Container Gardens when you can't have a regular Garden

[Guest guest]

Lori, I have a few questions for you.

 

First, thank you for the informative post! You've got me excited to

grow a lot of things this year.

 

How do you freeze produce? Do you have to cook them in any way

first, or just wash and freeze?

 

How do you grow a giant African violet? Mine are the same size as

when I bought them a year ago.

 

Thanks!

Linda

 

herbal remedies , V Smith <mysecretgarden

wrote:

>

> Wow, I'm new to this board, but thank you for sharing.  I have been

gardening for over 20years.  My children are all grown up and I've

just been lazy and steady complaining about the price of good organic

produce.  I have space and I will get off my bum and get busy again. 

Thank you.   V

>

> --- On Sat, 2/28/09, Lori Smith <homeschoolmom42 wrote:

>

> Lori Smith <homeschoolmom42

> RE: {Herbal Remedies} Container Gardens when you can't

have a regular Garden

> " Bryan Schillington " <herbal_remedies >

> Saturday, February 28, 2009, 10:10 AM

My husband and I live on a small lot (50'x123') in the city. The

back yard is out as it is too shady, there is a huge black walnut

stump where the tree used to be (puts out tannins and most plants

won't grow near them), and we have two huge dogs that have ruined my

back yard this winter), so we garden in all available spaces on south

side of house and garage, behind garage (though it doesn't get the

sun it should), and in many, many containers since ground space is

limited due to our wide cement drive. We grow herbs of all kinds in

containers, leaf lettuces, green onions, radishes, cherry tomatoes,

various pepper plants (Scotch Bonnets, Banana, Cayenne), and flowers

in containers. We have a couple of raised beds my husband put in

(though not as raised as some people use) and we grow pole beans up

one fence area, red and yellow onions, red and white potatoes

(Pontiac and Kennebec, respectively) , pickling cukes up a tipi my

husband makes from leftover

> wood from work (he's in construction) , heirloom tomatoes

(Marglobe) and hybrids (Early Girl or Celebrity~my husband likes

these for sandwiches and we plant them separate from the Marglobes),

cabbages, green, red, and yellow bell peppers, garlic, and this year

I want to grow a couple of pumpkin vines. We also have space for

strawberries. We started out with two store-bought plants and in

three years we have well over 100 plants! I have gotten a bit more

strawberries each year and look forward to having even more this year.

>  

> We are wanting to expand our gardening this year and are thinking

about incorporating more containers as these can rest on the driveway

(it can get blistering hot and I sometimes move them if it gets too

intense), and we have a small area that can be dug up near the

strawberries (less grass, but who eats grass?). We cannot grow

anything except herbs in containers in front of house as it is too

shady in most areas and just not feasible, though I do grow impatiens

and other flowers in pots on porch. We also usually grow a small plot

of sunflowers out back for the birds to eat (I have had the blessed

fun of watching the goldfinches eat right off the flower heads).

>  

> I'd kind of like to find an area for a small bit of horseradish

(perennial and can be invasive), and I'd like to be able to grow some

other root veggies like carrots and turnips and may try a few in

containers this year to see how they do. I can or freeze all the

extra food we harvest that we cannot eat immediately. Last summer I

canned over 70 quarts and 20 pints of stewed tomatoes (onions and

green peppers came from our own garden, I just had to but celery),

over 20 pints of bread and butter pickles, 9 half pints of pickled

banana peppers (we only had 3 plants), over 20 quarts and around 10

pints of green beans, and I froze several large containers of chopped

and sliced (depending on what recipe I want to use them for) bell

peppers in various colors. I cut the peppers up and place them in

cleaned and dry 16 and 24 ounce sour cream or cottage cheese

containers and these run me through the next growing season so that I

always have them on hand. I don't

> mark the green peppers, but on the top lids of containers I put

a " Y " or an " O " or an " R " for either yellow, orange or red peppers so

I know at a glance what kind is inside.

>  

> We obviously cannot grow corn as there is just not enough room~even

if I was to plant in squares instead of rows.

>  

> Just about anyone can grow a few of their own fresh veggies to have

on hand for the summer. My kids love being able to go outside and

pick a fresh tomato and cut a few pieces of lettuce for bacon

sandwiches or hamburgers. Nothing like fresh food to get the kids

interested in helping out.

>  

> I do have a question: Has anyone on this board tried growing the

small patio blueberry bushes I have seen advertised in seed/plant

catalogs? I have been wanting to get a couple and try them. These

grow in pots on the patio and after about three years they supposedly

will yield about 5 pounds each of berries. I live in Ohio (zone 5)

and would love to grow my own as I buy around 10 pounds every year

(fresh) when on sale and freeze them to use all year round. I would

love to be able to grow my own. Any suggestions would be helpful and

appreciated.

>  

> We also over-winter a double round up rose, a couple of other

plants (I have no clue what they are as my husband trash-picked them

from his boss' trash as they had been purchased in Florida for a

horse show exhibit area) and some double impatiens in pots for the

winter. These have over-wintered well as this is the second year

we've done this. They are in our basement near a south facing window

so they get sunlight every time the sun decides to come out. It is a

bit cooler in our basement than the rest of the house so they don't

need a lot of hardening off to get used to being back outside. We

also have several plants in the dining room bay window area (south

side) which include aloe vera, parsley, chives, and thyme, besides

regular houseplants such as Christmas Cactus (in bloom, by the way!),

a spider plant, a chrysanthemum, some greenery (I am not sure of the

names), including a vine, and a huge African violet. I also have some

impatiens in water in

> window sill of kitchen (north side) that I over-winter there every

year to start my new plants in the spring when I repot them into

hanging baskets.

>  

> My husband is our gardener and he mixes up his own batches of store-

bought soil mix, peat, manure, and this year we have some of our own

compost he will add as we began to compost in earnest last year and

have some of that good dark, rich, live soil to add to our gardens

this year. He made a composter out of an old trash can and we turn it

daily.

> (http://www.ehow. com/how_4750118_ make-homemade- compost.html) and

this works well for us and takes up minimal space.

> Hope this helps to motivate all of you~even those of you who may

live in an apartment.

>  

> Blessings,

>  

> Lori

>

> Schooling is not education, and education is not schooling~John

Taylor Gatto

>

>

>  

>

>

> herbal remedies

> micki_ (AT) charter (DOT) net

> Sat, 28 Feb 2009 00:31:22 -0800

> {Herbal Remedies} Container Gardens when you can't have a

regular Garden

>

>

>

>

>

> If you don't have room for a small garden you can plant in large

containers and just have a few plants on your deck.  It's so easy to

till a small plot and get it ready, than order organic seeds, many of

the seeds available in stores are GMO.  One must be careful with the

seed they use in their gardens.  My first garden all I did was to

spade a small patch of ground.  I worked in a big bag of organic

mulch than planted my seeds.  It grew beautifully and I was so proud

of it.  That was over 30 years ago.  I do not have room for a garden

where I live now, but I have plenty of deck that receives sunlight

and plants grow in containers very well.  I always try to encourage

those who do not have a patch of soil to plant this way.  It works,

and you know you are getting home grown organic food. 

>  

>  

>  

>  

>

>

>

>

>

> Hotmail® is up to 70% faster. Now good news travels really fast.

Find out more.

>

[Guest guest]

Glenn in RI wrote: An article from mother earth news written in June 1976. Containers are a fantastic way to grow if you don't have the space in a garden. I have found it to be more expensive than "traditional" methods, at least for me, but your mileage may vary.http://www.motherearthnews.com/Organic-Gardening/1976-05-01/A-Tisket-A-Tasket-A-Garden-in-a-Basket.aspx

___________________

One can get creative with containers and use big throwaway plastic things that are used for storing safe things in and then disposed of, you have to alter them somewhat (drill holes & such in the bottom), but it's only the premade containers that are really expensive, one can make a container out of nearly any thing plastic as long as it has not had something toxic stored in it. I paid nothing for my containers, I do have a couple of 8 gallon pots that I purchased, that is when I started getting creative. Feed stores have a lot of these containers and will save them for you. This is where I get all of mine these days. I also use a child's plastic swimming pool for growing herbs in, several different kinds and these are relatively cheap at the end of summer. Or you might own one that you don't use anymore. Cheers.

 

Micki

________________

 

 

[Guest guest]

Hi group,

I have a question, regarding using a container garden indoors. I live in Florida, and would very much like to grow my own herbs(for starters). The problem is, I live in an upstairs apartment, with only a large livingroom window, in which to receive sunlight. There is also a large window in my bedroom, but I prefer not to sleep/wake up to the smell of herbs every morning. I have room for a 'window sized' planter,(maybe 4 ft. in length and 6 in. in width). The window receives quite a bit of light, but about 2-3 hours of direct sunlight(between 2-5pm). Would it be possible for me to grow rosemary, chives, and parsley? Also, would I be able to plant right away, or should I wait until a certain time of the year? Please advise, as I do not have a green thumb...LOL.

 

Thanks,

Lisa--- On Sat, 2/28/09, Lori Smith <homeschoolmom42 wrote:

Lori Smith <homeschoolmom42RE: {Herbal Remedies} Container Gardens when you can't have a regular Garden"Bryan Schillington" <herbal_remedies >Saturday, February 28, 2009, 6:10 PM

 

 

My husband and I live on a small lot (50'x123') in the city. The back yard is out as it is too shady, there is a huge black walnut stump where the tree used to be (puts out tannins and most plants won't grow near them), and we have two huge dogs that have ruined my back yard this winter), so we garden in all available spaces on south side of house and garage, behind garage (though it doesn't get the sun it should), and in many, many containers since ground space is limited due to our wide cement drive. We grow herbs of all kinds in containers, leaf lettuces, green onions, radishes, cherry tomatoes, various pepper plants (Scotch Bonnets, Banana, Cayenne), and flowers in containers. We have a couple of raised beds my husband put in (though not as raised as some people use) and we grow pole beans up one fence area, red and yellow onions, red and white potatoes (Pontiac and Kennebec, respectively) , pickling cukes up a tipi my husband makes from

leftover wood from work (he's in construction) , heirloom tomatoes (Marglobe) and hybrids (Early Girl or Celebrity~my husband likes these for sandwiches and we plant them separate from the Marglobes), cabbages, green, red, and yellow bell peppers, garlic, and this year I want to grow a couple of pumpkin vines. We also have space for strawberries. We started out with two store-bought plants and in three years we have well over 100 plants! I have gotten a bit more strawberries each year and look forward to having even more this year. We are wanting to expand our gardening this year and are thinking about incorporating more containers as these can rest on the driveway (it can get blistering hot and I sometimes move them if it gets too intense), and we have a small area that can be dug up near the strawberries (less grass, but who eats grass?). We cannot grow anything except herbs in containers in front of house as it is too shady in most areas

and just not feasible, though I do grow impatiens and other flowers in pots on porch. We also usually grow a small plot of sunflowers out back for the birds to eat (I have had the blessed fun of watching the goldfinches eat right off the flower heads). I'd kind of like to find an area for a small bit of horseradish (perennial and can be invasive), and I'd like to be able to grow some other root veggies like carrots and turnips and may try a few in containers this year to see how they do. I can or freeze all the extra food we harvest that we cannot eat immediately. Last summer I canned over 70 quarts and 20 pints of stewed tomatoes (onions and green peppers came from our own garden, I just had to but celery), over 20 pints of bread and butter pickles, 9 half pints of pickled banana peppers (we only had 3 plants), over 20 quarts and around 10 pints of green beans, and I froze several large containers of chopped and sliced (depending on what

recipe I want to use them for) bell peppers in various colors. I cut the peppers up and place them in cleaned and dry 16 and 24 ounce sour cream or cottage cheese containers and these run me through the next growing season so that I always have them on hand. I don't mark the green peppers, but on the top lids of containers I put a "Y" or an "O" or an "R" for either yellow, orange or red peppers so I know at a glance what kind is inside. We obviously cannot grow corn as there is just not enough room~even if I was to plant in squares instead of rows. Just about anyone can grow a few of their own fresh veggies to have on hand for the summer. My kids love being able to go outside and pick a fresh tomato and cut a few pieces of lettuce for bacon sandwiches or hamburgers. Nothing like fresh food to get the kids interested in helping out. I do have a question: Has anyone on this board tried growing the small patio

blueberry bushes I have seen advertised in seed/plant catalogs? I have been wanting to get a couple and try them. These grow in pots on the patio and after about three years they supposedly will yield about 5 pounds each of berries. I live in Ohio (zone 5) and would love to grow my own as I buy around 10 pounds every year (fresh) when on sale and freeze them to use all year round. I would love to be able to grow my own. Any suggestions would be helpful and appreciated. We also over-winter a double round up rose, a couple of other plants (I have no clue what they are as my husband trash-picked them from his boss' trash as they had been purchased in Florida for a horse show exhibit area) and some double impatiens in pots for the winter. These have over-wintered well as this is the second year we've done this. They are in our basement near a south facing window so they get sunlight every time the sun decides to come out. It is a bit

cooler in our basement than the rest of the house so they don't need a lot of hardening off to get used to being back outside. We also have several plants in the dining room bay window area (south side) which include aloe vera, parsley, chives, and thyme, besides regular houseplants such as Christmas Cactus (in bloom, by the way!), a spider plant, a chrysanthemum, some greenery (I am not sure of the names), including a vine, and a huge African violet. I also have some impatiens in water in window sill of kitchen (north side) that I over-winter there every year to start my new plants in the spring when I repot them into hanging baskets. My husband is our gardener and he mixes up his own batches of store-bought soil mix, peat, manure, and this year we have some of our own compost he will add as we began to compost in earnest last year and have some of that good dark, rich, live soil to add to our gardens this year. He made a composter out of

an old trash can and we turn it daily. (http://www.ehow. com/how_4750118_ make-homemade- compost.html) and this works well for us and takes up minimal space.Hope this helps to motivate all of you~even those of you who may live in an apartment. Blessings, LoriSchooling is not education, and education is not schooling~John Taylor Gatto

 

herbal remediesmicki_ (AT) charter (DOT) netSat, 28 Feb 2009 00:31:22 -0800{Herbal Remedies} Container Gardens when you can't have a regular Garden

 

 

 

If you don't have room for a small garden you can plant in large containers and just have a few plants on your deck. It's so easy to till a small plot and get it ready, than order organic seeds, many of the seeds available in stores are GMO. One must be careful with the seed they use in their gardens. My first garden all I did was to spade a small patch of ground. I worked in a big bag of organic mulch than planted my seeds. It grew beautifully and I was so proud of it. That was over 30 years ago. I do not have room for a garden where I live now, but I have plenty of deck that receives sunlight and plants grow in containers very well. I always try to encourage those who do not have a patch of soil to plant this way. It works, and you know you are getting home grown organic food.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hotmail® is up to 70% faster. Now good news travels really fast. Find out more.

[Guest guest]

A southern window is ideal for growing plants of all kinds, including herbs. Because you live in a warm climate and most likely use A/C, I would think you could start your garden now.

 

Lori"I feel ashamed that so many of us cannot imagine a better way to do things than locking children up all day in cells instead of letting them grow up knowing their families, mingling with the world, assuming real obligations, striving to be independent and self-reliant and free." - John Taylor Gatto

 

herbal remedies From: yknot4everDate: Fri, 20 Mar 2009 08:00:40 -0700RE: {Herbal Remedies} Container Gardens when you can't have a regular Garden

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hi group,

I have a question, regarding using a container garden indoors. I live in Florida, and would very much like to grow my own herbs(for starters). The problem is, I live in an upstairs apartment, with only a large livingroom window, in which to receive sunlight. There is also a large window in my bedroom, but I prefer not to sleep/wake up to the smell of herbs every morning. I have room for a 'window sized' planter,(maybe 4 ft. in length and 6 in. in width). The window receives quite a bit of light, but about 2-3 hours of direct sunlight(between 2-5pm). Would it be possible for me to grow rosemary, chives, and parsley? Also, would I be able to plant right away, or should I wait until a certain time of the year? Please advise, as I do not have a green thumb...LOL.

 

Thanks,

Lisa--- On Sat, 2/28/09, Lori Smith <homeschoolmom42 (AT) hotmail (DOT) com> wrote:

Lori Smith <homeschoolmom42 (AT) hotmail (DOT) com>RE: {Herbal Remedies} Container Gardens when you can't have a regular Garden"Bryan Schillington" <herbal_remedies >Saturday, February 28, 2009, 6:10 PM

 

 

My husband and I live on a small lot (50'x123') in the city. The back yard is out as it is too shady, there is a huge black walnut stump where the tree used to be (puts out tannins and most plants won't grow near them), and we have two huge dogs that have ruined my back yard this winter), so we garden in all available spaces on south side of house and garage, behind garage (though it doesn't get the sun it should), and in many, many containers since ground space is limited due to our wide cement drive. We grow herbs of all kinds in containers, leaf lettuces, green onions, radishes, cherry tomatoes, various pepper plants (Scotch Bonnets, Banana, Cayenne), and flowers in containers. We have a couple of raised beds my husband put in (though not as raised as some people use) and we grow pole beans up one fence area, red and yellow onions, red and white potatoes (Pontiac and Kennebec, respectively) , pickling cukes up a tipi my husband makes from leftover wood from work (he's in construction) , heirloom tomatoes (Marglobe) and hybrids (Early Girl or Celebrity~my husband likes these for sandwiches and we plant them separate from the Marglobes), cabbages, green, red, and yellow bell peppers, garlic, and this year I want to grow a couple of pumpkin vines. We also have space for strawberries. We started out with two store-bought plants and in three years we have well over 100 plants! I have gotten a bit more strawberries each year and look forward to having even more this year. We are wanting to expand our gardening this year and are thinking about incorporating more containers as these can rest on the driveway (it can get blistering hot and I sometimes move them if it gets too intense), and we have a small area that can be dug up near the strawberries (less grass, but who eats grass?). We cannot grow anything except herbs in containers in front of house as it is too shady in most areas and just not feasible, though I do grow impatiens and other flowers in pots on porch. We also usually grow a small plot of sunflowers out back for the birds to eat (I have had the blessed fun of watching the goldfinches eat right off the flower heads). I'd kind of like to find an area for a small bit of horseradish (perennial and can be invasive), and I'd like to be able to grow some other root veggies like carrots and turnips and may try a few in containers this year to see how they do. I can or freeze all the extra food we harvest that we cannot eat immediately. Last summer I canned over 70 quarts and 20 pints of stewed tomatoes (onions and green peppers came from our own garden, I just had to but celery), over 20 pints of bread and butter pickles, 9 half pints of pickled banana peppers (we only had 3 plants), over 20 quarts and around 10 pints of green beans, and I froze several large containers of chopped and sliced (depending on what recipe I want to use them for) bell peppers in various colors. I cut the peppers up and place them in cleaned and dry 16 and 24 ounce sour cream or cottage cheese containers and these run me through the next growing season so that I always have them on hand. I don't mark the green peppers, but on the top lids of containers I put a "Y" or an "O" or an "R" for either yellow, orange or red peppers so I know at a glance what kind is inside. We obviously cannot grow corn as there is just not enough room~even if I was to plant in squares instead of rows. Just about anyone can grow a few of their own fresh veggies to have on hand for the summer. My kids love being able to go outside and pick a fresh tomato and cut a few pieces of lettuce for bacon sandwiches or hamburgers. Nothing like fresh food to get the kids interested in helping out. I do have a question: Has anyone on this board tried growing the small patio blueberry bushes I have seen advertised in seed/plant catalogs? I have been wanting to get a couple and try them. These grow in pots on the patio and after about three years they supposedly will yield about 5 pounds each of berries. I live in Ohio (zone 5) and would love to grow my own as I buy around 10 pounds every year (fresh) when on sale and freeze them to use all year round. I would love to be able to grow my own. Any suggestions would be helpful and appreciated. We also over-winter a double round up rose, a couple of other plants (I have no clue what they are as my husband trash-picked them from his boss' trash as they had been purchased in Florida for a horse show exhibit area) and some double impatiens in pots for the winter. These have over-wintered well as this is the second year we've done this. They are in our basement near a south facing window so they get sunlight every time the sun decides to come out. It is a bit cooler in our basement than the rest of the house so they don't need a lot of hardening off to get used to being back outside. We also have several plants in the dining room bay window area (south side) which include aloe vera, parsley, chives, and thyme, besides regular houseplants such as Christmas Cactus (in bloom, by the way!), a spider plant, a chrysanthemum, some greenery (I am not sure of the names), including a vine, and a huge African violet. I also have some impatiens in water in window sill of kitchen (north side) that I over-winter there every year to start my new plants in the spring when I repot them into hanging baskets. My husband is our gardener and he mixes up his own batches of store-bought soil mix, peat, manure, and this year we have some of our own compost he will add as we began to compost in earnest last year and have some of that good dark, rich, live soil to add to our gardens this year. He made a composter out of an old trash can and we turn it daily. (http://www.ehow. com/how_4750118_ make-homemade- compost.html) and this works well for us and takes up minimal space.Hope this helps to motivate all of you~even those of you who may live in an apartment. Blessings, LoriSchooling is not education, and education is not schooling~John Taylor Gatto

 

herbal remediesmicki_ (AT) charter (DOT) netSat, 28 Feb 2009 00:31:22 -0800{Herbal Remedies} Container Gardens when you can't have a regular Garden

 

 

 

If you don't have room for a small garden you can plant in large containers and just have a few plants on your deck. It's so easy to till a small plot and get it ready, than order organic seeds, many of the seeds available in stores are GMO. One must be careful with the seed they use in their gardens. My first garden all I did was to spade a small patch of ground. I worked in a big bag of organic mulch than planted my seeds. It grew beautifully and I was so proud of it. That was over 30 years ago. I do not have room for a garden where I live now, but I have plenty of deck that receives sunlight and plants grow in containers very well. I always try to encourage those who do not have a patch of soil to plant this way. It works, and you know you are getting home grown organic food.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hotmail® is up to 70% faster. Now good news travels really fast. Find out more.

 

Internet Explorer 8 – Now Available. Faster, safer, easier. Download FREE now!