There was a time when people simply had “a garden.” Vegetables and flowers were chosen for their usefulness and intermixed in one garden, a cottage garden, that was often in the front yard. Now, you can create a conversation piece as well as a productive little vegetable patch. An old set of drawers finds new purpose as a planter when arranged on a ladder-like structure. The drawers are deep enough to grow most vegetables and there is even room for a small tomato cage. This rainbow Swiss chard was recently planted in these strawberry pots, but once they fill out, they will be even more attractive. And as you harvest the outer leaves, new leaves will fill in, keeping the plants fresh looking and lush. You can grow just about any vegetable in containers. This can be a very creative and ornamental way to design a vegetable garden. Virtually any container will do, as long as it has good drainage. Containers can be moved about to take full advantage of the sun. You can plant one type of vegetable per container or mix things up. A downside is that the soil in containers tends to dry out quickly and you may need to water it every day. You can use any type of container you like, from old buckets to recycled soda bottles, and even expensive ceramic bowls. Just remember that the containers will get heavy when they are full of wet soil and fruiting plants. This gardener has hung baskets attached to strong horizontal boards along a wall. Rabbits and other wildlife may find your vegetable bed tempting, but if you interplant with companion flowers that have a strong scent or toss in a few onion plants, these will act as a deterrent. You can squeeze a lot into one small space. Vegetables that are harvested frequently, such as lettuce, carrots, and onions, will be thinned out as you harvest them, so there will not be overcrowding. Place your collection on your deck or patio just outside your kitchen, and you will find yourself harvesting far more often than if you had to walk out to the garden. You can even bring some of the containers indoors when the weather turns cold. Do not forget to include some herbs, too. Lifting the planting beds to waist height, like the three weathered troughs running through this colorful garden, means very little bending and far fewer wildlife problems that would otherwise need additional fencing. This greenhouse provides a view of the garden outside as well as the sheltered vegetables and flowers growing undercover. It is a great place to set up an office while you keep tabs on how everything is growing. It takes some effort to create a working permaculture garden, but it will require much less maintenance than traditional vegetable gardens once it gets going.
