container garden

When we decided to make some garden boxes 4 years ago, I had no idea how much fun it would be!  I mean, once you step outside your back door, pick a sun-kissed tomato from the vine, slice it up with some olive oil, basil and fresh cracked pepper on it, you’re hooked.  Or, I loved how many times we would be out of lettuce, cilantro, onions...etc., and remember the organic produce growing in our backyard.  I quickly became an addicted gardener. 

We have plans for building garden boxes out of some steps we need to tear out at our "new old house."  But until we have indoor plumbing, it’s not really a priority right now...to some people :)

So, I started looking into container gardening.  I’ve been pricing out pots at all the “men's stores.”  (Including a trip to Ace Hardware in what I guess was a tornado warning Sunday – no wonder they looked at me funny when I was asking why their garden center was closed and when it would reopen – I was on a mission!)  Not wanting to go the plastic pot route, terra cotta pots seemed to be the best option.  

Until I spotted these.  

Good ole’ galvanized steel pails.  

Drill 3 holes in the bottom.  

Fill with potting soil and plants.  (I put a layer of rocks on the bottom to improve drainage, before adding the soil.)

We now have a garden!  One that can be carried wherever we go :)

I bought 6 steel pails Menards had at $5.98, which was the best price I could find.  It is enough to grow tomato, red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, green bell pepper, basil, and stevia.  


I would love to do a bucket of lettuce, onions and cilantro.  But, I'll have to wait until we empty some paint cans...I think they will work fine for the rest.


We definitely need some more basil plants too, the way it disappears.  
Grilled tomato-basil sandwiches are a summer staple over here.

Eaten today in Jude's choice spot:  the entryway.