This doesn’t mean that there are no challenges with this type of gardening.  In fact, you may be searching for ideas or inspiration for your patio garden and don’t know where to turn.  Our goal is to give you some of the basic information that can get you started.  If you want to pursue the topic further, visit HGTV.  Here, we’ll be addressing some of the more common questions that come up when getting a garden like this started.

When Should I Start My Container Garden?

This is a good question, but the answer depends on where you live and where you wish to start from.  In other words, if you live in a climate where you’re still getting snow in March, you may have to postpone the patio garden in favor of having the plants potted in your sunroom, greenhouse or other area first.  Then, when the frost-risk passes, you can move it outdoors.  Similarly, depending on ‘where’ you wish to start from – whether this is seeds, seedlings or small plants – this affects the equation also.

To answer the general question more broadly, you can start your seeds or have your plants outdoors when the average temperature is high enough to support the growth of whatever type of plants, vegetables, herbs or flowers you are wishing to grow.  If you have an enclosed patio room or sunroom where you can start your plants, then the time of year may be less of an issue.  You’ll likely face a greater problem getting seedlings or plants out of season to plant than you will actually growing them at home.

How Large of A Pot Should I Use for My Container Garden?

The answer to this also has more to do with your personal taste for aesthetics as well as for what you wish to plant.  In general, a larger pot or container will allow you to plant more in them and also will allow for the soil to stay moist for longer.  This is beneficial in a few respects.  One, it keeps the plants watered more effectively.  Two, you will not need to water as frequently, leaving you more time to pursue other interests or activities – you don’t want to be kept imprisoned by the work of having to tend your container garden endlessly.  The whole idea is to enjoy a nice herb garden or other type of living ‘portable’ garden without the hassle of an in-ground variety.

Ceramic Planter Set Bring a burst of color to your garden! Embossed earthenware flower pots are sumptuous in shades of azure, topaz and peridot. Set includes three separate sizes to hold a variety of your favorite greenery! Drain hole at bottom of each pot. Ceramic. Large: 12 inches diameter x 8 1/2 inches high; Medium: 9 inches diameter x 6 1/2 inches high; Small: 6 1/2 inches diameter x 5 1/4 inches high. Set of 3.

Gardman Patio Garden Growbag These can also be great choices – garden bags. Tough, heavy duty polyethylene. Better for plants-bigger nutrient and water reservoir. Better for the environment: no end-of-season plastic waste. Size: 39 x16 x9 Reusable Grow Bag, 39 x 16 x 9, Green

What Type of Soil for A Container Garden?

The type of soil is something that will make a difference for your garden.  After all, soil, water, a container and the sun are all that are necessary to grow a garden.  However, the right pH of the soil, water drainage and nutrient content can mean big differences in the life of your plants or vegetables.  One thing to ensure is that you use a mulch.  Mulch is nothing more than a type of cover or fill material that locks in moisture and inhibits evaporation around your plants.

Gravel, bark or wood chips and even compost can make for great mulch choices.  Gravel is great for Mediterranean-style plants and cacti.  Pebbles are a related choice and is good for use in pool landscape and other areas where these types of plants will be found.  Bark chips are also helpful in controlling weed growth.  Compost can be an  especially good choice if tomato container gardening is high up on your list.  Composting is a great way to add organic material and nutrients back into your soil.  There are other products sold through your local home improvement warehouse or nurseries also.

If gardening is in your blood, then you might also consider a raised planting bed. These can be considered larger container gardens, in a sense. These are nothing more than (typically) wooden structures that hold soil above ground level. It is important that they be made of materials that will not leach into your soil and kill the plants or vegetables. Pressure treated lumbers are a no-no here. Cedar and redwood make for good choices.

Cedar Creek 2424 Raised Garden Features Make gardening easy! With our 24″ x 24″ Raised Cedar Garden Bed Planter you can now plant, weed, grow and harvest your garden without ever having to get down on your hands and knees again! This 24″ high rectangular container garden planter allows you to work comfortably while standing. Crafted of Western Red Cedar, a naturally insect and weather resistant wood that will weather to a lovely silver gray. Even if you live in an apartment or condo, you can still have a great herb, vegetable or flower garden right outside your backdoor. Bottom shelf is sold separately

Hopefully, these container gardening ideas have helped you to develop a better sense of what will work in your situation.  Have fun and enjoy getting those fingernails dirty!

However, there are other benefits of a raised bed. For example, you can garden at waist height. This can make it much easier on your body. Instead of having to get down on your knees and stress your back as you reach out to garden, with a raised bed, you can either sit on the edge of the bed or bend slightly at your knees to reach your crops. Another option is that you can control the watering with a drip system or by hand. Many plots that are in the ground will be subjected to flooding or other issues that are out of your control.

A raised bed can grow just as bountiful a crop as any grown in the ground. The types of vegetables, flowers or herbs that you are able to grow is not limited by having a raised bed. The only concern you might have is with larger vegetables or fruits like watermelons or pumpkins. These could still grow in a raised bed, but they will occupy a lot

This is a classic looking raised garden bed.

more of the space. In doing this, they may crowed out some of your other plants. You would be better off growing these in the ground. Much like how a patio garden can be considered a ‘container garden’ you might say the same thing about a raised bed type. Meaning, you could eventually just dismantle your raised bed and move it or take it apart if you ever decide to remove it. You might even want to transplant your plants and herbs into pots, take down your bed and take your garden with you to your new home if you ever moved – not likely, but it is possible.

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Most raised garden beds are constructed of wood. The size of the bed is really up to you, but you want to build it a size that you think you can manage comfortably. You don’t want to be reaching too far to get to your plants, so having one that is a manageable size is the key point. The depth of the bed or height if you will shouldn’t be so tall that it is unsafe if it ever was to spill out, but deep enough for the roots to get adequate nutrition from your bed itself.

So, a depth of 16-18” is a good depth. You could make it 24” high, but the soil depth only needs to really be about 12-16” for your plants. The width of your box could be 4’ to allow for easy access from both sides. Then, the length is really up to you. A 4’ x 8’ bed is a good size to grow most any vegetables. You could also go for two 4’ x 4’ beds to accomplish the same growing area, but with less overlap of plants. This way, you could grow specific types of vegetables in one and a different type in the other. Again, this is really just an issue of personal preference once you decide what you want to grow.

Materials to Use For Building Your Raised Planting Bed

As described, wood is the most material to use. You might consider using cement blocks like what is used for fences. However, the material in these blocks can leach out over time and alter the pH balance in your soil. Also, you will not want to use pressure-treated lumber as you will be consuming the foods you grow here. Pressure-treated woods have chemicals that you would not want to consume and are not safe for consumption anyway. The same is true of railroad ties or old telephone poles. These are treated with some highly toxic substances and should be avoided. Wood choices like cedar and redwood make excellent beds. Not only are they safe for your garden, but they weather the elements quite gracefully, adding another dimension to your outdoor patio space. So, grab your tools off your potting bench and get to work growing in your new raised planting beds this weekend.

As a matter of fact, you don’t even need to plant them in your garden.  Herb gardens can consist of nothing more than pots or planters that you have on your patio.  This type of patio garden can serve you quite well.  Whether you decide to plants flowers, vegetables or simply herbs, this is a fairly easy to maintain style of garden.

A great little herb garden like this easy to maintain and makes for a great look.

Some purists or hardcore botanists might consider herb gardening on a different scale from their difficult to grow exotics or finicky flowers, like orchids.  Don’t worry about that.  You might just be looking for a way to add some extra zest to your meals or a little more scent in the air around your patio.  In either case, growing your own herbs is a very rewarding way to go.
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How To Get An Herb Garden Started

If you are just getting started in gardening, herb garden kits are a great way to get your feet wet or your thumbs green as the case may be.  These kits usually come with a couple starter plants or seeds like parsley, oregano and basil.

These are some of the more popular ones to get you started in this new endeavor.  If you’re a bit more adventurous, you can plant your own garlic, chives and green onions.  Garlic has some nice little flowers that sprout as well.

While you certainly don’t need to get too ambitious with your planting needs for these herbs, there are some ways that you can maximize their chances of maturing. One of these is to compost. Composting can be a great way to give those growing herbs the nutrition they need while also maintaining the moisture around their roots. This compost acts as a natural mulch in this way. This and appropriate watering will get you the majority of the way there. If your herbs will be getting a lot of sunlight, you may need to provide them a bit of shade or move them into a less sun intense area at certain times later in the day. This is where container gardening can really help you by giving you that flexibility to move your pots or plants around as necessary.

Herb Garden Design

For more seasoned gardeners, your herb garden can consist of larger sized pots or planters that you can organize and divide by type.  As you know, regular pruning and use can actually accelerate the growth of your herbs.  If you get into the situation where you find that your herbs seem to be taking over your patio space, taking clippings of them and letting them dry can leave you with great decorations on personal gifts for friends or family.  Lavender is a plant that has very fragrant flowers and can be dried for use in several types of applications.  You could also create a mix of Italian herbs with a bottle of boutique olive oil and vinegar as a nice gift choice.

Keeping the design of your garden simple will allow you to take better care of it. Whether you choose to go with the patio or container approach or want to use more dedicated raised garden beds for planting your herbs, both approaches will work. You can also layout your garden to give you an Italian section and a Greek section or an Indian section, etc. In other words, you can arrange and plant your herbs in a way that gives you more themed aspects to your garden area.

The main thing is to enjoy your garden.  This is why you have it in the first place, right?  Don’t set your expectations higher than your actual willingness to work it.  This is why these types of smaller patio-sized gardens work so well.  You can still get a great looking little chunk of ambiance and usable foods from your own little herb garden.

This is a great project during those months when it isn’t quite the right time to be out in the garden fully planting and tilling.  With patio gardening, you can have all you need right at your fingertips.  In fact, some people even mount their planters and pots within arms reach of the kitchen window for this expressed purpose.  Need some basil for tonight’s dinner, just open the window, clip and there you have it – fresh and organic herbs from your garden.

The whole notion of an herb garden is almost another topic entirely.  In fact, it is something that we’ve talked about on Patio Covers Place in a previous article.  This is keeping in line with the whole idea of having an edible garden growing on your patio.  You’ll need to keep in mind that if you plan on growing on a covered patio, you should keep your plant’s sun light requirements in mind.

What Else Is There To Patio Gardening?

See how organized and bountiful a patio garden can be.

This is a loaded question.  There is so much that is available in terms of plants and styles for growing on your deck or patio.  A patio that is at ground level and incorporated into the landscape affords you a much greater palette to work with because you have access to water in a much simpler fashion.  However, it is also quite simple to either set up a drip system style of irrigation for your deck garden.  In most cases, if you have plants and flowers in pots on your deck, you would just as soon water them with a gardening can or hose than go through the trouble of a mist system though.  The whole simplicity and flexibility of a garden in pots that can be moved is what makes a patio garden so attractive to many.

The ability to have a fresh and vibrant garden mostly year-round is an exciting idea to those who share our passion for patio living.  There are many beautiful plants and flowers that do extraordinarily well in the confines of a pot or planter out on a patio.  The ability to create a tiered look and create various ‘zones’ make patio gardens quite popular.  There is no one right way to make your little garden shine – unless of course you go all out and include some outdoor lighting to your little arrangement.  This type of attention to detail will definitely make your patio garden a stand out among friends and neighbors.

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