Money is tight for everyone right now. All our budgets have been squeezed and we want to get the most out of every cent we earn. One great way of saving a little money is to grow your own veg and herbs. This is often seen with a bit of trepidation by people because they don’t have the space or they’re in the city. Well there’s no need to worry even if your in the most urban of areas. This article talks you through some of the key points of container gardening and how, even with just a little space, you can grow your own flowers, herbs and vegetables.
Conditions
It goes without saying that the two of the key components of any garden are light and water, which need to be considered when establishing a container garden. If you have a balcony or large outdoor window sill, then your plants will be exposed to natural light and precipitation so they will need less looking after. It is important to remember; however, that the rain which reaches the plants may be restricted by over hanging structures, so even when it is wet you may still need to water your plants as the rain water may not be getting to the plant’s soil. If your container garden is going to be entirely inside, then you need to make sure each plant is put in a position which gives it it’s required exposure to light and that you are watering the plants regularly.
Size
If you are very limited on space, such as if you only want a few plants for an indoor windowsill, then you need to pick plants which are space appropriate. It is no good planting a rapidly growing large plant in a small space, whereas similarly you do not want to invest in a large planter for a balcony only to plant a few small plants which leave a lot of exposed soil. Plants such as chives are great if you don’t have a lot of space as they grow in compact groups in a small area, yet after they have been cut they will re-grow providing you with a lot of use. If you have a larger space to fill plants such as Rosemary, Lavender, or mint are great as they sprawl across where they are planted, gradually filling the container.
Nutrients
The downside of a container garden is you only have small area of soil, so your plants do not have any access to additional nutrients from the wider ground. As a result of this it is important to feed the plants and replace the soil they are planted in every two years. If you are growing herbs or vegetables then it is a good idea to use an organic plant food as this means the plants won’t absorb anything which is dangerous or repellent to eat. If you have the space, you may want to make your own compost as this is a cheap and eco friendly way to keep your container plants nourished.
Grant loves to help out urban gardeners to get the most out of their garden space no matter how small it is. He can be found on his garden design website which specialises in garden design in Berkshire.
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