The other day I showed you the vegetable garden that I’ve been dreaming about. The Mister and I are doing some of the legwork this summer so that we can have a great garden next summer. How’s THAT for planning ahead?
Today, I want to share my reality. I like to call it the Good Enough Garden.
You don’t have to have a perfectly planned space on an acre of land to grow some of your own vegetables. I’ve taken over a flower bed near our basement door for my Good Enough Garden. I’m pretty sure I’m breaking all sorts of gardening rules but it works for us.
I’m using an entire bed for our garden, but there’s no reason you can’t tuck some tomato and pepper plants amongst your shrubs and perennials if they get enough sunlight. Now, I’m not telling you to rip out all your azaleas and evergreens and plant cucumbers (unless you want to, of course). But no one will be calling the Gardening Police if you do.
In that little space, I’m growing a row of bush beans (because they don’t need a trellis to grow on), yellow and green peppers and cucumbers.
I don’t expect to feed my family on what my tiny garden produces. We’re just having a little fun and getting the kids excited about gardening.
I’m also using a bunch of pots to grow even more vegetables. I’ve collected some rather large pots over the years and this year decided it was time to try growing some veggies in them.
All of those big, black pots came from Wal-Mart last summer, although I think they still carry them. They were the cheapest, biggest pots that I could find. Originally, they were that awful, fake terra-cotta color but I painted them. Of course.
Note: Keep you eyes open at yardsales this time of year for people selling big pots. The terra cotta ones are great, but even big plastic pots (like mine) can be freshened up with a coat of spray paint (on the outside of the pot only). I like to use Krylon Fusion paint for plastic.
I’ve been told that carrots do well in pots, so we’re giving it a shot. Carrots prefer loose, well-drained soil. They would hate my clay soil. So pots are the way to go for me.
Tomatoes also do well in pots. There are so many varieties and some of them were specifically developed for growing in containers.
And a tiny pot of basil on the window sill would never do for me. I like to make and freeze pesto for the winter, so I need the gigoonda-sized pot.
Two of my favorite resources for information on growing vegetables in smaller spaces:
My Square Foot Garden
Life on the Balcony
Are you growing any vegetables this year? What’s your fave?
{ 32 comments }
I’ve done tomatoes in pots, nothing more. Looks like you guys will be having lots to harvest
I love your Good Enough Garden! I made a small square foot garden using extra bricks we had around the house. I’m sure I put in too many plants for my small square. And it probably looks like a hot mess to an experienced gardener. But I love it! And love picking food from my own garden. Over the weekend, my hubby picked up some free bricks via Craigslist so I could make another box for my fall gardening.
Mary Ellen
The Working Home Keeper´s last blog ..Yard Sale Before -amp After
Your garden is fresh and green and beautiful. More than good enough, I’d say it’s damn gorgeous! I’m inspired to start some more seeds and pot some herbs tonight…
Van´s last blog ..Four Thrifty Reads- Thrift-Inspiration
This is a great post – thanks!
I saw you post yesterday while seaching for veggie garden inspiration and I though I’ve heard about this girl before, so I started following you and I’m so glad I did.
I need all the gardening inspiration and advice that I can get. We just bought a place with a garden for the first time and I’m slowly finding my way through gardening. We have a slope at the end of our garden which I’m going to use for veggies, I’m thinking cutting terraces into it and making sort of raised beds but it’s hard work! We currently have turf with lots of boulders underneath and a small amount of soil in between! Growing veggies in pots sounds like a great idea.
I’m also going to try spray painting some plant pots – that is a great idea, just need to find some spray paint!
Thanks for the inspiration – looking forward to lots more!
Jade @ No Longer 25
Jade @ No Longer 25´s last blog ..Inspiring July
Our garden is going crazy now and it’s too hot to get out there
it’s about now that my hubby loses interest and I start feeling overwhelmed! Love how healthy yours is looking 
Denise@ DensDailyLife´s last blog ..Outdoor Wednesday and Wishful Thinking-
That looks great to me! I’m working on something too outside our back door. I think it’s going to be just for herbs and lettuces though.. we’ll see!
Erin @ Little Apartment on the Prairie´s last blog ..In Which I Reveal My True Identity
We have tomatoes(doing so-so), cukes(gangbusters), basil in 2 containers(doing great), peppers(3 fruit on 6 plants), yellow squash(so-so) and zucchini(so-so). Having a problem with squash bugs this year, they are gross!
Last year the tomatoes were quite prolific, this year it’s the cukes, go figure!
Oh wow! This looks great Kimba! Could you share your pesto recipe w/ us please? Pesto is one of my all-time favorite things, but I always buy it in a jar. Never thought of making my own! =D
Awesome.
My own soil needs alot of additions to be any good as well so your idea is brilliant.
Just curious… with the plants under the barkmulch, did you have to puncture through landscape fabric to get to the soil or do you have the mulch sitting just on top of the soil?
Donna
I LOVE fresh basil and have had a devil of a time growing it!
janae cairns´s last blog ..I ♥ Dollar Tree and Chore Charts
I tried bush cucumbers in a pot for the first time this year because I have a small yard – and they are working – I’ve got a little 3 inch cutie on there and several tinier ones….a zillion blooms
I really wanted to set up a square foot garden this year. However, we just didn’t have the budget to get the wood AND soil to fill it. So I’m also doing a “good enough” garden. I’ve got 4 tomatoes in my flower bed, and a window box full of peas.
Someday. Just someday.
Make and freeze pesto? Please share!
Hey, thanks for the shout out. I love that you painted cheap pots to make them fit with your design sensibilities. There’s no reason to pay an arm and a leg to have a stylish garden!
Fern @ Life on the Balcony´s last blog ..Wordless Wednesday- Fun with the Photoshop App for the iPhone
I just saw black plastic CHEAP pots at Lowe’s – way in the back so no one will buy them. They even had huge black plastic urns for under $12. I’m super excited because now I won’t have to spray paint the cheap terra cotta ones anymore
I second the motion for a pesto recipe!
Very cool Kimba!
I have a square foot garden and love it! I love the way you have your plants in the containers going down the stairs. Both pretty and practical! Great post. I hope you are having a wonderful summer!
XOOX
Jen
Hi! I created a small gardedn in a leftover flowerbed this year as well. I would love to have a larger garden but have limited backyard space. When you said you can put tomatoes in your flower bed it reminded me of my parents. My dad would always plant tomatoes right in the front flower bed! Loved the post!
I’d love for you to check out my new blog! http://youngancrafty.blogspot.com/
Hannah
Hannah ´s last blog ..DIY Wall Art
Basil pesto recipies? Yum! I bought a HUGE basil plant for $3 a couple weeks ago and we have been enjoying bruschetta. Yum!
I had no idea that carrots could do well in a pot. We’ll give that a try next year!
Lynn from For Love or Funny´s last blog ..Little Green Men Like Me
Someone once told me to not plant edibles too close to the foundation b/c that’s where they put the termite pesticide when they initially treat your house when it’s built. Of course I don’t think they are using those residuals anymore, so if your house is new it should be okay. Check into it for your safety.
SJN´s last blog ..your emotional brain
I need to look for a good pesto recipe…didn’t think of freezing it so thanks for tip.
Kim ´s last blog ..Just a quick
Your garden looks great! Our family did a small one this year too and it’s been so much fun to watch. The kids love it!
You make everything look so simply =)
Holly´s last blog ..Another Give Away BUT I LOVE CHOCOLATE
Your Good Enough Garden (GEG) is fantastic! This is my first year gardening…I think half the fun is dreaming, planning and thinking about what to do next year. But yours looks perfect!
Thanks for the post Kimba…I love the plant nursery when ever I find some time I use to spend in my garden!! Its cool and exciting to see a person with similar taste
Wow, Kimba!! That garden looks great!! Well done, dear! Wish mine gets this beautiful and fresh green too!!!
Kisses!!! Bela.
Hi Kimba!
I love what you have done to make a garden. I am wishing I had done the same thing. I have an area on the side of my house that I could have planted some tomatoes or green beans, but I have been so stinkin’ busy! I need to be planning for next summer’s garden too. Maybe I’ll get it together by next year….
Hope you are doing well.
Blessings!
Traci
Aw! I love your “good enough garden.” I wish I would have planted a garden this year at our new home!
Love your garden. Since you are planning for next year – we had some REALLY good success with zucchini and squash in planters a couple years ago! In the really big 12 inch pots they grew bigger and better than the ones in our square foot garden! The size you have will be perfect! (Just watch out for the squash bugs!! They killed all of ours before we figured out what they were!)
Jess @ Frugal with a Function´s last blog ..Recent Thrifty Finds-
Well, we were growing bell peppers, eggplant, tomatoes, okra, watermelon, zucchini and some unknown gourds that popped up. Now we’re growing deer food…
Southern Gal´s last blog ..Garden Woes
My garden and backyard are really coming together – I’ve just started using containers similar to the ones you showed here, as my space is limited. I also found some outdoor fireplace plans, so that will be next. Thanks for all of the ideas and help here on this site!
Wendy´s last blog ..Healthy Eating for Fussy Kids and Frustrated Mums