There's a reason we love fruits and vegetables from our gardens - we can grow produce varieties not available at the store and honestly, what can be fresher than picking it from your own garden? While gardening is great if you have the knowledge, place and time to start a garden and maintain it, it's not so great if you don't. But even growing some edible plants can be rewarding, letting you try new varieties of produce, saving you money and even adding visual interest to your home. Need some ideas to get you started?
TRY THESE EASY ALTERNATIVES TO TRADITIONAL GARDENS
If you don't want to hassle with a larger garden now, don't have the space or don't have a yard, try container gardening. Container gardens are perfect for decks, porches, balconies and even yards. We've always done some container gardening, but last year we expanded this to include parsley, basil, cucumbers and spinach. Even with the drought, our container garden required minimal maintenance and the yield was quite good. This year we expanded this again, adding onions, radishes and squash. How did we do this? To keep the expense under control and make a stylish arrangement, we used inexpensive pots of varying shapes and sizes purchased at thrift stores and sales. We also used some 5 gallon buckets that we drilled drain holes in and painted. We added some potted herbs and flowers for variety and visual interest in front of the buckets. For soil, we used a mix of potting soil and compost. The result? A visually appealing edible garden that was low maintenance, regardless of the weather! Our tip? Container gardens may be planted earlier that traditional ones if the containers can be moved to a warm location on cold nights.
Ever tried growing edible plants inside your home? It's actually not as hard as you may think. What can you grow?
Herbs - if you love fresh herbs, this is the perfect method of having them at your fingertips without the worry of keeping them fresh. Growing your own herbs also solves the problem of wasting a large bunch of fresh herbs when only a small amount is needed. Another benefit? Using herbs as houseplants not only adds natural beauty to your home, they can actually help freshen the air. Our favorite herbs include parsley, basil and cilantro. You can grow them from seed, or you can purchase small potted herbs from a greenhouse. Also consider smaller varieties of vegetables, such as small radishes, peppers and even some tomatoes. Our tip? Do some research on the best plants for you and place them in a sunny, south facing window.
iStock/bluenayim
If you really want to kick it up a notch, try your hand at an indoor vertical garden. What is a vertical garden? It is a board or panel for growing plants on a wall, or it can even be a wall itself. Readily available for purchase from any number of vendors, these can range from intricate to simple and are available in any price range. Some require soil, some are completely hydroponic. Some think these are the wave of the future. What do we like about them? They can look amazing, can be used for growing any number of plants indoors or out and can add substantial esthetic appeal to your home or office. We think the possibilities for adding vertical gardens and walls to kitchens are endless. Our tip? Plants grown in a vertical garden still have the same light, water and nutrient requirements of other plants. Consider the plants you will be growing when purchasing and designing a vertical garden.
Hopefully we've given you some good thought starters for alternatives to traditional gardens. Enjoy this article? Please forward it through email or our social media links below. Have any tips you'd like to share? If so, we'd love to hear from you!
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