Not everyone has the time, patience, or ability to garden in large plots out in the back yard. Fortunately these are no obstacles when you are talking about growing your own decorative plants, fruits, or vegetables. A number of techniques have been developed over the years to make the most out of the limited time and space constraints that many people must deal with.
While container gardening is probably the most common, involving both large and small container plants in common pots and jugs, another common technique is what’s called “square foot gardening.” This method involves a small, self-contained plot with its own soil, arranged in a grid, which when tended properly can produce the same harvest as a conventional row garden while cutting the space and resources involved by as much as eighty percent.
Container gardens can be made up of anything that can hold soil: clay pots, wooden boxes, lined baskets, even cinder blocks or cut-off milk jugs. One of the biggest benefits of this method is that you are no longer dependent on the seasonal changes you have to worry about with conventional outdoor row planting. Winter container gardening is just as easy as summer or springtime gardening as long as there is sufficient space and light for your plants.
Container vegetable gardening is also a wonderful way to educate your children on the fun and benefits to be had with gardening while giving them the natural and organic vitamins and minerals they need. Not to mention, container gardens make wonderful decoration no matter what it is you are growing. Whether you are gardening container strawberries, tulips, or cucumbers, as long as you can meet the plants’ space, light, and soil needs, your garden will add a vibrant and natural aura to any room in the house.
While square foot gardening can take up slightly more space than some container gardens, there are a number of additional benefits that still make it a far better choice than traditional row-planted gardens. Small separated plots like those used in square foot gardening allow you to grow a tremendous variety of plants in a quite limited space. Just a 3×3 square foot garden gives you enough space for nine fully developed container plants, whether you’re talking about herbs, fruits, vegetables, or just purely decorative plants.
Techniques like square foot gardening and container gardening have allowed people who would otherwise never grow anything to cultivate their own flowers, fruits, and vegetables using far less time and space than traditional row planting. These methods are used and taught all over the world, in rich and poor countries, to allow people with limited resources to experience the joys and benefits of gardening for themselves while contributing to the good of their communities and the rest of the planet.
