A container garden is a collection of plants – vegetables, herbs, fruits, flowers, shrubs, or even small trees – planted in a pot or container instead of in the ground. People with a big backyard might see container gardens as a solution for apartment dwellers who want a garden but has no relevance to them. But even property owners can benefit from container gardens. Here are seven reasons to start a container garden, whether you have plenty of room for traditional landscaping, a small front yard, or no yard at all.
1. Green Thumb not Required
For some, gardening can be intimidating – tilling the ground, planting, soil acidity, and selecting the right type of plants for shade or sun. A container garden is easy for beginners or people who have experienced gardening disasters in the past. Buy a pot, pour in some soil, and add seeds or plants. Ensure the potting soil will be compatible with the vegetation you will be growing; don’t overwater; and you’re good to go!
2. Very Little Weeding
A container garden typically requires very little weeding. Plants in containers are grown in potting soil (store-bought) and in close proximity to one another, leaving little room for air born spores to find a new home.
3. Chance to Add to what’s Already There
If the garden came with the house or you never got around to making room for a place to grow vegetables, a container garden is a perfect solution. The best vegetables for container gardening include lettuce, beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, chili peppers, peas, and spinach.
4. Your Garden is Mobile
Are the plants in the large blue pot in the shadow the roof overhang not doing very well? Move them to a sunnier spot and keep an eye on them. That’s the beauty of a container garden – pots and containers can be relocated. Other benefits of a mobile garden include:
- when going on vacation, you can take the containers to a friend’s place for watering
- if you’re moving to a new home, your garden can go with you
- you can move the containers into a shed or garage to help them survive colder weather
5. Better Pest Control
Traditional vegetable and flower beds are an open invitation to pests. Birds are partial to fruits and tomatoes; slugs aren’t picky, they’ll snack on anything. Container gardens will deter these types of pests. However, spider mites and whitefly are insects that love plants found in containers. They can be controlled by rinsing them off with a hose or underneath a tap. Monitoring the plants for a reinfestation is easier when they are in portable containers.
6. Reduces Your Carbon Footprint
Transportation of produce, packaging, the impact of fuel consumption on the environment all add up. Container gardens used to grow herbs, fruits, and vegetables can significantly reduce a household’s carbon footprint. And your salads and side dishes will be really (really) fresh.
7. Interior Decorating for Outdoor Spaces
Container gardens can be used to improve outdoor spaces in a number of ways. Decorative containers, along with their plant life can brighten up a deck, patio or pool area.
A collection of container gardens can be placed in a certain area of the yard to create a privacy fence that guards against prying eyes or curious neighbours.
For instant curb appeal, put containers on either of the front door or make the front steps a focal point with mid-sized pots of flowers on each step on one side of the staircase.
