Our (continued) indecision about where our vegetable and herb garden should permanently go at our new place means we missed the boat on planting anything this spring (check out our edible gardens of years past here and here). But in an attempt to grow something this year, we’ve come up with a temporary solution. And it involves this galvanized tub:
We figured we’d just do a potted herb garden this year, with only a few “edible essentials” for our kitchen. Which is why we picked up a foursome of local and organically grown herbs (parsley, oregano, basil, and mint) at the farmer’s market this weekend for $12. Speaking of which, you can read more about our trip to the market on BabyCenter today as part of their “Big Day Out” this Saturday.
But back to the tub. It was about $8 at Lowe’s (way cheaper than any planter of that size) and to turn it into our herb pot, we figured it could use some holes for drainage in the bottom. They were a cinch to make with my little cordless drill.
To make them a bit bigger, I also wiggled a big nail around in them too. Oh yeah, and I made the holes in a heart shape. Maybe I was feeling romantic? Maybe I was subliminally professing my love for galvanized tubs? Or it was an ode to the L in YHL? Either way, this photo is about the most any of us will ever see of it.
Update: A few savvy commenters recommended that we test for lead just to be sure it wouldn’t leech into our food if it was randomly present in the metal. We just used one of those $4 Lead Test Sticks from Home Depoton to test the seams, the inside, the outside, the bottom, and even the holes that we drill and it was negative. Whew. So that’s definitely something to test for if you’re not sure how pure your galvanized tin is (and you’re using it for edible herbs)!
Also for drainage, we put a layer of gravel on the bottom (they were leftovers from the patio project). Hopefully they’ll keep the majority of the soil from dripping out of my hidden hole-y heart.
Before adding any dirt, we did a quick “dry run” of the herb placement. The taller guys (basil and parsley) went in the back, and oregano got some special space on the side – since my oregano tends to get bushy. Yeah… not so sure I like the sound of that last sentence.
Of course, if things do well (i.e. grow big and strong) this tin could soon get a bit cramped. But hopefully we’ll achieve “full” and not go as far as “so full it’s bad.” But if so, we can always transplant things into their own larger dedicated pots. You know if anything gets all diva on us. And we’re keeping the mint from spreading like crazy by separating it in a buried pot (a tip we learned a while back at the farmer’s market from a friendly local gardener).
You can see dirt in the bottom of the pic above. That’s some organic potting mix that we snagged at Lowe’s. It was about twice as much as the regular stuff ($10 vs $6, I think) but we figured since we’ll be consuming these plants it was worth going the slightly more natural route (since they were organically grown up to this point).
We usually would use our nutrient rich compost pile, but since moving our DIY compost bins got a little jumbled while we got settled so we don’t appear to have enough “ready” soil to use just yet (aka: things are still breaking down).
Here are the plants all in and soil-ed up:
Since the patio (which also got a bit soil-ed, as you can see) isn’t very sunny, we decided to put the pot on our balcony-to-nowhere (right off of our living room and kitchen). Despite being between two sections of house, it gets a remarkable amount of light – almost the closest thing to full sun that we have on our mostly shaded property. Plus it’s pretty darn convenient to the kitchen.
The beauty of having our herb “garden” potted this year is that we can move it around to test other sun spots if we find that this one isn’t doing the trick (since we’re still trying to wrap our heads around sun patterns here). Heck, it might even help us decide where to put a more permanent garden next year (gotta find that sweet spot). And if we decide to keep this potted version around, it’ll still look good on the larger deck that we plan to build out here eventually. Maybe even as an oversized centerpiece on an outdoor table?
And since no herb garden story is complete with an artsy close-up of your plant labels – here we go!
If you’re wondering, Colonel Oregano is not some weird variety of oregano. It’s just me being weird. I decided it’d be funny to take our simple popsicle stick labels and give them the Clue-character treatment. You know like Miss Scarlet and Colonel Mustard? Here’s my whole cast of made up herbs / suspect names. Yes, I’m what Sherry’s dad likes to call “a strange bird” (he’s also the man trying to single-handedly bring back the term “sick puppy”).
Next year if we decide to grow peppers it will be tough deciding whether to give it the “Sergeant” or “Doctor” title. Though the idea of a Dr. Pepper plant sounds pretty awesome, so maybe I’ve already made my decision.
What are you guys growing this year? Anything sprouting up particularly well or deliciously? Anything not showing as much promise as you’d like? Anything murdering someone in the conservatory with the lead pipe?
Psst- Don’t forget to check out the rest of our Farmer’s Market adventures here on BabyCenter.
Richard says
So, Miss Mint is a bit of a tart, and likes to spread herself around. Insidious is the word, I believe. Make sure to pinch off any of flowers she may grow. You do not wish her seed to blow off into your lawn, or you may never get rid of her!!!Very smart to keep her in a pot, but sequestering her to solitary may be even better.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- hilarious and informative. Love it.
xo,
s
WendyK says
I vote for solitary confinement for Miss Mint. I don’t know what type Miss Mint is, but the mint that I have would fill a tub that size in just one summer all by itself, sending runners over the top of the little pot and through any holes in the bottom. In fact, I started with a 2″ pot last spring, put it in a HUGE pot much bigger than your tub, and the pot was entirely filled and root bound by fall. I’ve been giving away mint to any takers, along with a stern warning not to plant it in the ground.
Chris says
I made the mistake of planting mint in the ground a few years ago and it completely took over my garden. Smelled lovely, but took some mighty digging to correct. Lesson learned.
Tia says
Love it! Yes, mint is an awful weed! I put it in a decorative pot, about 5 feet from another pot on the porch that had rosemary. That hussy Miss Mint spread her legs soooo far across the concrete porch that she rooted herself in the rosemary pot 5 feet away.
Amanda says
We had the same problem with our oregano – actually, our oregano killed our mint and then summarily cracked and broke apart the clay pot we put it in. It was pretty e-vil.
Anna says
evil herbs…..i like it! these comments had me laughing out loud!
Kate says
We didn’t garden this year since we just bought our house. Last year we had a garden plot here at my work (you can get a free 10×10 plot every year – awesome perk!), but we knew we wouldn’t have time this year. Next year we’re looking forward to creating a little garden in our backyard.
I keep meaning to buy a tomato plant or two for our deck, but I keep forgetting! I’m afraid now it might be too late, but I might still go pick one up and try to squeeze a few tomatos out of it.
Kristen @ Popcorn on the Stove says
When we move into our new apartment, we’re going to start an herb garden. Our landlord even has a garden out back with things like figs & tomatoes growing! I’m so excited for it because we don’t have that space now!
Devon @ Green House, Good Life says
Hooray for herbs! I’m THE WORST with plants but managed to keep a few going strong in my garden , too.
I love the curtains in the picture of the balcony to nowhere, BTW.
Reenie says
Good idea on the Mint. I had no idea she came back every year…..and spreads like crazy. I thought I had her all dug up ~ but nope, she’s baaaack!!! HA!
Taylor @ TheProposalEnthusiast says
I have been wanting to make a potted herb garden for my backyard so badly. This definitely gives me the inspiration to do it. Is it possible to find herbs at Lowes or will I need to find a farmer’s market? (I am a novice in the gardening department.)
YoungHouseLove says
They’re at Lowe’s too I think!
xo,
s
Meaghan says
You can definitely find them at anyplace that sells plants!!
sara says
if you lightly tap the bottom of the hydrangea with a hammer and split the bottom of the stem after you cut it and then make sure the stem is kinda short then they last longer..also cool dry place.
Alison says
Oddly enough, I did almost the same exact project on Sunday! My herb garden in a similar galvanized pot has basil, oregano, thyme and rosemary. Also- we have mint in the yard that is taking over, so good choice with quarantining it!
Kristin says
Great way to still get some fresh herbs this time of the season. We may have to try this. All we have is a planter full of mint (fresh Mojitos anyone?).
Thanks for sharing!
Amanda says
Don’t forget your fall crops! A second harvest of cold weather veggies, lettuce, peas, broccoli, etc. do great when planted mid summer to harvest in the fall.
We’re planting quite the garden this year. 6700+ square feet of garden actually. Most for eating/canning with the remainder for decoration at our October wedding. We might have taken DIY wedding a step too far when we decided to grow the decor… :)
YoungHouseLove says
Love the idea of a fall garden too!
xo,
s
Robin @ our semi organic life says
we did a potted edible garden too this year. Our basil has only been okay but our rosemary rocks! Also we’re going a (Dr.) pepper plant that is growing what looks to be a tomato – so weird!
Lani @ Diapers and Divas says
I actually started a pot garden in my backyard this year! That’s a garden IN pots…not a garden of pot. Hmmm…should think of another way of putting that. Anyway…so far I have tomatoes, a blueberry bush, and some herbs as well! We actually just enjoyed the fruits of our labor last night with some fresh picked tomatoes!! SO sweet and juicy!
Amber says
CUTE!!! Grow plants grow!
Katrina says
FYI: Oregano is part of the mint family – it can spread the same way mint does. If you plant it in a garden it is also best to plant it in a pot. I know. From experience.
YoungHouseLove says
Really??? Good to know! Maybe that’s why ours get so bushy every year (they tend to mound in our garden instead of spreading like mint).
xo,
s
Katrina says
Maybe it depends on the variety or only does it after it gets established. Mine mounded the first year, became a larger mound the next year, but then took off the third year. We did find if we kept it trimmed back and didn’t let it flower (after we dug it up and replanted it in a pot) that it was a much more manageable size in our small beds.
Morgan says
Two things. First, genius idea to make a galvanized tub into a planter. I even like the way it looks better than terracotta. What garden couldn’t use a little bling? Secondly, John – you are hilarious! The heart? Clue characters? Strange bird/sick puppy? You guys crack me up!
Lori and Ethne at wom-mom.com says
I will be planting herbs (cilantro, basil, and chives) in my flower boxes…but I am going to try the seed route this year. MORE AFFORDABLE! I will be curious to see how it works out.
Lori
http://www.wom-mom.com
Amy E. says
we don’t have much of a yard, so we opted for the potted herb garden as well. to decide what we would plant, we took a look at our spice rack and picked out the jars that always seemed to empty the fastest. we started out with just basil and chives.
Hubby loves to make his own home-made pesto; we re-use jars from store-bought pesto/jams to store our home-made stuff. and the extra basil leaves are dried out, chopped up, and put into our spice jar for future use in home-made pasta sauce. we haven’t harvested the chives yet, but they’re definitely looking pretty lush!
Pamela says
If you’re really loving pesto and have a plethora of basil…I made batches of pesto last year and froze it in ice cube trays. Then I popped the frozen cubes into a zippered freezer bag. I still have a few cubes after using it all winter.
P.S. I did go light on the olive oil, figuring I could always add more to the defrosted cubes.
YoungHouseLove says
Mmm, such a genius idea!
xo,
s
Lisa says
Love herbs, and galvanized tubs too, looking good on that balcony!
I’ve made my own small raised beds from scaffolding boards. They are non-treated and cheap, since scaffolding yards happily sell the boards that are not safe for use anymore.
Unfortunately my combo of laziness+ not-so-green thumb is proving permanent. Dito the planted things too late. Radishes seem to be a safe bet, but I should have known better than to sow calebass. If I don’t even know what it is, chances are I won’t be able to make it grow.
My favourite this year is the chocolate mint though. Can’t stop rubbing it, just to get the scent (There is no way to make that sound anything but dirty.).
Tamisha says
I planted the hill with herbs and peppers: mint (spear and pepper), oregano, thyme, sage, lemon grass, tansy, borage, basil, tarragon, parsley, lavender, pomegranates, and rosemary. Up top side, I planted eggplant, raspberries, tomatoes, squash, and some compost volunteers which look like melons or gourds. We get full sun, so it’s the best place to grow veggies.
Exciting stuff!
Beth says
apparantly we started a few weeks late for our area
(Jacksonville FL) however, my green thumb took over and we still planted Banana Peppers, tomatoes, corn, watermelon, cucumber, beans, pumpkin, parsley, and okra. So far everything is growing amazingly… but the only “fruit” we have harvested was a few banana peppers! but everything has blooms on it so more to some! yay! I was hoping to have watermelon for July 4th but dont think thats going to work out. boo…
Megan says
My dad is the super gardner of the family, so we let him do most of the gardening (blueberries, raspberries, fruit trees, pepper plants, tomatoes, potatoes, spinach, and way more) but we have a small garden that we planted a ton of cilantro in, two baby raspberry plants, and lettuce. We also have some herbs spread out over our yard, mixed in with our daughter’s soon to be minitature garden to add some fun variety (two types of lavender, dill, and some others). We are also going to get some spots ready for blueberry bushes but the ground needs to be worked on for a year or so before the plant gets put in (according to my dad – it’s a trick that’s worked wonders for him!!!). Good luck with the herbs and finding the “sweet spot.”
amc says
We grow plants on the deck in clear rubbermaid containers. Once you drill drainage holes, they work for any plant and are so much cheaper than wood patio boxes. Potatoes & kale are the new additions to our garden this year. Both are doing great so far.
Cecilie says
Good that you already knew to isolate the mint some.
Well, what am I NOT growing…
– five kinds of tomatoes
– raddish
– green beans
– gooseberries
– rapsberries
– cucumber
– dill
– various mints
– rosemary
– thyme
– cilantro
– 3 different kinds of salad
– 2 kinds of cabbage
– 2 kinds of eggplants
– chili
– bell peppers
– blueberries
Oh, and did I mention it is all done on my 200 square feet roof terrace? Urban gardening all the way.
There are some pics here: http://ancema.dk/2011/05/terrassen-2011-episode-7/ though the text is in Danish.
Hope you have great success with your little edible garden.
Erika says
Wow! Those pictures are amazing. What a beautiful space!
Jennifer says
So pretty!
Kate Battle says
This year we made a huge raised bed garden out of cinderblocks. It is 18.5 feet long and 4 ft wide! We planted several types of lettuce, cucumbers, peas, beans, radishes, carrots, zuchinni, squash, tomato, cherry tomato, peppers and more! We also planted herbs from seed. So far the cilantro and basil are doing the best.
Check it out!
http://retroranchrevamp.com/2011/06/15/ready-set-grow-garden-update/
YoungHouseLove says
Awesome!
xo,
s
Cait @ Hernando House says
Haha I read the label wrong twice, I was like “what is Colonial Oregano?” Makes much more sense now. Hilarious.
I tried to transplant some of my aunt’s Lemon Balm, which apparently helps to keep mosquitoes away, but I think it was a big fat fail.
Liz A. says
Living in Phoenix, our planting season is almost over. I ahve managed to get about 500 pounds of tomatoes from three plants. I might be exagerating about that weight…but it is also possible that this is true. This is my first spring planting at this house, and I think that my hosue was once a nucleur reactor site or something…things grew bigger and faster than I have ever seen.
A word about the mint…it’s like a bully in the clasroom, and will suck all available space out of that tub. I recomend a consistent discipline schedule…trim early, trim often…let her know whose boss…
Pam the Goatherd says
Since Katrina already warned you about the oregano spread I’ll just say that I love galvanized tubs and yours looks really nice filled with the herbs sitting on the balcony to nowhere.
Melody says
I didn’t plant anything edible, but I did start a wee garden in front of my house: http://melodyjmartin.wordpress.com/2011/06/08/thank-you-miller-and-your-plant-farm/
I have yet to name them awesome names though! I love John’s twist on labeling the plants.
YoungHouseLove says
Sweet little wee garden! I love it.
xo,
s
Suzy says
I have tomatoes, okra, and strawberries that are somehow not only alive but seem to be thriving. My romaine lettuce is extrememly bitter (it has gotten way too hot in Alabama for lettuce). And, I killed my iceburg lettuce on the deck with a pair of scissors. I am claiming my husband as an accomplice..he said it would be fine to cut it back that far…
Mandy says
Great idea for planting herbs, I may have to do this!! Right now, I’ve got Chinese Eggplant, yellow bell peppers, blue lake green beans, cucumbers, and super sweet watermelon growing. Got some baby tomatoes, one eggplant, a few cucumber flowers, and one watermelon flower. Going on vacation next week, so I’m sure it will go crazy while we are gone, but my sister will be here to hold down the fort, and my mom will come supervise the sprouts while we’re gone. I’m hoping to have some stuff to take with us (going camping with the IL fam) cuz nothing beats produce you are growing yourself!
Jess @ House Sweet Home says
I absolutely love this!! We have a garden as well, but I loved seeing it in a galvanized tub- what a great affordable alternative to a planter! And the very best part? The names. Clue is my favorite, favorite movie ever- and (just about) everyone I encounter has never seen it. Love it!! I will have to try this out somehow in my home. This put a smile on my face and I know I will smile and laugh about it all day!
Donita says
That looks so cute……I want one. ;-) I would have to have rosemary though, as it is supposed to stimulate hair growth *on your head*, and mine gets thinner by the year. LOL *just a little FYI there*.
My husband plants a box garden every year. This year he planted, tomato’s, several different kinds of peppers, kohlrabi, summer squash, decorative gourds and pumpkins, carrots, SO FAR. He will add a few more things, like radishes. We have strawberries as well. This year, he tried something different. To keep the cats from doing their business in his freshly planted garden. He made taller *removable* sides for each box, made arches and stapled plastic. They are like mini greenhouses. We shall see how this works. ;-)
YoungHouseLove says
I have to start feeding Clara some rosemary!!!!!
xo,
s
Jessica says
LOL….I’m going to start giving my little one rosemary baths and fill her baby pool with rosemary….no hair! I just want to put her hair in pigtails….and no hair!
Donita says
Potion for hair growth……put one cup olive oil in a glass bowl with handles. Place the glass bowl on top of a pan of water. Heat the water until the oil is warm. Then take about 6-8 sprigs of Rosemary, strip the leaves *whatever those are called* off the stems. Heat the olive oil and rosemary for a few minutes. Then stain the rosemary off, let it cool. The recipe said to use the entire cup of oil….*OH MY LORD* my hair is VERY SHORT and VERY THIN right now. I will use about a quarter cup and rub into scalp. Leave on scalp for 15 minutes, then wash hair as usual. I haven’t tried this yet, BUT plan to soon. The rosemary is supposed to stimulate hair growth.
I just heard another tip * a must for little girls hair*. My pastors wife just told me of a family of five girls she knew. They all had long thick beautiful hair. She asked how they kept their hair so beautiful, long and thick. The mom said she used HOOF MAKER from a Farm/Feed Store. I myself used it years ago, for my finger nails, did not know you could use it in your hair. You just rub a bit in your scalp, let set for a few minutes, then wash hair. TUESDAYS TIPS for DIYing long thick hair. LOL
Rachel says
Love the idea of using the galvinzed tub. Its much more attractive than my miss-match of random pots.
This year my basil is flourishing as well as my oregano, sage, and marajoram.
LINDSEY says
Are you guys worried about health risks involved with planting in the galvanized tub? I saw this on Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, but when proposing the idea to my boyfriend, he said he’d be leary of planting in the galvanized metal!
Did you guys research this? Have any insight? I love the look and would LOVE to have one of these on my back porch as well!!!
YoungHouseLove says
We never thought about it but someone mentioned that we should test it for lead so I’m about to do that right now! We’re definitely not into planting organic herbs with organic soil in a dangerous container- yikes! We’ll report back as soon as I finish the lead test (thank goodness I have those little $4 test sticks on hand).
xo,
s
YoungHouseLove says
Update: no lead! Whew. We tested the seams, outside, inside, and even the holes we drilled in the tin and it was completely negative. Thank goodness! Further googling around about planting things in galvanized steel said that it was completely safe (many farms use galvanized tins for tomatoes actually) although they didn’t recommend high heat food prep within a galvanized steel container (especially with acidic liquids) since it could leach at extremely high temps (500 degrees plus). So no open flame under a galvanized metal tin of spaghetti sauce! And of course if you have a cheaply made metal trash can it could have trace amounts of lead so doing a lead test just to be sure is always smart (test sticks are around $4 at Home Depot).
xo,
s
jane says
this link has some useful info about planting in galvanized tubs: http://gardeningwormcomposting.com/2011/01/16/is-galvanized-steel-harmful-to-the-soil/
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks Jane!
xo,
s
mrs.origami says
I’ve got a cherry tomato plant, and a basil plant. there are some other herbs popping up but not enough to use any of them..the basil and tomatoes are awesome though!
Love the galvanized pot you used for your herbs.
sarah says
Hi, Your portable garden looks great! If I can make a plug for NOT purchasing vegetable/herb starts at big-box stores . . . Two years ago, nearly every tomato plant in southern New England, from little home garden plots to nearby organic farms, was wiped out by a terrible tomato blight. A summer without tomatoes. Can you imagine it? Regional agriculture organizations believe the fungus began in tomato starts (the baby plants you buy to start your garden) raised in the south for big-box stores and distributed throughout the eastern part of the country. The fungus can’t live in the hot south so it’s not a problem there, but it can live up here in cooler temps and there was even fear that it would overwinter and wipe out the following year’s crop if we didn’t have a good, hard winter to kill it. The summer with no fresh, local, organic tomatoes was truly tragic, especially for family farms that rely on CSAs and farmers markets for the bulk of their sales for the year. We had to pull up and bury all the plants so the spores wouldn’t travel in air. So please consider the importance of local, organic sources for your garden starts. The closer to the farm, the better. It’s a good rule to live by for pretty much everything we eat! Thanks.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tip Sarah! We had fun at the Farmer’s Market (and got to support local organic farms) so we’d definitely recommend that route to anyone interested!
xo,
s
Care says
Strange Bird & Sick Puppy had me lol’ing hehe!
Love the tub idea for a garden!
Sarah says
You just wanted to snap more pics of those amazing curtains huh? ;)
I’ve been trying my hand at gardening this year, so far we have tomatoes, basil, rosemary, broccoli, and strawberries. I’m going to try to plant some green beans tonight…hopefully it’s not too late! OH – and Target has some awesome planters on clearance now. I grabbed 2 about the size of your tin one for $6 a pop! <3 Target!
Jess says
This is my spring/summer living in Dallas, Texas (having spent the rest of my natural live in the Hoosier state) and I completely missed the growing season. I walked into the local greenhouse and asked where their veggie plants were and the employee laughed at me — yes, laughed! They had three very sickly little guys in the back that I took home with me. They were doing great initally, but have since started looking sickly again. This might have to do with the 1-2 punch of 100 degree June days and no water for 2 weeks while the hubs and I were on our honeymoon in Tahiti (I remembered to have someone feed and water the cat. That has to count for something). Next season, we’re going to build a raised garden with an integrated watering system on a timer. Probably.
I think this weekend I’m going to risk getting laughed at again and go see if the greenhouse has any herbies left. Then maybe I’ll head next door to the Home Depot and see if they have any galvanized tubs – imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, right?
Elias says
So my hubby’s tip is to do all your planter box filling in the grass, so the dirt spillage doesn’t have to be cleaned up off the patio! (I saw the dirt on the patio in your picture). It’s a pain to move my buckets and stuff into the grass, but it does make for less clean-up.
Also, we fill the bottom of our planters with packing peanuts (styrofoam). Doesn’t add any weight, takes up a lot of the empty space, provides drainage- it’s perfect!
Just a couple tips for ya!
YoungHouseLove says
Great tip!!
xo,
s
CandiL says
Weeds…that’s all I know how to grow!! And there is a tree growing out from under my front porch…gotta chop that down ASAP!!
JennyB says
I’ve said this before & I’ll say it again..hooray for you guys buying locally!! Have you ever had a basil gimlet? Oh man..delish (as Rachel Ray would say). Here’s a good recipe:
http://www.drinknation.com/drink/basil-gimlet
YoungHouseLove says
Never had one. Have to try it!
xo,
s
kathy says
http://www.feedbacklounge.net/drinks.html
I recently had one of these basil cocktails at one of our local pubs in Seattle (The Feedback Lounge-link above) where they also have lots of other unusual drinks made with herbs and veggies. As an example, a drink called the “Red Ricky” tastes like tart berries and cucumber. Sounds odd, but it was a very refreshing summer drink– for adults, of course.
YoungHouseLove says
Mmm- sounds good.
xo,
s
Jessica K says
What section of the store can I find these galvanized tubs? I searched the website, but nothing came up.
YoungHouseLove says
The tubs are in the aisle with the empty paint cans (and the garbage pails I think).
xo,
s
cafenoHut says
Unfortunately We don’t have a garden like you. But have a big balcony full of flowers and now we have some vegetables. I hope we can eat our cute tomatoes. But as soon as possible I will have a pot like you… I love it.
Lisa @ Life in Green says
I love your herb tub and their names!
I’m growing a bigger crops of goods this year as I put in (8) 4’x8′ raised bed gardens made out of cedar. I also have an herb post which hangs eight small pots. Having such a great time with it all this year!
My planting diagram is here: http://thelifeingreen.com/2011/06/17/my-kitchen-garden/
Melissa C. says
We are fortunate to live in an area with lots of farmstands within walking/riding (and driving) distance of our home, but finally went the farm share route and are splitting it with another couple (still way more produce than two adults, a toddler, and the pending arrival of an infant need in a week) since neither of us is really good at making things other than weeds grow. We’re loving the locally grown organic produce that gets picked up weekly and that we’re supporting a local farm.
Georgia Rowe says
I live in the UK, in a Flat (apartment) I bought a living salad which was meant to only last for 10 days, i’ve had it for 2 months… also i was given 2 tomato plant seedlings, which have grown to about 4 ft tall on my kitchen windowsill! they even have a tomato growing on them!
the person who gave me the seedlings are so jealous as theirs are still about 12inches tall! haha – monster plants!
Also whats the vents on the floor infront of the slidey door?
xx
YoungHouseLove says
Those are air vents for heating and cooling (most are in the wall but a few are in the floor).
xo,
s
Megan says
My husband walked out the back door early one morning to let our dogs out and watched as a giant mule deer ate all my tomato plants. It was a sad day in the Wright house. I’ve notice he’s also been snacking on my lettuce, but there’s plenty of it to go around. We still have peas and carrots and I just went out and bought some more tomato and cucumber starts and put them in a front flower bed. I’m hoping that putting them up close to the house will deter our ‘neighbor’. Oh, I am also nursing some ground cherries. They barely managed to survive a SUPER late frost. We’ll see what becomes of them.
Amy @ Lovely Nest says
I’ve been growing basil, but started mine from seed, so they’re not very big yet. Hoping they sprout up a bit more so we can actually use some without taking the whole plant for one use!
Laura says
We have done the same thing both last year and this year for herbs (& I think we used the same tub from Lowe’s!). It worked out really well for us except that we ended up having to cut down the number of plants we put in it because they were all getting too big. Now, the tub only has chives and cilantro and our rosemary, basil and oregano are in our “big” garden. I wish y’all were growing cilantro- I would love to see if it would survive the summer up in Virginia! It’s just waaayy too hot here in Georgia for it to last much longer than a couple months :( Sending good gardening vibes y’alls way!