I have a charming small outdoor space that I have dreams of turning into a lush greenscape.
Unfortunately, I have a concrete pad so I’m left with using pots as growing mediums for my plants. I’m also not looking to totally overhaul my outdoor space bc there are other pressing issues and there is just not a budget for that but rather this is a hobby (gardening) and would love to hear from others who have had success with growing a beautiful garden in pots.
I have had some success and have found that herbs have tend to thrive in pots. Veggies I struggle due to the amount of space I need to grow them and the amount of water during the summer months. They never seem to yield enough or I just watch them die in July. (I cry every year lol)
I’m currently starting seeds in my basement and hoping to do a flower and herb garden with the pots.
Love any advice…thoughts…ideas …tips…Antidotal stories about your journey with urban gardening.
by frannieprice
1 Comment
I was an urban gardener for many years when I lived in Philly. Container gardening is very fulfilling when you only have a slab of concrete as your outdoor space. That said, it is tough to maintain the watering, especially in the hottest months if you’re not diligent. I’m talking, watering 2-3x a day kind of diligent if you can. If you can’t do that, you can set up a drip irrigation from your hose spout and put it on a timer. They’re fairly cheap to set up. Also, you could put up shade cloth to give your plants a break from the sun. It really depends on the direction your area faces and how much sun/heat you typically get. If you like peppers, this is the perfect environment for them. They love heat. I’m thinking tomatoes and herbs (rosemary, basil, mint) should do well, as long as you don’t let them dry out too much. Keep in mind that Terra cotta pots dry out extremely fast so pay extra attention to those. The stores also sell moisture beads and all kinds of things that allege to keep the soil moist, but I tend to think those are gimmicky and don’t work. Perhaps they work for others. Sunflowers also love the heat so perhaps you could plant a few of those? There’s plenty of shorter, container varieties to choose from. Can’t wait to hear what you decide to plant!