What Kind of Container Should I Use?

Container gardening is something everyone can do. It's great for those new to gardening, or are locked in to small spaces, or have very rigid homeowner restrictions.

What kind of container should you use? There are SO many options out there right now because of the growing season that has begun. Now, I am located in the Southeastern part of the U.S. So, for us, we are well into the latter part of Spring and getting ready for Summer. So, many have already begun to get their gardens in the ground (or containers).

Containers come in all sizes and shapes and sometimes they are even built for a specific purpose, like strawberry containers.

I have to admit that one of my favorite sites for gardening "stuff" is Hayneedle.com.  I've gotten several things from their site at very affordable prices and so the following containers I'm about to show you are from their site. 

Now, you can get a gardening container from any hardware store or mass retailer.  You can find gardening containers in a variety of prices based upon what they're made of.  They can be made from recycled materials all the way to some form of stone or ceramic.  But for now, I'll just show you the economical versions...



Round Ginkgo Biodegradable Planter

         Click Here to see the  the details.



Round Ceramic Aged Terra Cotta Strawberry Jar with 6 Pockets

Click Here to see the details about this pretty terra cotta strawberry jar.

Dura-Trel Square Vinyl Quintana Slatted Planter

Click HERE to see the details of this pretty square planter.

Pretty never hurts!  These are basic ideas for planting in something other than the ground.  Any of these will fit nicely on a sunny front or back porch or anywhere in the yard there's a bright spot!

So, if you're planning your garden and only have small space start looking for pretty or practical planters to grow your veggies in!

So, you want to start a garden...

Having a garden can be one of the most rewarding adventures.  There's so much to do and learn about when you've got a garden, not to mention all the great stuff you eat without paying for it!

If you've got kids, your garden can become an outdoor science classroom, home economics classroom, and even a classroom that teaches your youngsters about life and responsibility at an even deeper level.

Since the gardening season is upon us for Summer planting, we're going to spend the next few days and weeks talking about getting started with your garden and how to keep it going.  Now is the perfect time to get your gear together and dig in!

Today we're just going to talk about getting started.

So, you want to start a garden...

You may not be interested in anything huge, because maybe it's just you or you two, or maybe you just want to piddle in some dirt without a lot of work--it can be done!

Maybe you've got grand ideas (like my husband had) and you want to till a big space so you can can green beans or feed your family of 6, like ours--it can be done!

A few things to think about before you dig:

1. Think about the size of your garden.  Remember that you want to enjoy this endeavor and not begrudge it once you get started.  We recommend for all you first-timers that you start off small.  You can always expand!  You have everything to gain from starting off small!
2. Can you or do you want to dig in your yard?  Or would you rather do an above ground bed?  Or maybe even some container gardens with cute pots here and there?
3. Where does your yard get at least 6 hours of full sun?  This is a very important requirement for your garden spot.  All vegetables that grow require lots of sunshine to grow and produce!
4. What do you want to grow?  Think about what vegetables your family eats on a regular basis and consider growing some of these vegetables that you know your family will eat and won't waste.

Take some time to be thinking about these things.  Next week, we'll give you some "how-to's" about putting your garden together. 

**GREAT IDEA**

Start a gardening notebook where you can keep these important facts we just listed.  Write down the answers to the 4 questions above so you'll be ready to start digging!