Can we grow enough food in containers on a balcony or patio to make a difference to what eat? This post looks at what you think and shares the results of a survey completed by over 200 subscribers to this website. The survey asked: "is growing in containers helping you to eat more fruit and veg and / or a wider variety"? The answer for many of you is 'Yes' to both, full results below.  Why is healthy eating such a hot topic? First, a little context. There is increasing awareness that the modern diet is adversely affecting our health. We eat less fruit and veg than we used to  an ..read more

What can you learn in years when things don't grow anywhere near as well as you hope? If you've gardened for a while, you'll know that it's part and parcel of growing that some things generally grow better than others - and a few disasters each year aren't uncommon! But some of us also experience occasional years when loads seem to go badly wrong. I've had one before and another one this year. When this happens, it's easy to lose confidence or to question whether gardening is worth the time and effort.  If you've had a bad year, too, I hope that by sharing my trials and tribulations, you ..read more

I started to write this post about the various reasons why this has been a particularly difficult year for growing. But after reflecting on the fact that we’ve still picked plenty of tasty food, this seemed a bit of a negative way to begin posting again after the summer break! So, instead, this post celebrates the few things that have grown well this year - and I’ll write about the challenges another time. Adding up the harvests from my container garden in July and August I find that we picked:- 36 different crops in July (full list below), weighing a total 5.3kg, including 1214 grams lettuce ..read more

Over the years, I've experimented with different spacings of plants in containers. One of my 'discoveries' (although I'm sure I'm not the first!) is that many leafy vegetables will give you better harvests if you sow them much closer together than seed packet guidelines.   The idea is to sow thickly and then, as they grow, 'thin out' - gently pull out some of the plants evenly across the container, or cut with scissors. As well as making space for the remaining plants to continue to grow, this technique also gives you a small - and early - harvest of tasty microgreens. Yum. This tech ..read more

Companion planting is a technique where different plants are grown near each other for mutual benefit. It is reputed to enhance growth, deter pests, and improve pollination among plants. For example, marigolds are often planted amongst vegetables to repel aphids. There is a lot of anecdotal evidence that this works in the ground, and some scientific evidence to back it up.  But does it work in containers? The short answer is that, yes, it can sometimes. But it's important to be aware that things are not as clear cut when choosing how to use companion planting in containers at your home, b ..read more

When space is tight, a simple, tiered shelving system for your containers can be at total game changer.  You'll be able to grow a LOT more in the same space. You'll find it easier to keep pots organised. And, by creating different levels, you'll create a more visually appealing garden than one all on the ground.  You'll also often find that the higher levels get more sun than pots on the ground, particularly in spaces that are partly shaded by walls.   I posted recently about how to build your own wooden growing ladder. These are great - but they do take more time and eff ..read more

I asked our community of container gardeners (on our Facebook Page, our Facebook Community and Instagram) about the edible plants they find easy to grow in containers and that are also hard to buy in the shops. Between you all, you came up with this wonderful list of 50 plants. Thanks so much!  Please do share which of these are your favourite 'hard to buy / easy to grows' in the comments. And, any more suggestions to add to the list? I'm sure there must be! One of the great pleasures and benefits of growing at home is being able to eat a more diverse range of foods and flavours. It ..read more

Imagine transforming a cramped balcony or a tiny yard into a lush, vertical garden. Growing ladders are a wonderful way to make this a reality.  The many benefits of Growing ladders Growing ladders are a simple and highly effective because:  They make excellent use of both vertical and horizontal space. Where you once had three pots, you might fit twelve pots on a growing ladder with three shelves (three on the ground and three on each shelf). The higher shelves will often get more light than pots on the ground. This is particularly useful in less sunny spaces - for example yards wi ..read more

As you may have already discovered, seeds from different suppliers can look very similar, but the quality - and how well they germinate and grow - can vary a lot. Some seeds will grow into strong, vigorous plants and some will not. Some may not even germinate well. So it's really worth starting with the best seeds you can get. This post will help you understand a bit more about why some seeds perform better than others. And offers tips on how to find good quality seeds.   Why Look for Good Quality Seeds? Seeds hold all the genetic information plants need to grow into strong, healthy ..read more

I like eating root veg but I don't grow them much as some other vegetables, mainly because each plant can only be harvested once. Unlike runner beans or tomatoes, which you can pick over several weeks, even months. Another reason I'm hesitant to grow some root veg is that I've rarely had consistent success with beetroot, radish or carrots. It remains a mystery to me why their roots sometimes swell up beautifully and sometimes don’t…. Is it to do with spacing, soil quality, sun, watering, pot size, feeding - or a perhaps a mix of all these? In an attempt to learn more about them, I dedicated on ..read more