T
here are many advantages to
growing fruit and vegetables
in containers. Even the smallest
urban yard or balcony has space
for a few pots, and there’s no need
to dig up part of your garden for
a veggie patch in order to grow your own. They
look great, too, especially with a few f lowers
added to the mix. Aaron Bertelsen, who’s
vegetable gardener at Great Dixter in East
Sussex, believes it’s possible to grow everything
from delicate leafy herbs to root vegetables and
sturdy fruit trees in this way. He explains how
to plant and arrange them to best effect.
PICK OF THE CROP
If you can grow only one type of thing in a
container garden, it should be salad leaves.
They’re easy to grow, make good use of space
and generally taste much better than those you
can buy in the shops. Other stars of the kitchen
container garden include chard and kale,
which will keep you in fresh greens all year;
structural plants, such as globe artichokes, that
will anchor your display; and showstoppers,
such as peas and the gloriously varied sea kale.
Edible f lowers, such as nasturtiums and
violas, are the icing on the cake; even just a few
f lowers will make your display sing with their
colour and scent. Another great thing about
them is that, once established, they’ll self-sow,
creating a wonderful visual effect that’s
informal and easy, with f lowers from your pots
popping up elsewhere. And they’ll attract
pollinators, too, helping to make the rest of
your garden more productive.
LAYING IT OUT
A container garden offers enormous f lexibility:
if a pot is in the wrong place, you can simply
move it. But it’s worth taking the time to
consider how best to use your space in order to
maximise productivity and minimise backache.
Start by surveying your plot and thinking
about the space you have. Apart from growing
things, what else do you need or want from
it? One of the great things about gardening
in an enclosed space is the scope for growing
vertically as well as horizontally. Berries will
thrive against a wall, as it ref lects light and
heat. Arches and pergolas can support climbing
plants, such as beans and even pumpkins,
increasing their exposure to the sun and
freeing up more space for crops at ground level.
Space limitations can lead to great creativity
and bring a sense of fun to a small area.
Planters and shelves can be attached to a wall,
and pots can be arranged on ladders or steps.
Herbs can be grown in plastic bottles hanging
from the windowsill, and you can easily double
the growing space in a window box by hanging
pots from it (do make sure they’re securely
attached, though). In a larger space, bring your »
GROWING
T
here are many advantages to
growing fruit and vegetables
in containers. Even the smallest
urban yard or balcony has space
for a few pots, and there’s no need
to dig up part of your garden for
a veggie patch in order to grow your own. They
look great, too, especially with a few f lowers
added to the mix. Aaron Bertelsen, who’s
vegetable gardener at Great Dixter in East
Sussex, believes it’s possible to grow everything
from delicate leafy herbs to root vegetables and
sturdy fruit trees in this way. He explains how
to plant and arrange them to best effect.
PICK OF THE CROP
If you can grow only one type of thing in a
container garden, it should be salad leaves.
They’re easy to grow, make good use of space
and generally taste much better than those you
can buy in the shops. Other stars of the kitchen
container garden include chard and kale,
which will keep you in fresh greens all year;
structural plants, such as globe artichokes, that
will anchor your display; and showstoppers,
such as peas and the gloriously varied sea kale.
Edible f lowers, such as nasturtiums and
violas, are the icing on the cake; even just a few
f lowers will make your display sing with their
colour and scent. Another great thing about
them is that, once established, they’ll self-sow,
creating a wonderful visual effect that’s
informal and easy, with f lowers from your pots
popping up elsewhere. And they’ll attract
pollinators, too, helping to make the rest of
your garden more productive.
LAYING IT OUT
A container garden offers enormous f lexibility:
if a pot is in the wrong place, you can simply
move it. But it’s worth taking the time to
consider how best to use your space in order to
maximise productivity and minimise backache.
Start by surveying your plot and thinking
about the space you have. Apart from growing
things, what else do you need or want from
it? One of the great things about gardening
in an enclosed space is the scope for growing
vertically as well as horizontally. Berries will
thrive against a wall, as it ref lects light and
heat. Arches and pergolas can support climbing
plants, such as beans and even pumpkins,
increasing their exposure to the sun and
freeing up more space for crops at ground level.
Space limitations can lead to great creativity
and bring a sense of fun to a small area.
Planters and shelves can be attached to a wall,
and pots can be arranged on ladders or steps.
Herbs can be grown in plastic bottles hanging
from the windowsill, and you can easily double
the growing space in a window box by hanging
pots from it (do make sure they’re securely
attached, though). In a larger space, bring your »
GROWING
