Container Gardening

In May, I'll be moving into a duplex with a bit of porch. I really want to try my hand at container gardening for herbs, veggies (yum!), and flowers. But, I didn't want to wait until May to start my garden! My current apartment has six windows that face West and have window sills big enough (about 6-7 inches wide) for some not-so-large containers. Today I bought some potting soil, seeds, and an on-sale Christmas storage container that is about ten inches high (for my extra potting soil) and has a removable tray, originally for scissors and tape, but I can use it for seed packets, my trowel, and labels. When I got home , I pulled out my old cardboard egg cartons and got to work! I didn't start all the seeds, just some that I plan on keeping indoors or are fairly hardy. I think I'll have to start eating more yogurt and pudding from individual sized cups so I can maybe sell some of the seedlings, or donate them to the down-the-stairs thrift store.

This has led me to thinking about my future garden. My far-in-the-future garden, one that is actually in the ground. My future garden and planting dates. Actually, thinking about it, I can only recall three dates, one of which isn't even a set date. Potatoes on St. Patrick's day; pumpkins on the fourth of July (if you want them to be ready for Samhain/Halloween); and corn when oak leaves are as big as a squirrels ear. And everything else is planted... some other time. lol For almost all my life my parents had a garden, and all I can remember are planting dates for those three plants. But I have my sources for when I finally get my own garden.

When I was about 10 or 11 I found a book for 25 cents at a yard sale called Back to Basics: How to Learn and Enjoy Traditional American Skills(Bogaman, I think you would really like this book!) I originally wanted it because it told about tanning leather and using said leather to make moccasins. And though I never had a chance to make my moccasins, I have fallen in love with this book for practically everything else it contains, including homesteading, alternative energy, gardening/raising livestock, and canning and storing food. This book was probably instrumental in my love of the Earth (and Paganism) because so much of what it talks about is either organic or using resources responsibly, and maximizing returns while minimizing input. This book has allowed me to evaluate how I live and know what I want to do differently in the future.

One of the things I want to do differently is grow my own food. Right now, I buy nearly everything I eat. I know I won't be able to grow an entire garden's worth of food on my future porch, but I'll be able to grow some things, and that, to me, is exciting. I loved playing in the dirt as a kid, and I still love playing in the dirt! And when that can culminate into something tasty or beautiful, then it just makes it that much more fun. Now I just need to find some more flower pots and whatnot. :)