Thrifty Containers for Growing Vegetables
Even though I have a fairly large yard, I do a bit of container
gardening as well. Container gardening lets me grow flowers and
vegetables in areas of the yard where normally I can't grow anything
such as the steps or on the sidewalk. Containers also let me elevate
vegetables that our family eats raw (such as salad greens and basil)
which keeps them out of reach from our family pets who aren't terribly
discerning where they do their business.
While oversized flower
pots are the most common type of container for planting your vegetables,
there other options too. Here are 5 containers that I use for planting
container vegetables.
Old galvanized wash basins
If you have Grandma's leaky old wash basin still kicking around the
house, these 10 gallon basins are ideal for growing vegetables such as
carrots, radishes, and salad greens. The ones I use have cracks in the
bottom which allow for drainage; basins that still hold water should
have a dozen or so holes pierced into the base using a five penny nail
and a hammer.
Old canning kettles
While Grandma's
old copper canning kettle holds firewood in my living room, her old
canning kettles made of galvanized steel or speckled enamel have also
found new life in my garden for flowers and lettuce. Because some of
these do have antique value if in excellent condition, I only use the
kettles that no longer hold water for growing vegetables.
Watering cans
Cans that have rusted, lost their spout, or their handles are usually
tossed in the trash. I reclaim these fun containers for growing herbs.
Old watering cans look cute when arranged on tree stumps, staggered
along the steps leading up to the front door, or nailed to the top of
fence posts.
Kiddie swimming pool
Years ago when I lived in a mobile home
park, the soil that surrounded our home looked too iffy for growing
food crops. What I did instead was to buy a couple of $5 kiddie pools to
use for growing garden veggies. Kiddie pools are great for square foot
gardening plus can be elevated on saw horses to keep out the cats. Like
the wash basins, these pools will also need holes punched in the base to
avoid water log.
Old wire bike baskets
The
increase in popularity of coconut basket liners opens up all kinds of
possibilities for turning wire baskets, wire crates and other wire
containers into attractive containers for gardening. I use coconut
liners to turn Mom's old bike racks into herb baskets that can be hung
from the side of my garden shed.
For families watching
costs, containers for container gardening doesn't have to cost a lot of
money. As long as the container is deep enough, has drainage holes, and
isn't made of harmful substances that can leach into the soil, you can
pretty much turn just about anything into a container for vegetable
gardening. Looking for more information about container gardening <--- click here
