If you are anything like me, one of your favorite things about Summer is fresh vegetables from the garden. But gardens are a lot of work, yard space and time, unless you are utilizing container gardens. These gardens are nearly weed free, will take up as much or as little space as you would like, and take much less effort than traditional gardens. Now I know what you are thinking, isn’t it expensive to buy pots and garden boxes for all of these plants? Fortunately, you have found my page where I will show you the most affordable way to start these gardens. This post contains affiliate links to everything you will need to start your first fruit and vegetable garden (except the topsoil). That can be found at your local garden center.
Where to Put Your Garden
My garden surrounds the edges of my deck. Doesn’t it look delicious?! There is approximately 30 plants crowded into this little area. Rather than buy expensive pots and planters, I use the fabric pots linked below. These have great drainage and are light and easy to move. Not to mention, they are super affordable. The plant boxes contain strawberries. I like to put these in something more insulated, because strawberry plants will last approximately 3-5 years if they are taken care of. I was able to score these planters at a yard sale, but will link a similar ones for you. You can also use these year over year and the storage is very minimal. Just fold them up and put them in a container or box. Voila! You can now start a garden no matter how much space you have. You will need different sizes depending on what you are planting. The picture is of the 3 gallon bags, but I have linked the other sizes below depending on what you are planting. Now on to the other reasons to start a container garden.
| Onions, Swiss Chard, Turnips | 1 Gallon Pots |
| Beans, Lettuce, Radishes | 2 Gallon Pots |
| Peppers, Okra, Kale | 3 Gallon Pots |
| Watermelon, Cantaloupe, Cucumbers, Squash | 5 Gallon Pots |
| Tomatoes | 7 Gallon Pots |
Find all of my Amazon gardening recommendations here!
Let’s Save You Some Time
As a single mom with a full time job, I have very little time for hobbies. However, feeding my son and myself high quality produce is one of my main priorities. So, I was determined to find a quick way to grow my own fruits and vegetables. I did not have time to weed a garden every few days. Been there, done that and not going back. With containers there are very few weeds that pop up, and then ones that do, just pluck them out when you are our there harvesting your crop. There is also the added benefit of not tearing up your yard and having fresh produce 5 feet out your back door, on your porch, or wherever you can find the space. I will send my son out to pick the strawberries and blueberries he wants for dinner and can watch him out the window the whole time. Super convenient!
And since you wont be weeding your vegetable garden, lets make sure you aren’t going to have to spend your time watering or weeding your flower garden. These are my favorite products for keeping your plants hydrated and weed free. Just don’t use the Preen on your vegetable garden. Flowers only please!
What to Plant
We somewhat already discussed this in the table at the top, but I want to be very clear. Nearly everything you can plant in a regular garden, you can plant in a container garden as long as your pot or bag is big enough. Last year I planted watermelon and cantaloupe in 3 gallon bags. They were very tiny, but we did get some and they were delicious. This year we will be doing the recommended 5 gallon pot hoping that they double in size. Keep an eye on this site to follow along with all of our gardening adventures this Summer and as always leave me a comment with any questions you may have on the product that I have recommended. Happy Gardening!