Your Guide to Growing Plants in Containers
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Though I know I am very lucky to have the immense growing space that I do, one challenge I hear from lots of folks is how their limited to a smaller space, or maybe don’t have any backyard space at all. Whether you have a tiny area of outdoor space to grow in, or even a small apartment balcony, one way to make gardening attainable for everyone is by growing in containers or pots! Whether you’re hoping to grow flowers, herbs, veggies or maybe a combination of all three, let’s discuss some plants that will thrive growing in a container.
Flowers
So many types of flowers can be grown in containers! In fact, my amazing digital marketing manager, Emily, has even grown ranunculus & anemones in pots on her balcony with great success. It’s all about ensuring there’s enough space for the flowers to thrive without competing with each other for resources in the soil. If you’re looking to grow edible flowers in a pot, here are a few that would be very successful:
Nasturtiums (compact variety – or can be companion planted with bush beans)
Edible pansies
Edible violas
Marigolds
If you would like to grow flowers to ensure all summer long, I would recomend:
Petunias
Lobelia
Zinnias (tall & short varieties)
Cosmos
Calendula
Herbs
Similarly to flowers, a vast majority of herbs can be grown in containers, and in fact, they’re probably some of the easiest types of plants to be grown in containers. If you’re limited to a very small space, one pot can be filled with a variety of herbs that are planted relatively close together! There’s also perenial herbs and annual herbs. Perenial herbs will come back every year or they are evergreen all year long (like rosemary). Annual herbs are not a commitment and only grow for one season. This can be popular if you want to switch up what you want to grow each year.
Some of my favourites include:
Basil (annual)
Cilantro (annual)
Mint (Ensure this is planted in its own pot! Mint can quickly overpower the rest of your herbs if it’s in a shared pot. It’s also a perennial)
Chives (perennial and their purple flowers are edible)
Sage (perennial)
Oregano (perennial)
* Sage, chives & oregano grow great together!
Veggies
Believe it or not, you can in fact grow a wide variety of veggies in pots! Lots of people tend to think that they’re limited to only growing herbs in containers, but that’s not the case at all. Some veggies that grow successfully in pots include:
Tomatoes (Just ensure you are purchasing a bush variety with a tomato cage! These can also be companion planted with basil and marigolds in pots)
Radishes
Bush beans
Carrots (Plant in their own container that is at least 12” deep)
Lettuce
Peppers
Potatoes (Ensure you purchase a potato pot so you can harvest properly!)
Kale (Different varieties of kale look lovely together)
Though not a vegetable, I have to give an honourable mention to strawberries, that can also be grown in a container, or if you have an outdoor hook, in a hanging pot.
Where to buy pots
Depending on your needs, there’s lots of options out there for containers and pots! If you have a balcony where you’re trying to be mindful of the amount of weight it can handle, I’d suggest looking at recycled plastic pots! My personal favourite for a plastic pot is black recycled plastic, or these gorgeous Drift Ivory Planters from Hauser, seen above. If you have more space, and don’t need to be mindful of weight, terracotta pots or a raised planter are great options. If you’ve got a smaller backyard, consider a small raised bed. My favourite is from Garden in Minutes!
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Of course, more can be grown in a pot or large container but these are my go to plants! Regardless of the size of planting space you have, gardening is attainable to more than just people with a backyard! Let me know in the comments if you plan on growing anything in pots, whether you have a large space, or just a simple apartment balcony.
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