Summer Fresh Herbs and Container Gardening

In addition to being a bit of a greenie, I am a huge foodie! There is nothing I like better on a gorgeous summer day, than a warm, fresh, garden tomato, sliced and topped with crumbled feta cheese and fresh basil. While I love gardening with flowers, last year was my first attempt at growing an herb garden, and though my mint ran completely wild (dried mint anyone?!) I am proud to say it was a success. This year I thought I would expand my horizons and try some veggies in addition to my herbs. The catch is that, the way our yard is setup right now, container gardening is pretty much my only option. Also, given the fact that we will be moving at the end of next summer (2009), I don't want to invest too much energy in a garden we will only be leaving behind. So container gardening it is. I'm a hoping for some tomatoes (of course!) and maybe some beans, in addition to some thyme, basil, mint, parsley and maybe oregano. I went to my good friend Dava for some advice, which I will share because it is if you are a beginner like me, you will need a few tips:

• You can buy container tomatoes (ones that were developed specifically to be grown in containers!!!!) Cool huh!
• The thing with containers: keep them watered! They can dry out really fast; you may have to water 2 x a day, or move into shade if really hot and sunny. Tomatoes love sun and heat, but other things like lettuce bolt in heat and too much sun.
• Tomatoes get diseased really easy too, which can spread very fast in containers. Don't water leaves, as it makes for a lovely moist environment to grow the mildew and promote disease, then water droplets spread it. You should water at ground level. When you see the leaves turn yellow, immediately take them off and put them in garbage. Do not compost they or they will re-infect your plants later.
• Lettuce is a good fall crop.
• Bush beans, and pole beans up a trellis work well too.
• Don't be afraid to be creative!

Thank you Dava! Now, if I can get my hands on some extra containers and sort out the rainwater barrels we have been planning to get for this spring, I will be all set.