I've been asked to give a presentation

[Jamsoundsgood]

on putting in a garden. I've got all of 1.5 weeks notice! WooHoo! Basically someone heard that I have a monster garden every year, therefore I should give the 1 hour presentation. It's for the women at church, a very forgiving, and knowledgable audience. Most of the women live in apartments or have very small yards, so the way I garden is probably not the best thing to teach them. Do any of you have any ideas on how to garden (as in edible stuff) indoors? or perhaps just in small containers on patios or decks? I would like to focus on that instead of the typical raised bed format that gets taught every year and doesn't apply to over half the women. What are some of the more outlandish things you've grown indoors? One of the boys in my Sunday School class last year was growing potatoes in his room. I think it was just to annoy his mother. She played along beautifully. One of the things about SoCal that I miss the most is the fresh citrus. I know my house is light and bright enough to bring in a lemon tree, at least when my daughter gets past toddlerhood. I would like to know, since we do have members in apartments, if you do grow things, what kinds of foods are worth dedicating space too, and what aren't? Thanks!

 

[tortoise]

Tomatoes do beautifully in containers.

Cherry tomatoes in hanging baskets.

And herbs, of course...

 

[tamlynn]

Good for you! I'm sure it will be a great presentation. I would suggest plants that don't take up a lot of space and that have a high yield. Like lettuces- you practically eat the whole plant.

A sunny windowsill can grow herbs. Tomatoes can do well in containers.

Another plant I like is beets -you can eat the greens as well as the root. No part of the plant is wasted.

Many veggies can be grown vertically, thus using less soil space. Cucumbers, winter squashes, peas, etc.

I've also grown dwarf citrus in half-barrels. Go for the lemons!

Do not waste time on corn. It takes too much space for the yield.

 

[FarmerDenise]

Whenever I was limited to windowsill gardening, I focused on herbs. Herbs make such an impact on the food you prepare and they take more abuse.
I've grown parsely, basil, sage, oregano and rosemary in widowsill pots. They don't get very big and die off sooner rather than later, but it is still nice to have those fresh herbs on hand.
Parsley has a deep tap root and needs a rather deep pot.
Lettuce can often be grown in pots. It really only requires about 10 inches of soil. It can be planted densely and the leaves cut at soil level for a nice addition to a salad. If someone has a bit more sun and space, swiss chard is a pretty and easy to grow green. If you use the Bright Lights chard, the stems are different colors against the greeen of the leaves, making it quite ornamental. The leaves can be eaten raw or cooked.
I have grown beans in pots, even pole beans. They didn't amount to terribly much, but it was fun to pick a few beans and put them in a salad, soup or stirfry.

 

[Jamsoundsgood]

I'd never thought of beets (probably because I don't like them) but that's a great idea. Gotta love a two-fer.

 

[FarmerDenise]

Just thought of another one. Dill, it doesn't have to grow big to be usefull. And it is good on potatoes, cucumbers and fish among other things.
Radishes don't take up much room. I have not been able to grow them inside though, but they did well on my balcony.

 

[Jamsoundsgood]

Radishes would be good for people with kids. It would be a great way to get them to eat a salad if you put some chopped radishes on it that they grew themselves. It's worked really well for us. I just never thought of growing them in pots on balconies. But they only need a couple of inches. Maybe I'll start some today so I have some, they come up quickly, and it would be a good visual. Thanks!

 

[hoosier]

I don't remember if it was here or BYC, but a member posted a picture of their hanging herb garden. They used one of those things that is made for storing shoes and has a hook at the top. (Can't think of the exact name - it is past my bedtime.)
Also, you can buy a bag of potting soil, make a hole or holes in it, and plant right in the bag.

 

[freemotion]

When in an apartment, dh and I grew tomatoes and herbs in earthboxes, and even now I prefer to grow some of my leafies in earth buckets....lettuce and chard. Reduces the slug and bug issue by getting them well up off the ground, and the yield is dramatically higher in the buckets than in the ground or in a standard pot. I can water them rarely, too, and still have great success, and I can move them around and extend my growing season.

 

[Sunny]

One year I tried growing every thing you grow in a regular garden in containers.. Well most stuff any way.. Peas did ok.. I put them in a long container box and grew them along my patio fence with string for them to grow up.. I tried corn. But neighborhood cats at them while they were small. I even used large pots and grew potatoes.. Didnt get a huge crop of them. I tried the dirt method in the bottom.. Start letting them grow and put straw up around them. Didnt like that.. Next year I only planted one pot. Got enough potatoes from one plant to make a huge pot of potatoe soup.. I grew carrots in a very deep pot.. Radishes too.. Broccoli, califlower, and lettuce did just fine too.. I have fruit trees in large pots.. No fruit in them yet.. Im hoping to have land before they out grow them.. I have blueberry plants in large pots too.. Even raspberries.. Oh and strawberries too. You can be real creative on their pots.. I used an old red wagon and put holes in the bottom to drain water..

Hmm..

cant think of any thing else right now

Good luck on your presentation..