Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Tasty Containers

I plant edibles in containers for a number of reasons. "Mojito" Mint goes in a container because I don't want my yard overtaken with something that smells like a fabulous rum drink. It sounds pretty good, but it would be too much of a good thing. Mojito is sharing this container with a couple of pansies and a baby borage. Borage is in the container to attract bee's to the tomato plant hanging above it.

Above it, and off the balcony I have the first of several tomato plants (Sungold) growing in a strawberry bag with some nasturium. The tomato is in the bag to hopefully hang down and contribute to a tomato fort under the balcony. It's also in a bag because I planted more tomato seeds than I have sunny places for tomato plants. The nasturium is in the bag to hopefully hide the ugliness that is this bag! I think I need more nasturiums. My copper stained glass hanger is pretty but man this bag is ugly. I need more vines fast. I wonder if kudzu grows in Illinois.


This container has oregano that wintered over. Matina tomato got added when it out grew the coldframe. It's sort of tilty right now because I propped a cushion over it last night to protect it from the cold, and the cushion shifted. Result, squished Matina. Behind the Matina is a Bay Leaf. It's a trial to see if I can winter it over and have fresh bay leaves for soup all winter. There is also some purple basil in there for contrast and a zinnia for show.
Purple and Carnival carrots are in a container because they grow so great there. Carrots love container soil and if your variety is thin you can cram a whole lot of carrot in an average size container. Carrots don't get any friends in their container because I don't want their roots disturbed but that's OK. Their foliage definitely has a worthy stand alone type look.

Still to come, this year I want to try cucumbers in a container as well as some peppers to see if they will get me an earlier harvest. My main container tip? Place them near a water supply or you will not water them as much as they require.

3 comments:

Heather said...

All the pots are looking good! Good idea on the carrots, mine are always ugly!

Ellie Mae's Cottage said...

Great idea with the carrots in a container. I want to grow them but don't have a spot for them. Maybe I'll try sowing them in a container. -Jackie

Stacy said...

Mine too Heather, though I spent extra time on the garden soil this year where I planted them, so we'll see what happens in the real dirt.

Jackie, they are super easy in a container. I pretty much ignored them all summer once they were established. I harvested them after the frost and they were really sweet.