A Mobile Container Garden

Wanna see some pictures from our first year to garden? (2008)

This first picture to the right was part of our garden last year (2008). See the small rectangular tubs? We planted beans in them. We set small indoor trash cans, with peppers and eggplants and okra, in tires to prevent them from toppling over during wind storms. Several tires had potting soil directly into them and they grew beautiful delicious melons and pumpkins. The top right of the pic with the yellow netting (tulle fabric) is a pot with a blutberry plant in it (covered to prevent birds from eating our berries). The raised bed to the right was made from 4' x 8' wood boards, filled with potting soil... we planted soybeans around the edge and carrots in the center. The raised beds for the corn patch is in the upper left corner.


This second pic, to the right, is a picture of the potted tomatoes, taken in Summer 2008, about a month before the pic that follows. We placed the pots on boards so earwigs would have a harder time getting into the pot. It worked. Having a marigold and a basil in each pot also helped, I'm sure.




To the right is a pic of our tomatoes from 2008 Summer. Hmmm... how beautiful and very productive. We got 5-gallon pots and buckets from dollar stores to go with what we already had. We planted way too many tomatoes, and each of the 20 POTS held at least one tomato (sometimes two), a marigold and a basil. Still, even with overcrowding, we had a huge harvest.



To the right is a picture of 6 asparagas plants, about a month after we transplanted them. Three in each "trash can". By the end of Summer, these were so bushy that the little asparagus stems had to fight the foliage for sunlight! These pots have spent the Winter in our famil room, near the grow light, and are now awaiting decent weather so we can place them outside. Hopefully they're still alive after the Winter's hibernation.


Because of the quality of our soil at our current home (sand on top of clay), we grew much of last year's garden in containers., as you can see from above.


Now... because we are moving this Summer, we can't plant directly into the ground - at least, nothing that we want to take with us! So we're using all of our containers and will probably buy more. That way, when we move, we can move our growing plants too.



NOTE: We didn't empty any of the tubs before Winter came. When we thought to check on them (February 2009), we realized the clear tubs we got from Wal-Mart didn't hold up. Could be because of the freezing/hot/freezing weather. Just a thought.



We got the small white trash cans at a nearby dollar store for a couple of dollars each. Be sure to browse around for your own needs.