So you know what you want to grow, you know the variety, the type, the colour and so on and so forth... But where should you grow them? You haven't got time to prepare beds in the ground. You haven't got time to erect raised beds and use them to grow your vegetables.
Then perhaps you will it helpful to check out the following article explaining to you easy and innovative places to plant your veggies, there's 5 of them so I am sure one of them will suit your gardening needs and your garden's limitations.
In this following little article, I'm going to go through 5 of the innovative places I plant vegetables in and around the garden which not only look brilliant, but also save you an awful lot of time.
Old 30s Sinks
You know, the big white Butler sinks? Well that makes the perfect herb garden. You've probably heard this from countless gardening buddies (and if not, well you do learn something new every day). The idea behind this is it gives you one place for all you herbs, well not quite. As you are placing all your herbs into one container, you have to be careful with the herbs you choose.
Personally, I have found varieties of Sorrel, Thyme, Parsley, Chive and Dill do particularly well in the sink and I would avoid Mint, Oregano, Majoram and Coriander as they can get a little out of control and will take over everything else in your herb sink leaving it to die.
The great thing is the sink works... Like a sink? It'll be well drained and will be the perfect environment for growing herbs. Now you might say it's not original, but did I say these would be original. I said innovative and you can't say that growing herbs in a sink is not innovative.
Plastic Bags
Well, technically plastic bags but more grow bags just without the inflated price tag. The garden centres seem to bump the price up for cutting a few holes in a bag of compost. Do not go paying for these yourself! NO!
So instead follow these simple instructions for growing in plastic bags. It'll take a few minutes for you to go from no bed, to sown bed. You'll require a sharpish knife, the seeds you wish to sow and a bag of unopened compost.
1. Take your compost bag and lay it either on its side or on one end. It depends on what you are growing. If you plan on growing tomatoes, potatoes or anything that will have large roots and will grow tall then stick it on one end. If however you plan on growing lettuces, beetroot, radishes or other small vegetables then place it on one of its sides.
2. With your sharp knife, puncture some holes in the side of the bag that is touching the floor. These will allow the water to drain through nicely and ensure you have well drained soil.
3. Put your bag on the end with the holes now and then with your sharp knife, cut one of the sides or top off the bag. You will therefore have an open side to the bag which is your bed.
4. Sow your seeds as you normally would but into your bag instead in a bed. Water, care and allow to grow.
Yes, it's as simple as 1, 2, 3 and 4. You can really grow your veggies in this way and it works wandered I must say.
Old Tins from Baked Beans and Tomatoes
Don't go throwing those old tins away, they can be used effectively to grow a few varieties of vegetables. But first of all, make sure you have washed them out thoroughly, leaving Baked Bean juice in the bottom of the tin will not be beneficial to your growing.
So what can you grow in your tins? Funnily enough, what works best are tomatoes. Along with tomatoes, you can grow chillies, peas, spring onions and salad leaves.
It's really easy, pierce a hole or two in the bottom of the can so any excess water can easily drain away. Once you've done that, fill it with some good compost, sprinkle your seeds on the top then cover with a further dusting of compost, water and let it grow.
It's incredible walking around the garden, tin in hand, freshly picking (and then eating) your vegetables. I am a sucker for raw peas. They are so sweet and delicate I just love them. I always make sure I've got a tin of peas on the go so I can pull a pod, push out the peas and then polish them off.
Hanging Baskets, Just Not for Flowers
You've seen hanging baskets before, but what you may or may not know is that there are some vegetables you can grow successfully in hanging baskets, tomatoes being the most common and easiest to do so.
You can however, unknown to many, grow a few other types of vegetables in baskets. You have to pick things that don't require much depth of soil. Strawberries work great. There are also varieties of Mange Tout. Finally, I love to grow lettuce leaves and mixed salads in hanging baskets.
Something else I think is particularly wonderful in hanging baskets is a selection of herbs. Hang it up by the kitchen door then whenever you need anything, just pop your head and hand out the door, grab it and let it swing away.
There is one thing you have to be careful of when growing in hanging baskets and that is you need to keep them watered incredibly regularly, as they tend to dry out very easily.
Old Containers, Anything and Everything Goes
This is something I really love to do! Just get anything that you can throw some compost in and throw a few seeds in. Things I have used include old cardboard boxes, polystyrene boxes, an old barrel BBQ and so on...
Use your common sense with what you plant, if you're growing root vegetables then pick a long container that can be stood on one end. If you're growing lettuce leaves, salad leaves (which grow anywhere) then pick any container and so on.
And then once you've got your container, all you have to do is grab a bag of compost, fill your container, sprinkle in your seeds and then cover with compost and allow them to do their thing.
There you go, 5 innovative places you can grow vegetables if you're pushed for space or don't have the time to prepare beds. Feel free to comment with any of your own suggestions.
If you do find yourself still struggling to Grow your Own, or if you want more free information then visit Grow This N That for your collection of completely free Grow your Own guides. Click Here to grab yours now!
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