When I started working part-time at the library, one of the things my boss wanted me to do was to organize some classes for our community with a focus on sustainability. She knows all about my books, my blog and my lifestyle choices, and so she was super excited about the prospect of having me do *something*.
At the beginning of June, I started a four week series called "Vivacious Vittles" in which participants learned to grow food in containers. Small containers, actually.
I live in a resort town. The average-sized lot is less than a 10th of an acre with many folks having even less land than that. There are a lot of condos, where there is no land, and if they're lucky, residents might have a balcony or a front porch, where they can have a few pots of flowers or the like.
We also have a larger than average elderly population. For whatever reason, this town is a haven for retired folks, and there are a number of 55+ communities. As a demographic, people who live in 55+ communities are often on a fixed income, which means that being able to grow a little food is a good thing, even if it's just some lettuce in a bowl and some beans in hanging planter.
And that's exactly what we did.
The first class was planting lettuce in bowls. Yes, actual bowls. I found some serving bowls in bright colors at the dollar store. For the class, the participants poked drainage holes, then filled the bowls with soil. They were each given two bowls. In one bowl, they planted lettuce starts and in the second bowl they planted seeds.
The second class was hanging planters with beans and peas. We planted pea plants, because it was late in the season and added scarlet runner beans around the edges. By the time the beans are flowering, they will have harvested and eaten the peas.
The third class was growing sprouts in a jar.
The last class was planting herbs in a self-watering planter made from an old wine bottle.
Everyone had a lot of fun, and everyone took home both their plants and the knowledge that growing food doesn't have to require a piece of land or even a yard. They can do a lot with just a few containers and a sunny spot.
That's so great!!!! Good for you!
ReplyDeleteThanks! It was fun!
DeleteCool! I never thought about growing lettuce in a bowl. You could keep it inside and it might never bolt. :D I might try that with spinach, too. How big were the pea/bean planters? I wonder if they would work with cucumbers as well. Shelving and a cut-down shower rod could turn a tall window into an indoor garden with your ideas!
ReplyDeleteThe wife manages a family cattle farm, and they often distribute “mineral tubs” to the moofers. Once they munch all the mineral salt out, what’s left are big plastic containers, roughly 20 to 25 gallons. I’ve upcycled about a dozen of them for garden containers. I use a 5/8” drill to punch five holes in the bottom. Add an inch of gravel, six inches of good ol’ Georgia clay, then top up with outdoor potting soil. I mostly use them for tomatoes and peppers, although I did dedicate one to spinach early on. I had salads every other day until it bolted and croaked in late May. They win in sooo many ways!
So thanks for the ideas, I’m definitely going to try some of them!
The hanging planters I used were just the same old ones that people get from the nurseries - probably 9" across. Not too big.
DeleteI love that you're reusing the tubs for gardens. I've found that container gardening is so much easier to manage. I still have several raised beds, but at some point, as bending to weed and plant (and weed whacking around the beds) becomes a little more difficult, I may end up with everything growing in containers. :)