Gardening Gab

by Aly Lewis

So far my adventures in Earthboxing/container gardening have proven to be slightly less than exhilarating. Turns out growing food the old-fashioned way is a little more time intensive than, say, hitting up Vons after work. This is definitely not Fast Food. In the last week, we’ve transferred our beloved Earthbox to the front yard per the instructions of my recently graduated Master Gardener mother (way to go, Mom!). In addition to the location change, we’ve also watered the adorable little seedlings, on average, every two to three days or, more honestly, whenever we remember.

Although my mom is a Master Gardener and promptly sent me articles on growing tomatoes and spinach in a home garden—complete with scientific names, nutritional values, and even a problem diagnosis section—I’ve never grown anything on my own. So as a novice gardener, I’d like to glean as much gardening knowledge as will fit in my already information-overloaded mind. And that’s where you come in.

Have any of you tried container gardening? Do you have any tips on growing food in a small space? What’s worked for you? What hasn’t? Any gardening disasters or lavish successes?

I’d love to hear your thoughts!