Today's post is part of our Garden of Jen series, which is all about container gardening.
Growing herbs is an excellent way to experience the joy of harvesting food from your own garden, even if your garden is just a tiny pot on a window ledge. There are plenty of herb garden kits available, and buying a kit that includes seeds, soil, and pots makes it easy to get started.
Even Chia makes herb garden kits! Although if you're going with Chia, herbs seem like kind of a boring choice...
Another option would be to select a few pots, buy a bag of potting soil, and select plants or seeds from a nursery. That way you can customize your garden in any way you'd like. I've had great luck with basil and thyme, and sage and oregano are also great choices, but plant whatever you like to cook with - Or whatever you think smells good! In addition to being beautiful and delicious, your herb garden will also provide a delightful fragrance.
You could get yourself a fancy pot specifically designed for herbs. (Strawberries grow well in these, too!)
If you don't have a few mismatched old pots lying around (like I always seem to), you could pick up some simple terra cotta pots just about anywhere. (Check thrift stores for a really good deal!)
Of course there's no reason you can't be a little more creative about it. Your recycling bin could be an untapped treasure trove! (Be sure to pound a few holes in the bottom for drainage.)
As with any small pot - especially outside in warm weather - be sure to water your herbs at least once a day so they don't dry out. Most prefer full to part sun - check the label for specific instructions. Harvest any time and add fresh herbs to soups, salads, pasta, marinades, stir fries, you name it!
Well look at that. You're a gardener!
Showing posts with label Garden of Jen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Garden of Jen. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Monday, February 7, 2011
Garden of Jen
My friend Jen asked if she could grow tomatoes in pots on her balcony. Jen! You can grow ANYTHING in pots on your balcony!
YOU CAN GROW
A GARDEN
ANYWHERE!
This week, in honor of Jen's birthday, I'll be doing a series of "Garden of Jen" posts all about container gardening. There is so much you can do with just a few feet of space. A balcony or patio is wonderful if you have it, but you can squeeze a few small pots just about anywhere!
There are two big concerns, in containers as well as anywhere else: Sun and Water. If your balcony is mostly shaded, then you may have trouble with veggies. (There are plenty of other plants and flowers that will work in partly shaded areas, or you could grow a mushroom garden!) And pots dry out FAST, especially if they're small, and especially in the sun. You'll have to water daily, maybe twice daily, unless you can set up some kind of irrigation system.
That said, I will be spending this week - or however long it takes - convincing Jen to turn her balcony into the world's tiniest organic farm! We'll start tomorrow with some simple herbs and go from there. In the meantime, enjoy these inspirational photos:
HAPPY BIRTHDAY JEN!
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