If this is your first foray into edible gardening, regardless of your living situation, growing in containers is likely the best place to start. The supplies are simple, the techniques are easy, and it requires the least amount of effort for generally positive results. Some of the many attributes of container gardening include;

• Scalability. Plant as few or as many containers as you have space for. Grow your edibles on a balcony, front stoop, in a window box, or even on a boat deck.
• Mobility. Great for those who don’t want to make a firm decision on where to place their garden or for renters who aren't sure how long they'll be in one place.
• Weather Management. Since containers are mobile, it will be possible to grow plants which otherwise may not fare well in your zone. For example, I grow citrus trees in containers and bring them indoors during the cold Seattle winters.
• Basic Supplies. You won't need any heavy equipment or tools and no building is required. Just a trip to the local nursery for potting soil, fertilizer, a container, and the plants themselves. Check out the video in Chapter 6 for a walk through of picking up supplies at your local nursery for a container garden.

Perhaps the best reason to get started with a container garden is it makes a great baby step into the world of edible gardening.

What To Grow In Containers

While it's possible to grow just about any edible in a container, it doesn't mean that you'll always get a prolific result. Certain plants are going to thrive while others may only produce enough for a meal or two. Some examples of plants which will thrive in containers are;

• Dark leafy greens, especially chard.
• Lettuce. Which can be grown either for as baby leaf salad mix or as full heads.
• Scallions and other smaller varieties of onions.
• Tomatoes. When planted in large enough containers.
• Both hot and sweet peppers.
• Small varieties of carrots like Thumbelina or Parisian Market.
• Dwarf citrus trees.
• Herbs. Most all will thrive in containers but basil will especially prefer a container over a raised bed.

One caveat to growing some of these larger edibles in containers is the container needs to be as large as possible for the maximum yield. Larger edibles like tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplant, and peppers can all be grown successfully in containers as long as they have enough space. If you aren't sure how large to go, ask someone at the local nursery for advice.

A select number of edibles, especially those considered invasive are actually best grown in containers and should really never be grown in raised beds or they could take over. These include;

• Mint.
• Jerusalem Artichokes.
• Potatoes. Potatoes are all right in raised beds only if a thorough harvest is completed.

Other edibles I've also had trouble with growing in raised beds since they like to take over include the more specialized cooking herbs of epazote and shiso.

What Not To Grow In Containers

There really isn’t anything that's not worth at least trying to grow in a container if your heart is set on it. I’ve seen most every plant somewhat successfully grown in a container. That being said, like I've mentioned before it’s important to set expectations accordingly. While it is possible to grow larger varieties of edibles in containers, like squash – I wouldn’t recommend it unless container gardening is your only option. If it is your only option, just make sure to go as large as possible on the size of the container and understand you may only end up with enough squash for a single meal.

A Note On Alternative Methods

If you’re an apartment dweller or simply interested in growing edibles indoors, you may naturally gravitate towards some of the many shiny aero-, bio-, or hydroponic options. I’ve tried a couple of these and to be honest – they really aren’t well suited to the lazy gardener style. They require measuring pH levels on a regular basis, carefully measuring and adding liquid nutrients, and specialized growing equipment. Even when I’ve done my best to step outside my style and be more attentive, the crop yields have never been more the something pretty to look at.

A Starter Project: The Kitchen Herb Garden

An easy and very common entry way into edible gardening is to plant a small kitchen herb garden. You could grow this outdoors or indoors in a sunny window and purchase a container the size of whatever space is available. As long as you aren’t expecting industrial sized quantities of herbs, this little container will supplement the kitchen of a small family quite nicely.

A few easy to care for and commonly used cooking herbs I would recommend for this project would include;

• Parsley
• Oregano
• Chives
• Sage
• Thyme

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Are you starting to think container gardening might be too limiting for you? Read on to Chapter 5 to see if raised beds may be a better option.