Bountiful Containers !

So I have been thinking a lot about gardening. I was going to get a community plot in town but there is not a good reliable source of water. You have to go about 50 feet behind the garden to the river go down the embankment and scoop out water!

So I am thinking of just setting up a small raised bed here at my apartment or maybe purchasing a small portable greenhouse to use.

This is the first year that I have not had some type of garden and it is driving me a little crazy!

I guess I just feel like if we are going to be building and moving within the next year why bother! But I know that even a small simple garden will produce much wanted pleasures! There is nothing like picking your own sun ripened cherry tomatoes!

I highly recommend the book the Bountiful Container .

So here are some great container gardening tips:

• No matter what theme your garden pot will have there are a few things you have to do to prepare. First you need a large, sturdy pot such as a terra-cotta planter or a whisky barrel. Containers must have drainage holes and be large enough to accommodate roots. Tomatoes and peppers need a minimum of a five-gallon pot. Whiskey-barrel size is even better. You can grow almost all vegetables in containers.
• Tomatoes and vining vegetables such as cucumbers and peas need something to climb. Buy a wire cage or make a wire trellis for support.

• All greens--collards, lettuce, mustard, and others--are perfect for containers. You can mix them with flowers for an ornamental touch. Lettuces can yield a surprising amount. Pick only the outer leaves to keep the harvest going.

  Eggplant and peppers of all types make pretty summer pots and tasty summer meals.

• It's best to use a high quality potting soil in a container garden. Be sure you start with a fresh unopened bag, that way you won't add diseases or pests to your pot. Today many of the potting soils you can buy have small water-retaining polymer crystals that help hold water in the soil rather than letting it drain through the bottom. Personally I would go for the most organic soil. Prepare 2 pots, one for each of your themed container gardens.
• The first pot is the herb garden. The first step is to put the largest plants, the rosemary, in the back of the pot and added more potting soil. Next add three Spicy Globe Basil plants which have a very nice aroma, for a splash of color add purple basil. At the front place Spearmint and Lemon Thyme so they will hang over the side of the barrel, they also have a very nice aroma. Finally, add a little more soil and then give the herbs a good watering.
• The second container will contain a collection of colorful pepper plants, from the bright red Bell Pepper to the Ornamental Peppers to the spicy yellow Habenero. Start your container with your tallest plants in the back. Depending on the height and the strength of the plant, you might need to stake it, especially if you live in a windy area. Then follow up with your medium size plants in the center and your smallest plants in the front. You are only limited by the amount of space you have in your container. Don't be afraid to add as many plants as you have room for.
• Gently water and soon you will have some bountiful containers! Very important to make sure you keep your pots watered so you do not loose any plants!

So hopefully this weekend I can get my gardens going and I will be able to post pictures of my hopefully Bountiful containers!