Urban gardeners. Small-space gardeners. Container gardeners. This Small-Space Garden Giveaway is designed just for you!
Enter to win a complete EarthBox® Ready-to-Grow system, as well as a copy of Fern Richardson’s new critically acclaimed book, Small-Space Container Gardens. This giveaway has ended. Congratulations Melissa of Houston, Texas for winning this random drawing! Photo copyright EarthBox.
Impatiens growing in EarthBox system. Photo copyright EarthBox.
Want a nice garden, but don’t have much room? No problem. You can create an attractive small-space garden, even if you have a tiny balcony, modest patio or even a postage stamp-sized yard.
Over the years, I’ve gardened everywhere from a balcony in Boston’s Back Bay to a hip, little patio in Venice, California. My gardens weren’t large, but they made me happy and kept my fingers in the soil. As my gardens grew in size, I still looked for ways to create small, intimate spaces throughout my landscape, often using containers of all types.
'Forellenschluss' lettuce and parsley grow in a small wine box. Photo copyright Fern Richardson.
Small-Space Container Gardens: Fern Richardson understands. She’s been gardening on a small balcony in Southern California, and writing about her experiences on her popular blog Life on the Balcony for years.
Her new book Small-Space Container Gardens (2012; Timber Press) is a four-color celebration of small-garden tips that transform balconies, porches and patios with fruits, foliage, flowers and herbs in containers.
In her preface, Fern writes, “I find that gardening on my balcony satisfies my need to grow–herbs, peaches, nectarines, figs, blueberries, flowers, and succulents–while still leaving plenty of time and energy for other parts of my life.”
When you see all her ideas, you’ll understand why Fern is so inspired. Throughout her gardening guide, the author shares design tips, planting advice and do-it-yourself projects for creating a sensational small space garden, regardless of where you live. There are a wide variety of container ideas from clever wine boxes (shown above) to hanging baskets, pallet gardens and living walls.
Fern provides several simplified design plans to use as blueprints for creating everything from a Secret Garden Patio to a Potager with a Twist Balcony–featuring edibles like blueberries, salad greens and French thyme. She also covers important topics like attracting pollinators, growing fruit trees, planting privacy walls, building healthy soil and selecting aromatic plants. Large color photos and garden design drawings illustrate these topics nicely.
Many of Fern’s plant suggestions are oriented towards her Southern California climate. But four-season gardeners will find plenty of value in this clever gardening resource. She offers advice for protecting container plants from frosts — as well as other weather conditions like dry heat, wind and humidity.
Small-Space Container Gardens proves without a doubt that you don’t need a big yard to have a garden.
A Bit of Trivia: If you’ve been reading Seasonal Wisdom for a while, you may know already that Fern helped me redesign this blog a while back. Yep, she’s a woman with many talents.
Want to win a copy of this book? Keep reading…
You can grow a lot of vegetables in small spaces with an EarthBox. Photo copyright EarthBox.
EarthBox®: The challenges of small-space gardening were well-known to the commercial farmers who created the EarthBox container gardening system back in 1994. Their award-winning, patented system has helped many gardeners double the yield of a conventional garden with less fertilizers, less water, and less work.
Two tomatoes grow huge in the patented EarthBox system. Photo copyright EarthBox.
In my own garden, I have five EarthBox systems that I’ve used for tomatoes, peppers and other vegetables for years. The system lets me control my soil conditions, so I can minimize pest and pathogen problems with my plants.
Best of all, I can fit two tomatoes into one small EarthBox. So, I can grow up to 10 tomatoes in a very small space — without having to worry about crop rotation. That’s good news to this suburban gardener, who needs to pack a lot of different vegetables into a normal-size garden.
The clever container systems help plants thrive in the garden, because they include such cool features as:
- A water reservoir irrigates plants automatically, while an overflow hole makes it impossible to over-water.
- The mulch screen protects plants from weeds and pests. It also saves water.
- An aeration screen prevents common container problems such as mold and root rot, by providing proper oxygen levels to the plant roots. And…
- The fertilization strip provides just enough nutrients to plants, so that you’ll only fertilize once per season.
Quick Tip: When using the EarthBox containers, pay close attention to the instructions. These systems function in a certain way, and you’ll achieve the best results by following their advice.
Seasonal Wisdom’s Small-Space Garden Giveaway:
It’s a pleasure to host this random drawing, so that one lucky gardener will win two great prizes, including:
Terra Cotta EarthBox Ready to Grow Set
1) A Terracotta Organic EarthBox Ready-To-Grow Kit (suggested retail price $59.95):
- This kit includes everything you need to get started, except the plants. You’ll receive the patented EarthBox system, fertilizer, potting soil and planting instructions. You’ll also receive casters, so you can move your container wherever you want.
2) A copy of Small-Space Container Gardens by Fern Richardson (suggested retail price $19.99).
- This book features everything from a crash course in gardening fundamentals to lots of creative DIY projects and design ideas for balconies, porches, patios and other small-space gardens.
Enter to Win! We’d be delighted if you would follow Seasonal Wisdom and our two sponsors on Facebook, but this is NOT a criteria to win:
- Seasonal Wisdom on Facebook
- EarthBox and Small-Space Container Gardens on Facebook
How to Enter: It’s easy to enter this Small Space Garden Giveaway (valued at $80), but hurry! This giveaway ends at midnight on Friday, May 4, 2012. This giveaway has ended. Congratulations Melissa of Houston, Texas for winning this random drawing!
To enter, leave a comment below with some of your favorite space-saving tips for the garden.
The winner will be chosen at random by May 6, 2012 and contacted within 24 hours. If the proposed winner forfeits or does not claim the prize by May 9, the prize will be re-awarded based on the sponsor’s sole discretion. All prizes will be awarded. Please provide your name and email to enter this contest, so we can contact you promptly if you win. The winner agrees to allow his/her first name to be mentioned in conjunction with this giveaway.
The number of eligible entries will determine the odds of winning. This giveaway is limited to U.S. residents only, who are over the age of 18 years old. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO WIN. This sweepstakes is VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. By entering this giveaway, you are agreeing to these conditions.
Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post, and the prizes were provided at no charge for this giveaway.
Please be sure to enter this giveaway before midnight on May 4, 2012. Good luck everyone! Meanwhile, stay tuned for another great garden giveaway coming soon.
All images in this post are copyright EarthBox or Fern Richardson.
{ 211 comments }
My favorite space saving tip is I buy smaller growing plants and plant them in pots. I have a cabbage and snap beans growing in a hanging basket, tomatoes and green onions in pots. The round tomato cages fit great in a pot
I always remember to use empty potting containers (upside down) in my containers, so that they are light enough to easily move!
I dont really have any tips or hints for growing in small spaces. But I would love to give it a shot, and i do have a couple of green thumbs.
Thanks!
Go vertical with anything that will go up- not just peas and beans, think squash, cucumbers. Lettuce in windowboxes. Kale tucked into flower pots so it can be picked after frost kills annual flowers.
My tip is to study up on companion plants Who knew that in the same space I grow tomatoes, I can also grow basil, lettuce carrots and marigolds? Without an inch more space, I have doubled my crop!
My tip is a just read this week–3 sister planting (corn, beans to grow up the corn, squash to create a ground cover under the corn and beans.)
I grow flowers and veggies together in deck planters to save space. Thanks for this post, it was great!!
I like to add small plants like radishes along borders to take full advantage of my space.
I grow herbs on my kitchen window. They are easy to grow and its easy to access them when I’m cooking.
what a great giveaway, and im saving space gardening by planting my grape vines up my back patio, and hope to do pallets on the side of my house
I like to grow up every chance I get.
I like to interplant crops so that they help each other out, be it with shade or for climbing or planting short and long season crops together to get the most out of limited space.
I have always grown veggies and flowers on my balcony. Who says that you need a yard? Window boxes and 5 gal. buckets! My stargazing lilies are beautiful, herbs and cucumbers grow great in the window boxes and the buckets are deep enough for tomatoes and peppers. Add in a ficus tree, a bird house, and feeder you have your own private garden.
I use cheap or free Styrofoam coolers (left over from shipments) as planters. Many of these hold about a square foot of soil. Just poke some holes in the bottom for drainage. When they start to break down, crush them up and mix in soil to lighten it up.
I try to order seeds and raise them myself because I like to get varieties that are bred especially for containers, or as in cucumbers and tomatoes, shorter vines.
I like to plant radish between my cabbage to utilize my space. Would love to win the planter and book
Since I’m very limited in space, backyard is covered by cement, and only get 2 hours of sun, I usually pick smaller herbs and lower sun/shade tolerant plants to grow. Clay pots do the best for my backyard in keeping warmth and moisture. And just to ensure everything gets equal sun all around, I stack wooden boxes in a staircase fashion and put the pots on top of those.
Raised beds and square-foot gardening! I just learned about this last year and had some wonderful success with it. I am now learning about companion planting so I can get more from the small areas I have – and layer planting (some things grow great in the shade of others!)
I only have south facing windows (no balcony). I have set up vertical gardens using hanging 2 L and gallon milk jugs. Unfortunately, the strong sun and small space limits my options, but I have successfully grown herbs, swiss chard, spinach, and some flowers in these vertical gardens. Hope it helps!
Living in the woods, we have lots of ‘space’ but not lots of sun, most our space is filled with trees! I grow in containers & raised beds to contain the soil & soil amendments we need to buy due to rocky clay soil, and to place things were they will get optimal sun. This year I added 2 wooden crates, found outside our local food co-op, the kind made with very thin wooden slats wired together, these were for carrot packing. I lined them with brown paper, which will deteriorate over time, but the soil will be packed by then and not fall out between the wood slats, filled with good soil and planted seeds – free planters!
My favorite space saving tip is using 5 gallon buckets to grow tomatoes. They’re the perfect size for the metal trellises that you can find, and the buckets aren’t so big that a small person can’t move them (to bring them inside if the weather is too cold). I’d love more tips though!
Hi everyone: Thanks for responding so quickly with all your great small-space garden tips! I knew we could count on Seasonal Wisdom readers to have lots of good ideas. Sorry I can’t respond to everyone personally, but just know that you’re all entered into the giveaway. Meanwhile, keep sharing your comments. We love hearing them. Happy Gardening and good luck, Teresa
always build up. climbing plants and trellis are great for small spaces. square foot gardens can also be rotated got a generous harvest all growing season.
We use stair risers and steps to build a tiered herb garden. And concrete blocks to build a neat vertical garden.
Toucan use 5 Fallon buckets for double duty planters. Cut a small hole in the bottom of the bucket an plant a tomato plant which will hang out the bottom when the bucket is hung. After hanging plant in rhe top of the bucket too! Beans, peas and cucumbers do well.
Darn you auto correct! That should read, You can not toucan! Also gallon not Fallon!
We invert pots in large containers to make them lighter and not waste potting mix. Another alternative is to bag up shipping ‘popcorn’ and use that in the bottom of the larger pots. Rarely do container plants root all the way to the depth of a large pot, so there’s no sense filling it all the way with your potting mix. Also, many people have window boxes that hang outside their railing, but why not also put a window box on the inside of the railing? Double your volume of planting area, since it has the same lighting and environment as what’s hanging on the outside of the railing.
I like to plant seeds a little closer than it says on the seed pack so I can have more variety in a smaller space. Also the plants grow together and shade out the weeds.
I live in a small beach town in So Cal with a small yard so the Earth Box system is PERFECT for my needs! For now, I’m mixing edibles in with flowers in my tiny front yard. So, I’m planting edibles that are attractive and compliment my garden!
Lots of companion planting! My tomatoes always share a pot with basil or marigolds! Radishes mark where I plant my carrots and you can fit lettuce anywhere! Beans can grow up the sunflowers or corn.
This would be perfect for my needs as we live in an extremely small cabin. I have also seen you can use those shoe holders that people drape on a closet door to use as a way of growing a small garden as well as making a jar shelve and use jars for preserve jars for plants herbs and have them hanging on the wall to save space and they also show a lot of different ways to use old palettes to grow veggies in too
Hi Mitzi: Thanks for your tips, and good luck! Yes, those shoe holders are very cute.
Just a reminder to everyone to always allow proper drainage for your plants. Don’t grow your plants in containers without drainage holes, or the plants will soon develop root rot and other problems. However, with proper drainage, good soil and the right growing conditions, the possibilities are endless for containers. Good luck to everybody in the giveaway, and we appreciate your comments. Teresa
I just started seriously gardening at the age of 51 and am having so much fun. I’m starting with containers as my back yard is covered in English Ivy that is taking forever to remove. I’ve looked at these systems and they are on my “wish list”!
Good luck to whoever wins and I hope they really enjoy it!
If you do have a small ‘bit of earth’, don’t plant your tomatoes next to each other! Separate them and you’ll get the best use of space by planting other items between them!
Good tip! Yes, everybody, always give tomatoes plenty of space between plants, and use companion plants such as basil and oregano to take advantage of the growing area. Also, if possible, never grow tomatoes (or family members peppers, eggplants and potatoes) in the same spot more than once every three years. You can learn more about crop rotation on this blog. When planting in controlled growing systems like EarthBox, you don’t need to worry about rotating crops. Good luck!
My kids spend a lot of time on our sunny deck and the area provides a good space for them to each grow their own small-space garden. We provide them each with a pot and let them choose what plants they want to grow. The proximity makes it easy for them to care for their plants and watch them grow.
I’m new to small space gardening but find that growing a salad in a small space is perfect. Lettuce doesn’t get slimy in the refrigerator because it is outside soaking up the sunshine.
My favorite tip is going vertical and neighboring plants that do well together. Terracotta “strawberry” pots are excellent space savers, and my favorite for growing herbs and tomatoes.
I love to use kale(ornamental) and radishes along borders. I use my wire fence separating our property to grow string beans and peas, and use a wine barrel for my tomato plants. Of course the herb garden in the kitchen window is a must.
This is the perfect way for me to start learning about small space gardening. What a great give away and website.
vertical gardening! you can grow 50% more in half the space!
I am a fan of container gardening and this year bought flat bed dollies on wheels so I could move my containers around in accordance to where the sun is. They were inexpensive and will save my back.
I saved space one summer by drilling some holes and filling an old, rusty child’s wagon with potting soil. I planted veg and flowers and then could roll it anywhere I chose for optimal growing!
We have two very small decks on our condo, and I make the most of this limited space by planting up using hanging baskets, a trellis, and planters that attach to the railings. I love looking out our windows and catching a glimpse of our gorgeous plants, fruits and veggies.
The best thing I’ve ever done for my balcony garden was buying stacking planters! Right now I’m growing 18 plants (herbs, strawberries, flowers, even a small trailing tomato) in a little over one square foot.
I have so much shade, so I put pots on my (unshaded) patio. I only grow things I know I’ll use, I tuck veggies into the flowerbeds, and I try to use my fence to grow upward.
We have never had much space to garden, so we are always looking for new ways to grow vertically. This year we are trying out some rain gutters affixed to our fence for our lettuces!
Using vertical space, whether by hanging plants or trellises. Planting things that like shade, such as greens, in the shadow of tall things, like tomatoes. Squeezing in pots anywhere I can.
My space saving practices are; I grow all of my veggies in sub-irrigated containers and trellis them up the fence. I have made burlap bags to grow in that I place in cloth shoe racks (the kind that hang in your closet) and have strawberries and herbs in them. I had a friend build wicker trellises around my back porch and I let my cucumbers and other vining veggies grow up and over them…they are beautiful and produce nicely!
I would love the garden book and Earth Box. There is a problem spot up by the road that i have been brainstorming about. The space there has easment by CalTrans, so anyting i put there needs to be mobil. I scored some beautiful tall grass from a free pile and wanted to put it there, but how can i make it mobile??? Ahha…our broken lawn mower, with the engine removed and place a large pot on it(or the earth box), plant the grass in the container and…viola! a mobil planter!!!
After I ran out of containers to plant things in I started using extra re-usable shopping bags. The woven type that are usually given away by banks and stores during street fairs. They work great as planting bags and even have handles for moving around!
I like the hanging strawberry planters. I think I planted 40 strawberry plants in 2 planters last year! And when you hang them the critters can’t get to them.
I have a tiny patio and going vertical is how I maximize my garden space. The horizontal space taken up by a baker’s rack would hold maybe 3 containers. With the rack, I’ve got nine and storage for my tools. A window box is hung on the railing of my patio, and a wrought iron planter fits snugly underneath it. I have a plant under the patio table, and one on top.
Last year I grew tomatoes in upside down containers and used the square inch method to grow vegetables
I plant veggies and flowers in pots together so I can enjoy the blooms while I wait for my crops.
I think the best tip I have for small space gardens is to go with foliage instead of flowers. I love coleus and sweet potato vine because they provide a full season pop of color!
You can use the same spacing square foot gardens use in pots as you do in a raised bed.
I incorporate herbs in my containers and beds with other flowers and shrubs. It even makes weeding more pleasant when you brush up against the various herbs and release their fragrance!
Plant in layers & make use of fences, trellises and other plants to support any plants that can grow UP!!
I have many containers including a plastic reusable shopping bag with swiss chard and edible flowers growing in it. I also planted a small cardboard box with beets and edible flowers. I have a vertical garden on my fence made with wood slats and gallon water jugs it has strawberries and herbs growing. I used a tootler swing to put a pot in and hang it from my tree. I have raised beds and ground level beds. I love gardening for wildlife and feeding my family. I’m trying new ideas every season and enjoying it. I’m using companion plants that keep the bad bugs at bay. I may not have a very small space but container gardening is fun with unique planters and recycling stuff to keep them out of the landfills.
I hang long shallow planter boxes on my fence since it gets in the most sun in my small yard. Great for growing micro lettuces and herbs!
I grow tomato plants in an earth friendly USA made bag with handles.. I can put it on my deck in perfect sun as the summer passes…… I also use the water retention cloths inside my hanging baskets to hold water for overloaded plants!!
Always have a pile of 1×2″s laying around to build trellises and stake plants so you can go vertical! Building a simple, sturdy arbor out of inexpensive 1×2″ wood was one of the best decisions I ever made. It took about 2 hours to build and cost maybe $10 total. It screws into the raised beds on either side, offering a focal point to the garden, as well as amazing vertical space for peas, beans, tomatoes, or cucumbers! Makes them easy to pick too!
I try to find plants that grow smaller and also grow vertically when possible.
I have only planted herbs for small space gardening on my back deck, but we have recently moved into a more urban location with a very small yard. I’m very interested in learning tips for growing veggies in a small space.
I’m becoming addicted to container gardening. It’s so much easier to control pests etc. without using chemicals. I’m also studying up on using companion plants that will benefit each other in a container, or co-exist well in a raised bed. you can keep your squash on the ground and have your bean trellis right cozy too.
My favorite space-saver in the garden is making use of vertical space – inventive stakes, trellis, living walls, etc. Adds wonderful visual interest, too!
I just had to downsize from a big garden to a balcony.
I have always loved containers though and try to find unusual ones, like wooden wine crates, roof shingles, etc.
I also concentrate on smaller plants and try to go vertical where ever I can. It’s a new challenge but I have embraced my balcony and it is getting greener by the day:)
We grow our strawberries in hanging containers (to keep away from the dogs also). We just started gardening and although we have the space we were on a budget so last year we did two 4X4 raised beds. We just purchased our first home so money was spend on fixing things. We used companion gardening and we used bamboo sticks to encourage vertical growth. We were active on craigslist to find free pots and plants. We found mixing flowers and edibles to be a great way to plant our pots.
Thank you for the information about turning other pots upside down in a large pot to save on soil. What a great idea!! We WILL be doing that this year. Man was it a lot of work to load, upload and find dirt. We would love to win this great book and container to continue to learn about gardening.
We always grow our veggies and flowers together. That way you have the best of both ! We also grow many veggies in large tubs, and encourage the veining one to grow up. I am also going to try lettuce in the pallets that you have shown. I love your facebook page!
Wow, thanks everyone for all the great ideas. We love how you are growing with kids, using companion planting techniques, gardening up with trellises, and generally showing LOTS of great creativity in your small gardens. Please know that we appreciate all your comments — even if we can’t respond personally to everyone — and that you’re all entered into the Seasonal Wisdom Small-Space Garden Giveaway!
I like to challenge myself by trying to cultivate seeds from the fruits and veggies I buy at the market. Also, succulents are a grad student’s best friend when time and space are limited!!
This year I have marigolds, pepper plants and just put carrot seeds in a rusted wheelbarrow. I also did a pallet vertical garden with lettuce, spinach and basil and two wine barrels with tomatoes. I also plant in 15 and 5 gal nursery pots. I have lots of space, but too many critters. Container gardening is a great way to combat gophers!
I have enjoyed reading what everyone is doing…GREAT! WHATEVER you do is to your advantage. I am a ‘picker’…I see an orphaned bucket sitting by the trash, and I will adopt it! So, this is my starter year of container growing (‘have had gardens in the past, but a house fire has changed my location/finances). I bought spinner display racks (you see them in stores – buckets on them for candies, samples, etc.) with 12 and 16 buckets on them…they will be for herbs. I found netting (almost the kind for fishing) and am planning to train the squash, cukes, etc. Two thrown out wooden ladders will be vine flowers and some container plants. We are both disabled, so keeping the weeds to minimums is a lot of my goal. We have dogs that I have to protect from poison weed/insect controls. ‘Found 4-children’s wading pools, too – so they will be carrots, lettuce, etc. I have saved all styrofoam meat trays/cups for drainage in big containers. But I need to learn more to be able to enjoy the vegies/flowers we so love!
My suggestion is to learn how to companion plant and i would also suggest looking into square foot gardening. I know that you may not be able to actually make a raised bed but you can read to see how much space a plant really needs and plan your pots accordingly. I have read you can plant things like carrots in a 2 liter bottle, you can do lettuce in a window box and things like that.
I grow squash up trellis placed at an angle it gives me space to grow lettuce, carrots, bush beans etc under the angle. Protects the tender plants and uses all space !
I don’t overlook any open space. Attach planting vessels to fences, walls, trees, a blank spot on your house. Would LOVE to win this book. Have had my eye on it for quite awhile!
The amount of advice in the comments alone is great!!
We just started last summer, so we are only in our 2nd summer of trying to grow some of our own veggies. A tip my mother-in-law passed on to me to keep the critters away: sprinkle a mix of black & cayenne peppers onto the ground, around, & on your plants. It worked wonders on keeping a racoon from eating all our tomatoes!!
I grow my tomatoes in 5 gallon buckets on the deck.
I don’t have much room on my apartment’s shared balcony, but I have a few herbs and edible flowers growing. Taking advantage of the railing as a place for more containers has doubled my growing space!
Having a small 3rd story balcony I love turning cinder blocks on end and lining the railing with them so I can have two rows of plants, one on the blocks one on the railing, without using up too much space.
I have been a long advocate for growing edibles along with flowers in small spaces using all sorts of containers. I fell in love with the EarthBox over 8 yrs ago and recommend them to everyone. In fact I have given up some many of my own just to help others grow their own food too. My tip is for first time gardeners: Always begin your container gardens with organic potting MIX (not soil) and don’t be afraid to try different types of edibles, from veggies and herbs to berries and flowers.
Hmm I have a tiny balcony and I guess my favorite tip is to mix different kinds of herbs and lettuces to make pretty window boxes. My favorite is rocket, red oak leaf lettuce, chives, and flowering chamomile. That and I love making succulent wreaths, frames, and any other kind of hanging display.
I have to garden solely in containers as I have only a small patio out back. Lots of sunshine here in Nevada. I arrange the containers on the perimeter of the patio to make watering easier and to create some natural privacy.
I love vertical gardens, especially clever DIY options. I recently saw one that reused a shipping pallet with every other board removed. Stackable planters are also great. Using these options you can plant numerous plants in a very small space. You can even rig watering systems
Vine plants can grow vertical on a trellis. To help the fruit from falling as they grow (and to keep out the bugs), put old pantyhose securely around them. It will stretch as they grow.
I plant a little extra in the garden & share my blessings…..brings joy to the people receiving & brightens up my days in the garden knowing I’m helping someone else that is no longer able to garden.
I have used earthboxes for years, as we rent. It really came in handy last year when we moved unexpectedly mid summer. I just had the kids pick up the earth boxes, load them in the truck, and drove them to our new location. We didn’t have to leave behind the fruit of our labor!
I use my old wheelbarrows for small container gardens. One is filled with herbs and the other with strawberries and squash across the front with a trellis to catch the vines.
I use the cloth shopping bags from grocery stores to grow my plants in. They have a plastic liner at the bottom that I can cut a hole in to grow plants downward and on the top, I grow herbs. Another great thing is that they are hung by their handles and save a ton of space!! Oh, and they cost a buck each and get stowed away at the end of the season. Target’s red bags are great for tomatoes!
Before I found Fern’s blog I would only use one plant per pot. I was running out of room to put my plants. Now I put multiple plants/flowers in the same container!
Herbs in the window & veggies in the Earth Box, of course! ☺
Thanks!!!
We plant all over the yard! Anywhere we can stick a veggie, or 4, between flowers in beds, in pots on the deck, in hanging baskets! We need to look into more practical pots like these to maximize our watering power and not run all over with the hose every day! Some new tips on here as well, thank you!!
I’m just starting to garden. Sooo, I have no tips for small space gardening but I am loving reading all the ones posted! I have been investigating the vertical type growing and have seen some very creative ways that I might try. THANKS!
Put the containers close together in groups. Easier to water this way, and the grouping helps to keep temperatures down slightly so the pots don’t dry out quite so fast.
I like to grow vertically. Growing this way helps me grow more veges in less space.
I plant quicker growing veggies (like radishes) over/between slower growing veggies (like potatoes and carrots).
I have a small yard, and have packed it full of plants over the past two years. I am always on the lookout for maximixing my space so that I can grow a larger variety of plants. I would love to try the Earth Box since I have a very small space for growing vegetables and intend to grow tomatoes every year. I’m trying Heirlooms for the first time this year. Thanks for hosting this giveaway!
That should be *on the lookout for tips for maximizing my space*.
Plant a bunch of small plants (like herbs) in one larger pot—it takes up much less deck real estate than a row of small pots!
When I plant my earth boxes, after the fertilizer, I sad water bottles to fill in where you are to build a mound(so the water doesn’t puddle, and I can use a bit less mix.
I just cut back the hill in the backyard…dug up the adobe soil, and put in planting mix. I’m ready to start my garden, and would love to start by winning your contest
I like to put vine plants that need a trellis in pots on my porch and use the railing for supports. I also have fencing that goes around my house and it gives awesome place for beans and peas to grow. Thank you and I think the earth box is an awesome tool for growing vegetables in a small area.
As I am not limited to small spaces; I own 8 acres. However, over planting can be a problem and cause a lot of wasted food, time, and resources (water, fertilizer, etc). The joy of using sub-irrigation techniques is that it lets you maximize your return on investment of time, space, and precious resources. I do not have an earthbox (yet). I have made homemade rigs that are working great, but would love to use a couple of earthboxes for the areas that need a nicer look. I think by using the sub-irrigation planters, you could easily expand your growing season by moving them into a greenhouse as well and have year-round crops.
Grow vertically! Tomatoes and cucumbers do well growing upwards, as do beans on vines, (not bush beans). Vining flowers like clematis take little space but add lots of beauty and color.
I am new to gardening so I don’t have any space saving advice but I want to get cracking on my own little garden. If I win an Earthbox, I would be well on my way!
I’m a newby but we used the steel shelves from restaurant on the front porch to stack them up. The challenge is keeping the shelves tall enough so the plants have room to grow; and planting a bunch together; like herbs in the same pot. I like Anita’s idea in the post ahead; the cloth shopping bags!
I use square foot gardening techniques to maximize yield and variety in minimal space.
I love a kitchen window herb garden or just a small shelf atop the kitchen sink, used for herbs as well as catnip! =)
Having a tiny area, I have found growing vertical and with companion plants the best way to go!
I love the idea of going vertical to maximize space.
I would love to win this contest, and give the gifts to my daughter who lives in a small apartment with her twins. This is my first year using Ens and I have 6! My tip…visit the EB forum. It is loaded with tips from the pros.
I use empty egg cartons with a plastic tray underneath for starting various herbs and veggies from seed and they fit perfectly on my window sill! Then it is easy to transfer them to my railing containers on the balcony as soon as they are ready and the egg carton can just decompose in the compost!
I have been container flower planting and earth box gardening for years. I have terrible soil, my plants have never been happier. I do save the styrofoam peanuts and packing, also the empty planting containers in the bottom of a large pot – for drainage and to use less soil. I also make a “cage” around my earth boxes made from PVC pipes. I can connect plastic chicken wire easily to the cage for climbing plants and contain my 6 ft high tomato plants. LOVE IT!
My space saving garden tip: Sow radishes a carrots together. By the time the carrots are up, the radishes are done.
Earthboxes! I amaze people with how much i grow in small area. I would (and do) recommend them to anyone wanting a garden with limited space.
Stack and layer….and I plant things that can climb up the wall of my balcony.
Looking forward to this season’s garden.
Look forward to reading this book. I am an early child care teacher and our program has an nature classroom, and we have earth boxs that we use in our outdoor environment
I rescued a bakers rack headed to the trash pile and gave it a home on my patio! I have a full size earth box in the space where the wood shelf was and smaller pots on the upper wired shelves. I am thinking the smaller box would fit perfectly there and keep the big one company!
I would love to grow things that I like to eat without having to make a garden in my yard!
My best tip would be start out growing only what you know you will eat. There is the danger of your plans getting out of hand. “Oh I’d love to try this, and this and a little of this.” Next you know your over run by your good intentions. Start small and start with some thing you already know you like to eat.
My husband and I are retired so we no longer need a big garden. I put sugar snap peas in a large pot, strawberries in pots, a single tomato plant, etc. The yield is just enough for the two of us!
I have been using trellises for my cucumbers and beans… Going up is crucial for small spaces! I also love planting more than one Plant in a container.
We grow spinach, lettuce, and great arugula in Earthbox.
Novice success.
Gardens are beautiful and should be on display! A garden box (like an Earthbox) is the perfect addition to a sunny porch. Here in Florida, the front porch is a staple and my garden boxes are overflowing with gardening goodness!
My wife recently found a small 3-shelf “bakers rack” at a garage sale she bought for $1. She brought it home, repainted it, and it has removed 3 to 5 succulent plants off the ground and given us more space in our small back yard. There are gems around yard sales that could do similar things for your small backyard.
I used earthboxes on my parents’ deck a couple summers ago. They worked great and only took over a small corner of the deck.
I grow veggies and flowers together in Earthboxes and large pots. Marigolds and basil help the tomatoes. Peppers grow in pots, in borders, raised beds, everywhere! Water and amendments are key.
The tomatoes are on a trellis so they grow up, not out.
And I put herbs in a decorative container on the patio.
Go vertical and don’t forget to adorn your patio/balcony walls!
Using hanging baskets, railing containers, anything that can be moved later in the season has proven helpful to me. Fern’s book is on my to-buy list, but I’d love to win a copy.
We have 2 Earth Boxes. My husband plants his hot peppers in one, and I plant veggies in the other. Over summer I plant flowers in mine.
I’m doing raised beds and square foot gardening. I use trellises where I can. And lots of containers.
I’ve just bought 2 of your containers. Last year we only had one and did tomatoes. This year we’ll add some herbs and flowers too. Can’t wait.
I grow the best cucumbers(Armenian)and I use a old wooden laundry drying shelf, placed over the earth box to hold the vines. That way it doesn’t take too much room up.
My best tip for a small space is for people in apartments. Since there are buildings around I used different colors of chalk to mark where the sun was a different points in the day. This way I knew where to put plants that needed more shade and ones that needed more sun.
I have a 11×13 concrete backyard. I, therefore, grow everything in giant pots or hanging baskets. Tomatoes and peppers are excellent for containers. Jalapeno peppers are a must in my book! I must have made 10 or 12 dozen jalapeno poppers this past season from my harvest!
Follow the instructions for the number of plants your earthbox can hold. I got carried away last year and overplanted the box, and it looked great for the first 2 weeks. Then “the jungle” exploded and the box could not support all of the plants. Learned my lesson!
I dug up my strawberries that were taking up too much space and built a strawberry tower out of 2 5 gallon bucket. It turned out great. Noow I have more ground room for tomatoes, peppers and squash.
I plant my strawberries and herbs in hanging pots and hang them from a small tree in the backyard. This frees up limited ground space to plant other fruit & veggies. And grow vertical when possible.
When planting large containers, I always place several crushed aluminum soda cans in the bottom, then a layer of landscpe fabric, then the potting mix. The container isn’t as heavy.
When you can’t go out, go up! Use every bit of vertical space when you’re dealing with very limited space.
We cannot have a garden, it would just feed the deer so we garden in pots and a EarthBox but the darn deer now try to get into that. It would be awesome to have more containers to grow more of a variety. If I was to win I would use the smaller box for Cherry Tomatoes and I can already taste how good they would be
EarthBoxes are great for container gardening! I discovered them last year, and planted tomatoes! (I could sure use another one for strawberries this year)!! Watch the videos on YouTube to see how easy it is to plant in an EarthBox. I would love to win this drawing… the book would be so helpful.
Buy thick bamboo poles from your nursery, drill a large hole just Below each notch ring in the pole, and a smaller hole just Above each notch ring. (the large hole is for planting, the small, for drainage – each notch ring seals, and compartmentalises, the hollow bamboo lenghts) Fill the large openings with soil, then plant into each herbs, cherry tomatoes, etc. Fasten them to your wall, and you have an attractive, eco – freindly, and productive, space saver!
My favorite way to save space in the garden is to companion plant and to grow things based on below ground, mid-height above ground and vining crops together in the same space. I make sure they complement each other; my root and mid-height crops keep the roots cool for the vine crop which provide them shade from the sun
My best sunshine is in the front yard (no lawn) so I stuff edibles in where ever I can. This year I have planted tomatoes in pots and they are in my driveway where they get the full sun all day . I’m looking forward to a bountiful crop!
I plant veggies in pots on my deck
My fav advice from Fern is using coffee filters in the bottom of pots to prevent soil blocking drainage!
Would love to win this earthbox! My tip is companion planting. You could even make a “pizza box” with tomatoes and several italian herbs!
I use square foot gardening methods mixed with pots so every available space can be cultivaed
I am a fan of planting companion plants together!
Actually my small space hint is to use the prize for this contest – an Earthbox! You get so many wonderful vegetables for weeks and weeks out of such a small space. Works great. Would love to win a new box to continue planting more veggies!
Trust the spacing given in the Earthbox directions. I didn’t think you could grow six pepper plants in that small of an area, but they love it and almost create a small microclimate to deal with the heat of summer.
I thought the diagram showed two pepper plants per box?
Yes, the EarthBox fits two sweet pepper plants per box, or several more hot peppers (think it’s 5-6) per EarthBox. Each kit comes with complete instructions, however, so you can see how to plant different vegetables. For more questions on this product, please visit http://www.EarthBox.com.
I like to use vertical space. My yard is very small, so I train peas up the fence that is already there, and grow herbs in pockets on the side of my house!
I have my Earthbox planters around the pool. The Castors make them easy to move around if I need to, and every gets to watch them grow. It fun and educational for my grand daughters.
I’m trying square foot gardening, so I guess that would be my tip for small space gardening. Of course, I’ve also been an Earthbox grower for several years.
I am mixing vegetable plants within my flower gardens this year since the front side of my house faces south and I get long hours of sunlight in this area. I am also going to try the three sister’s planting method on my sunflowers this year to grow beans. I only have three earth boxes and I have used them for about 10 years now. I usually grow tomatoes and peppers in them. The harvest has been abundant for canning for the winter months. Happy gardening everyone!!!
My tip for growing in small spaces is to grow vertically! Square foot gardening rolls my socks down.
Ols tip, but I am actually growing an herb garden in a large pot close to the kitchen door this year. It is so convenient! I think an Earthbox would be a perfect planter for my basil, which does well in the soil but does not always get enough water when the weather gets really hot.
I love my earthboxes – will try squash in my new ones this year for the first time. Pictures later
My fave tip is tpo use earthboxes. I love them.
we found some discarded tires in the woods, by our home, they are now planters for bushes, seasonal flowers and our veggies.
HI Jean: We salute you for reusing materials for your garden. Please use caution when using tires for growing edibles, however, as they may leach toxins onto your food. For that reason, we also don’t recommend you grow edibles in containers made from pressure-treated wood either. Good luck in this giveaway, and thanks for entering!
we do gardening in raised beds and a lot of pots and use companion/intensive garden practices to maximize the space. Always a challenge but very fun & rewarding.
I just planted 3 earth boxes with veggies & love them. Plan to get more in future. I have health issues that making other gardening hard for me,
these are great.
I’ve been gardening with Earth Boxes for years now. They are absolutely awesome.
i like to have my boxes against the fence so i am able to “grow up” as much as i can
To save space in my backyard in the city, I built a 4 ft. By 4 ft. Square foot garden. It was a very productive plot of tomatoes, peppers, squash, eggplant, and cucumbers! I had to give food away to my neighbors every week because I just couldn’t keep up!
I love growing strawberries or herbs in a canvas shoe organizer that’s meant to be hung over a closet door. The pockets are the perfect size for individual strawberry plants, and it cane be hung on outdoor wall. It’s inexpensive vertical gardening!
I love to use every available inch. I tuck the white root ends of green onions in with other herbs to root and grow. I also try not to waste. If I pick to much basil, I stick it in a glass of water and root it and start new plants. I found a color of Impatiens that I loved and was rare so I took cuttings and rooted them in water to transfer to containers. Finally, I empty my used potting soil in my compost bin and it eventually makes its way back into my containers.
this will be my second year growing in window boxes hung over the porch railing. I used to have a huge garden. That is not feasible now that I live in an apartment and utilize a wheelchair full time. I am just learning about container gardening and experimenting with what will grow front porch or back patio. Would enjoy the book and the earthbox.
pots. pots, pots. I grow allot in pots. Combine herbs along boarders, veggies in the perenial garden and in large pots. I fill the pot with soil. no skipping on soil. That stuff makes plants grow. Yay. I add compost & mix the soil in my pots every year. After a couple years I put the soil in my compost or other garden area that needs more soil. Add organic material & turn.
I HAVE A FIRE ESCAPE GARDEN. VERTICAL STACKING OF POTS AND PLANTERS IS THE WAY TO GO!
I am going to use a palette to plant vegetables and flowers in.
Thanks everybody for sharing all these great ideas for small-space gardens. Not surprisingly, we’re finding lots of creativity from Seasonal Wisdom readers. Please know that we appreciate your feedback, even if we can’t respond to you personally. Meanwhile, good luck to everyone who has entered … and keep those comments coming!
I don’t have any suggestions to offer since I have never had a small space dilemna until now. After always having a big yard I am now in an apartment with a balcony and am clueless on where to start on brighting up my balcony with plants and vegetables.
Definitely the simple container gardening for trees. We have over 20 big trees/tree like plants in our very small rental yard. I believe that you don’t really need a very, very big space to grow fruit trees. Containing it in pots gives you an opportunity to grow more than what you have imagined.
Don’t get carried away like I did and overplant your Earthbox. I have to remember this year.
We live in a townhouse with a small patio. We hung windowboxes on the privacy fence to give us more growing areas. We are leasing currently so we need to have portable growing containers instead of more permanent raised beds.
I love hanging baskets for most any thing that can hang down. I am trying the upside down tomato planter this year. So far everything is growing well.
My suggestion is both space and money saving: Think outside the terracotta pot! Use what you have onhand to improvise cute containers that can save you time and space. Before you recycle that plastic milk jug, consider making a hanging herb planter. Cat litter buckets, clementine boxes, or whatever else you have!
I grew successful upside down tomatoes at a fraction of the cost of the commercial kits for that purpose. My husband and I created a frame out of PVC pipe and then bought 5 gallon plastic buckets from HomeDepot for just a few dollars each. He cut holed in the bottom and sides of each bucket. We planted tomatoes in the bottom & 2 side holes and then put some lettuce in the open tops. Buckets hung from hooks in the PVC frame. We set up automatic watering on timers so that except for occasional plant food during the growing season and picking VERY few weeds from the top they were pretty low maintenance.
My tip is to use a metal bakers rack or book shelf and put plants in flea market find ceramic pots on the shelves. It’s beautiful and practical
My 1st best tip is to always try to grow up.
#2 is to try and grow container plants, an example is patio type tomatoes.
#3 is only grow what you love…why grow green beans if you don’t like em?
The wife and I plant our corn and beans together and peppers between our Okra …due to our limited space .
I am blessed to have a number of Earthboxes (can never have enough) but the area we have them in the yard – with a weed fabric beneath them, is limited. Am just learning the amazing difference in growing herbs, so my herb pots go between my Earthboxes to utilize every inch of space possible. The herbs also seem to thrive with some shade from my Earthbox grown tomatoes – YUM – in our hot Florida sun. Have even taken on the really tedious (but well worthwhile) task of harvesting the incredibly tiny basil seeds for future crops. If you have never had fresh picked basil for bruchetta, you haven’t lived!
I love to garden and we are building our retirement home and want to do lots of small space gardening. I have a few Earthboxes and I learned not to over plant them, The plants need space to mature and produce their beautiful fruit …..crossing my fingers and toes and thanks for the chance to win this giveaway….need your book badly
I have the best luck with our veggies and herbs in containers ! Bad weather can’t hurt them like my in-ground gardens . Even better than my raised beds . Less bugs ! Less work ! Less weeds !!
Need to try Earth boxes !!
Plant complimentary herbs with your veggies. (Basil & tomatos). It’s easy to plant them together and have them on hand to make delicious recipes!
wow! what a wonderful idea. perfect for the patio.
Companion planting! Tomatoes, peppers and cilantro together!!
I have several fairy gardens in my yard. These enchanting little gardens are perfect for small space gardens. That is, if you only want something pretty. If you want something to eat, minature fruit trees can be grown in containers like the earth boxes.
I grow strawberries in planters by my porch in planters. It save space and keeps slugs away from them.
In addition to Earthboxes and regular pots, I’ve created my own self-watering containers from old buckets.
Cinder blocks – I can build high enough to keep the dogs from jumping into our containers – I use cedar as shelving material. It surely ages nicely!
I place hanging baskets on the branches of my trees!
I like to plant marigolds in the container with my tomatoes. It brightens the container and keeps pests away!
I’ve got a wire fence around the garden to keep out critters and have been using it to support pole beans peas and tomatoes growing in containers. Strawberries and nasturtiums are grown in hanging pots and also make use of the fence. Also this year will use some square foot gardening techniques.
I am using a tomato cage around my lemon tree for support, as it is very windy here. To battle my puppy, I have made small (less then 1′ tall) rings of chicken wire that fit inside the lip of my containers. They also support small plants and herbs, that grow up and through, to partally hide it.
Do not forget the 3rd dimension, trellises. Wheels to chase the sun on balconies.
I haven’t tried them (super expensive) but I think the Woolly Pockets are amazing and would be such a great way to save space!
We use 5 earth boxes and everything goes well except when this Redding, Ca. heat comes on strong it is better to keep them in the morning sun and afternoon shade.
I love planting varieties that are designed for small spaces.
Who says I can’t have multiple apple tree varieties in a small space? I have a six in one apple tree. And my fig trees are in containers. They are smaller trees, but they are confined and I can have two fig trees in my back yard.
When you boil or steam veggies, let the water cool completely, and then use it to water your EarthBox. Your garden will love the nutrients!
We have a winner! Melissa of Houston, Texas won this random drawing. Thanks for the 200+ comments on small-space gardening. We loved all the creative ideas. Meanwhile, stay tuned for another garden giveaway coming very soon.
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