Vertical and Container Gardening is for Everyone
Vertical and container gardening is for everyone! From those of you who have never gardened a day in your life to the most seasoned gardeners of all. You can vertically plant vegetables in a pot on the patio or in the garden to help shade some small plants that don’t need the intense afternoon sun.
Vertical and container gardens are two fantastic ways to manage your favorite fruits, vegetables, and herbs in a small space and yield produce as if you had a large space. Container gardening is a perfect way to teach your little ones how to care for and nurture a garden as well as build confidence.
Vertical gardening has many advantages and is used in large gardens as well as small gardens. Not only does it save space, the plant becomes less prone to pests and disease because the plant is off the ground. Plants use less water when grown vertically as well as shade herbs and vegetables that need a little less sun. The best plants to grow vertically are cucumbers, green beans, and peas. I also like to plant vertically in containers by planting cherry tomatoes, surrounded by basil, oregano, thyme and other Italian herbs.
Trellis’ can be built easily by using fallen limbs and tying them together in the shape of a tee pee or by simply using lattice board giving plants a place to climb. When building your vertical structure, make sure your structure can support the weight of the vine and plants. One of my has a cucumber trellis growing on her porch to block an unsightly view. These trellis’ can also be planted on porches to give you more privacy.
I love walking by my beautiful yet functional container gardens! Not only are they gorgeous, I get the same amount of produce as if using a square foot of garden space. Using containers is inexpensive and less time consuming in that you have the soil ready year after year with only having to amend the nutrients in the soil a little before each growing season. Bird baths, half of a wooden rain barrel, or old fountains make great unusual containers.
Even if you choose to plant only a few plants in a pot, you will be rewarded!
