Spring is finally in the air, rousing the deep need in many of us to get down in the dirt and help things grow. About this time of year I flash back to summer days in my grandmother’s garden with its aromas of sweet peas, fresh earth, and tangy tomato vines. I’d love to grow vegetables of my own these days, but I’m a city dweller now without a plot of land.
So what’s a girl to do? Grow vegetables in-and on-the house!
As it turns out, a lot of the plants I remember from my family garden can be grown very well indoors with a bit of natural light, or outside in odd corners with just a little creative space management. Do you have a balcony? Tomatoes, kale, squash, and even fruit trees can be grown in less space than you think and may even provide a little welcome shade. Can you reach your eaves? Strawberries, peas, tomatoes, and peppers can be trained to cascade down from hanging planters. If you do garden indoors, you’ll avoid the frustration of tomato horn worms and other pests that plague traditional gardens but don’t thrive inside, and it will never be the wrong season to plant your favorite crop!
There are a lot of books that teach how to grow ornamental plants in containers or vegetables in a traditional garden, but it can be tricky to find resources for growing edible plants in containers and indoors. Fortunately, The Seattle Public Library owns a good selection. Here are a few of the best resources I’ve found, to get you started.
Fresh Food from Small Spaces: The Square-Inch Gardener’s Guide to Year-Round Growing, Fermenting, and Sprouting, by R.J. Ruppenthal
Learn how to produce your own organic food using window boxes, kitchen counters, rafters, rooftops, dark cabinets, and many other parts of the typical urban small home.
The Edible Container Garden: Growing Fresh Food in Small Spaces, by Michael Guerra
Have a tiny yard, or just a stairway or balcony? This guide explains how to choose edible plants, combine varieties in a single pot to maximize aesthetics and function, and how to prune, fertilize, water and produce compost in a small gardening space.
Crops in Pots, by Bob Purnell
The entire cycle of food production is discussed here, for the gardener with nothing but pots to plant in. Enjoy suggestions on everything from what to grow, to how to cook it.
All-in-one Garden, by Graham Rice
Did you know you can plant a fully-functional apple tree in a pot just two feet tall and two feet across, with edible flowers and herbs at its base? Whether you have a small yard, a deck, a balcony, or just some sturdy eaves, you’ll find some handy edible planting ideas here.
Gardening Without a Garden, by Gay Search
Get comprehensive ideas for making, buying, and preparing pots. Good information about flowers complements information on vegetables described in other books.
Anxious to start planting, but on a holds list for these items? Here are some web resources to help you plan while you wait for your books to arrive.
Seattle Tilth container plant list – This local, non-profit, urban gardening organization suggests edible plants that grow well in containers in the Pacific Northwest. Back up to their main page for more tips on things like composting and soil management.
Vegetable Garden: Container Garden – Get relevant advice on creating a fertile container garden and creating an indoor planting calendar from the University of Arizona.
Indoor Vegetable Gardening – Find out how vegetables are grown indoors through the winter in the Great Lakes region. If summer crops can survive indoors during January in Michigan, surely we can make a go of it here!
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