How My Garden is Growing After A Month

Curious about how my container garden has been going?

I'm definitely no green thumb, but fortunately, my plants seem to be showing progress thus far. It's been about 3 weeks since I planted my garden with lettuce, spinach, carrot, cucumber and bean seeds. (If you missed the post with step-by-step instructions on starting a container garden, catch up here.)

Since then, I've been documenting the growth of the various crops every couple of days.

It will still be a few more weeks before any will be able to harvest for food. In the meantime, here's a look at how my garden has been growing, crop by crop over the course of these first few days:












(I forgot to take a picture of the carrots on Day 6. Oops!)



(The spinach is the most lackluster of the crops, so far. I'm not sure why it's so spindly and sparse. I decided to plant a few more seeds in the empty places in hopes that we'll get a decent yield eventually!)

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Starting a Container Vegetable Garden

I briefly mentioned a couple of weeks ago, that I was in the process of gathering supplies to kickstart my veggie garden, now that I finally have room for one.

Well, it's now officially planted and, sure enough, the seeds are sprouting up. So far, so good!

I figured that before I showcase the fruits (ahem) of my labor, it might be best to give a little introduction to my DIY-style of container gardening, in case anyone else is tempted to start their own.

Getting Started
The first thing I would recommend is to do your research. I started by buying a dirt-cheap copy of Container Gardening for Dummies and reading through it. This was a great resource because it helped me determine what kind of soil and fertilizer to buy, when to plant my seeds, as well as what varieties of seeds to choose. (It included a helpful list of container-friendly buzzwords to look for on seed packets like "compact" or "small" that really helped me make my seed choices.)

Selecting a Container

Probably one of the biggest factors that matters is selecting a container--namely, making sure it's big enough for the seeds you've selected. A good rule of thumb is that it should be at least a cubic foot in size. I knew I wanted to plant mine in buckets with handles that I can move around the yard, if need be.

To that end, I got a hold of some empty kitty-litter buckets and then drilled a dozen or so holes (using the largest drill bit I had) in the bottom of the bucket for drainage. One of the perks about this solution is that it was absolutely free and the buckets come with lids, which allowed me to cover the buckets up when a huge downpour hit and I wanted to protect the seedlings from the elements.


Gathering Your Planting Supplies
The other necessities you'll need include:

Soil: I chose to go with an organic general soil mix, and added some seed-starter soil as a thin top layer

Fertilizer: I chose a slow-release organic version, which I mixed into the soil

Seeds: From the Container Gardening for Dummies book, I copied down some of the varieties of veggies that they recommended as well as their list of keywords. Then when I browsed the offerings at the garden shop, I ended up picking varieties of lettuce, spinach, carrots, cucumbers and green beans that I think will work well for my containers.


Now, Get Planting!
At this point, it's time to plant. I watched the weather and tried to pick a day that would give my seeds a couple days of sunshine before any predicted rain. I'm not sure if this matters or not, but I figured it couldn't hurt.

I sat out on my back steps and shoveled handfuls of soil into each container, making sure to mix in some fertilizer about halfway, so that it's well interspersed. I also watered mid-way, to get the soil nice and moist for the seeds.

I added about a foot or so of soil before sprinkling on a layer of the seed-starter soil, a few seeds (my packets came with enough seeds to plant what looks like an entire field!), and a top layer of the seed-starter soil.

The packets should have directions about how far apart to plant your seeds as well as how much soil to add over top. I didn't measure the depth, but just guesstimated. (Everything has sprouted, so I don't think it has to be perfect!)

Once each container is planted, give it a good watering that will soak the soil. Find a good place in the sun and let your plants bask in the glow.



Now it's time to get ready to practice patience while you wait for them to sprout! I'll keep you updated once there's more growth to showcase. They're looking good so far, so we'll see how they fare over the long-term. I hope to get at least a salad out of all this hard work.

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Garden Daydreams

Sometimes I catch myself daydreaming.

I look our window at the towering trees, lush with leaves and squirrels and my favorite cardinal darting to and fro between their limbs. I wish I could walk up to them and sit by their trunks, with a book in hand like Rory always managed in Gilmore Girls.

But these trees are deceiving. Though they stand tall and stately outside our windows, they are planted ever so out-of-place in the parking lot outside our building. There's no lounging to be had and no stretches of grass and moss like you'd be led to believe.

No, we live in the city. In an apartment. With windows that don't even open. There's no hope of bringing vegetation into this place, although, trust me, we've tried. I tried my luck at various houseplants, all of which clung for dear life for a few days, weeks, but eventually surrendered to limp leaves and shriveled stalks.

So, when I glimpse the vibrant vista out our window, I imagine our someday-yard. When I go to the fridge to pull out some spinach for a salad or slice a tomato for a sandwich, I find myself wistful for our someday-garden. I paint myself into the reverie with a green thumb and a big floppy sunhat, while I tend to the garden rows that sprout and flourish with abandon...

It's a rainbow of colors, filled with the greens of lettuce, spinach, broccoli, string beans and bunches of kitchen herbs. Reds push through with bell peppers and tomatoes. Beneath the ground, potatoes and carrots grow without much fanfare, while I walk through, admiring all the handiwork.

I try to keep these daydreams from going too wild. (No, there won't be a citrus tree. No, an apple tree takes too long. No, I've heard watermelons are pretty fickle.) I try to be careful, knowing all too well that a garden is more than just dropping seeds in the ground and singing in the rain. I know that it is difficult and often results in more sunburn and backaches than plentiful harvests.

But sometimes I can't help it. From this side of the window, the grass sure does look greener...

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