Making A Salad Garden Articles | Interior Design

By: Darren Williger

Having a container garden with fruits and vegetables is a great way to have some fresh food throughout the year.  Especially since you can grow your plants both indoors and outdoors throughout the year, regardless of the time of year.

The only limitations you have is the amount of space available and the size of containers your using.  There are many combinations that you can come up with in each container.  Such as planting tomatoes, cucumbers, parsley, and chives all in a twenty four to thirty inch container.  These work well together and require all the same watering and sunlight needs.  If they are outdoors, they can be moved inside for the winter months, giving you the same fresh vegetables and herbs as in the summer.

1. To start all you need to do is buy or find the containers you want to plant your garden or gardens in.  Choosing the containers based on the space you have, how many fruits, vegetables, or herbs you want to grow, and how large you plan to allow your garden to become.  You can reuse household items like coffee cans and detergent buckets or you buy ceramic, wood, terracotta, or plastic pots.  If you choose to reuse, then just make sure you clean the containers thoroughly and paint the inside and outside with a water resistant paint, to ensure protection for your plants.  There are also tubs, boxes, baskets, and even pails.  Practically anything that hold items will work as long as there is a way for the water to drain.  Either there will be pre-made holes or you will need to make them.  Then using saucers or dishes underneath to catch water drips so as to not create a mess.
2. Next, buy the packets of seeds of the plants you want to grow.  Sometimes there may be plants at the nursery that have already been started and you will only need to replant these in the pots you have.  Make sure you spread the seed out evenly throughout the soil and leave enough room, about two inches from the top of the container, so you can water and fertilize your plants.  You will want to gently pack down the dirt, not too tight, but enough to protect the new seeds.

When creating your garden, try many different plants to see which you like best and grow best.  Maybe there are some you have a knack for or are your favorite.  If you have enough space then plant a little of everything.  Virtually any vegetable, fruit, and herb out there can be grown in a container as long as the container is large enough.  And of course you have the time to take care of them.  Planting like items together will make your garden thrive and make maintaining it a lot easier.  Some plants will have identical watering, sunlight, and fertilization needs, saving you space also by planting them together in one pot.  For the larger plants, then using separate containers will be better.  Reading the care instructions that come with all plants and seed packets will give you ideas and tell you exactly what each plant requires.