space in our building. I have lived in a car-free household since I was 21. So this is partially why I have taken up cycling mid-life plus public transit, walking. My partner actually used to be a part-time farmer for 10 years before I knew him. He had small farm with some cattle, pigs and small garden, acreage in Ontario. Meanwhile he worked full-time in his career for ..a major oil firm during the week.
When I knew him for lst few years, I didn’t quite understand his keen interest to visit and support local farmers’ markets wherever we would go cycling out of town. Yes, I was a duh..
YOu would be surprised what some apartment/highrise dwellers are like, lifestyle-wise.
What I was trying to say, even though it might sound I’m excusing lazy food consumer slobs like myself: is if a person at least takes steps to buy/enjoy local produce, tries to eat healthy, does whole-food cooking and engages nearly daily/often per month a sustainable activity that pollutes less, etc., then it’s the best use of the person’s interests/skills.
The only sustainable activity beyond cycling as transportation is sewing my own clothing..which I haven’t done over the past decade. But used to sew most of my clothing to save money and for visceral pleasure of creating something from fabric that excited me. I am most unwilling to discard my sewing machine since I do my own alterations.
Sorry for the digression. Some of my siblings have their own little food gardens in Toronto. They’re better than I.
Thanks so much for updating me in what’s going on with community gardening in Vancouver. It’s very encouraging. :)
Wow you have an impressive sounding deck there TT, my Mother has always been very interested in gardening and we have always been blessed with living in a house with a big garden to the rear and front. She used to grow all kinds of vegetables, herbs and berries but now prefers to just have plants and bushes.
It’s a very beautiful and abundant with growing things spot that’s great to relax in. :)
Oh, tt…if only I had your energy! Years ago we had a beautiful, though small, garden, and it was abundant with vegetables and herbs. Now, we’re almost completely in shade and I haven’t taken the time to set up a garden on our deck, which gets full sun. For now, I’ll just enjoy yours if you don’t mind! :o)
I find myself falling into that same category where my body is no longer keeping up with my mind and its endeavours as well. Like you, my hands especially are failing me. (I’ve suffered carpal tunnel, had surgeries, coping now with arthritis etc) I’ve reached a point where I’ve come to terms with my physical obstacles, and have been reaching for other ways to continue doing what I love. This summer, I have spent endless days downsizing my ground gardens, turning them into to something that will be more managable in my later days. At the moment I have about a half acre of gardens on the property, not including the main vegetable garden, and it’s been quite a chore this year to replan and relocate. My friends are shocked by the changes, many of them thinking I am crazy to be doing such re-evaluating, but what they fail to realize is that I am trying to prepare for the day when I can no longer dig up a 5 foot diameter hosta to divide.
I’ve moved many things into pots and containers this year and have found it rather rewarding. I’m still able to cultivate a sustainable life, and this post has encouraged me further. I’ve had moments here and there, when I’ve thought I was letting myself down by “giving up gardens”, but having read what was yet another inspiring post by you, I’ve come to realize it’s just the next logical step in my growth.
Gardening is something I NEED to hang on to, as it plays such an intergral part in my survival. It’s a core of my beliefs, as you know, and giving it up would completely go against my nature. I loved reading about your gardening accomplishments, and once again, I take comfort in reading your words, and knowing that I am not alone.
I used to build my own earth box type containers but got tired of the constant watering! Please take a look at my system I invented! You can construct the containers in about 20 seconds! I had fantastic results! Just thought I would share this with you! Larry
How To Build A Self Watering Rain Gutter Grow System!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/user/larrylhall?feature=guide
Hi Larry,
We islanders are savvy to rainwater collection as freshwater supply is problematic for us. Your system is cool. I have a rainwater harvest and drip system set up for my container gardens.
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