I’m away on break again today to deal with some non-Indie Fixx stuff, so Jessica Gonacha and Michele Maule are stepping in for me today. (Both are contributors to Feed Your Soul: the free art project, btw).
Jessica wrote a post for the Indie is the New Green column, in which she shares some tips with those of you with limited space for planting. After you read her post (and Michele’s), check out Jess’s latest venture called Pecannoot.
Michele shares some of her everyday inspirations for her art. I swear she can make the most mundane objects seem magical.
by guest contributor Jessica Gonacha
For many of you, this time of year means the beginning of spring. This is one of my favorite times of year– I love keeping an eye on the trees to see how fast the new leaves grow and watching the flowers poking out of the ground and the moss growing in cracks in the sidewalk. Springtime also means planting a garden, which is something I really missed last year since moving to Georgia and into an apartment. I had a thriving garden in Boulder (where I lived before), and I was so sad to say goodbye to it.
Gardens are wonderful. Growing your own fresh organic vegetables is not only good for you (body and spirit), but also for the planet. Think about all the fuel that’s used to bring fresh veggies to your local grocery store. And the pollution that’s added to the atmosphere. Planting and eating your own food is an all around good idea, plain and simple.
So this year, I’m determined to have a garden, even though I don’t have a yard. We do have a patio, though, and that’s good enough for me. Here are some ideas for how to get your green thumb on in a limited and maybe not-so-ideal space.
image from iaterris
1. Get an old tire (junk yard, local dump, maybe a tire store will give you one for free…), place it on your patio, fill it with organic soil, plant some seeds or plants, and voila! Your own mini garden patch. Maybe not the most aesthetically pleasing option, but it’ll certainly work!
images from left to right —gardeningtipsnideas.com, Howstuffworks.com and loxstockandbarrel.com
2. Plant an herb garden in a barrel, wooden container, or even a large colander! You can get very creative and use any type of container you want! Just make sure there’s a way for water to drain out.
image from planetbods.com
3. If you’re in an apartment with a porch, you can plant some green beans or peas in pots that will grow up poles/vines. Place the pots next to the porch fence, and watch the beans twist up the posts as they grow! (I’ll definitely be doing this one.) Check out this one for inspiration!
images from left to right — Sunset.com and Howstuffworks.com
4. And if you’re like me, you might just want to get some different sized, mismatched pots, grab some organic seeds, and plant some different things to see what happens! If you’d like to learn more about what types of plants/food like to grow next to each other first, I’d recommend checking out the Golden Harvest Organics website and this article for a list of which veggies grow well in containers.
Happy planting!!
About the contributor: Jessica Gonacha is an artist from Atlanta, Georgia who is endlessly creating. Her work includes paintings, drawings, illustrations, paper goods andd more and can be described as vibrant, colorful, and charming. Her work can be found on her site, in her Etsy shop and in various online and brick and mortar boutiques . You can also read more about Jessica and her work on her blog called Treasuring. Also be sure to visit Pecannoot an homage to abundance and how we define it.
Great post:) I love the crate idea, and I’ve never thought of a colander as a pot! It seems like it would need some extra watering, or plants that hate water around the roots. I don’t remember where I saw it, but someone once talked about turning the tires inside to create an urn-like pot.
Thanks for posting! Great ideas:)
Great ideas…….my step-mother talked about her daughter planting tomatoes in old tires……..now I see what she meant.
Thanks!!!
I love the idea of a container garden in a wooden soda crate!
I didn’t even know you were here. I just stumbled upon it from Michelle Maule. But I like your ideas. That bean porch looks like the fire escape I had in Brooklyn, although it was morning glories, not beans.
I’m thinking about doing some herbs down here in Florida. Cilantro and Basil, maybe. I’m afraid of veggies, although I do have a grapefruit tree.
Love these container ideas — especially the colander! I had a lot of success growing jalapenos in pots last year, and I’m looking forward to trying a more adventurous porch garden this summer.
About those tires, though…I would keep those strictly for ornamentals. When the sun heats the tire the toxins in the rubber leach out into the soil. You definitely don’t want a concentrated dose of that in your food!