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Do you remember when you were a child when a couple of seeds, a scoopful of soil, and the use of a Dixie Cup were the raw materials that were used in the introduction to the delights of growing plants.

Container Gardening- So many ideas!!!
We tend to think of a garden as something only set into the ground, however gardening in containers — pots, boxes, baskets, etc—provides a host of new pleasures, from the creative to the practical.

In today’s world the gardener, using containers provides as many opportunities for creativity and experimentation as the ground-level garden. It comes with many important advantages. no land is required, container gardening is ideally suited for apartment, townhouse and condo living and anyone else without a lot of space—there’s always room for a pot or two on a patio, roof or balcony.

Containers are portable: they can be moved easily from one part of your space to another, and from one home to another whenever you move. Containers are flexible; they can be arranged to for easy reach, making them accessible for young children, or the elderly and especially those with physical challenges—a wheelchair. or for climatic conditions they can be nurtured right in the pots.

And finally, container gardening makes it possible for dedicated gardeners to feed their passion all year round, in every season and climatic zone.

What Grows in a Container Garden?
OR What doesn’t?” A huge variety of flowers, herbs and vegetables can be grown in containers. You can grow your own salad by planting lettuce, herbs, tomatoes, and carrots in a single large pot; or try a “pizza or salsa garden” of tomatoes, peppers, onions, garlic, oregano and basil!

Choosing a Container: Materials and Size
The spectrum of potential containers is nearly as wide as the choice of plants. Terracotta pots, wicker baskets, wooden boxes whiskey barrels, , wheelbarrows.

Whatever you use, just make sure the container has at least one drainage hole. If your container does not have one, just drill one yourself.

When choosing a container for a particular plant, the prime consideration is height: the container must be deep enough to allow for proper root development. Depths of 8 to 10 inches are essential if you’re planting beets, short carrots, onions, lettuce, leeks, turnips, kohlrabi, corn and zucchini, and 10 to 12 inches for broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and sweet potatoes.

With flowers and herbs, let the plant’s size at maturity be your guide for size of container needed. Keep in mind that bulbs need at least 2 inches of soil below them for the roots to grow.

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