edible container gardens

1 | Container Gardensbonnieplants.com

Containerg a r d e n s

EDIBLE

Container Friendlysuper Foods &Mix edibles

ornaMentals

Grow aGreen Goddess salad

a tiered HerbGarden

P. Allen Smith’swindow box Herb Garden

G r o w i n g B i g i n S m a l l S p a c e sSimple Steps to Planting Success

2 | Container Gardens bonnieplants.com


P. Allen Smith’sMixed Herb Window Box

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“What I love most about container gardening is the sense of satisfaction from completing a project in just a few minutes.”

-P. Allen SmithTV Host, Author & Lifestyle Expert

Six Quick Tips forContainer GardenSuccess

> TABLE OF CONTENTS <

4

Green Goddess Salad

6

Super Foods9

Jenny Peterson’sHerb Tower

Kid’s ContainerCluster

10

12

Summer Staples14

Edibles & Ornamentals

19SUMMER

SPRING

FALL

eMagazine/eCatalog published by Hortus Ltd./ A P. Allen Smith Company. Content, images and videos are designed, produced and owned by Hortus.


START WITH A CLEAN SLATE If you are using new containers, simply wipe them clean. If you’re reusing a pot from a previous season, use a stiff brush to clean the container. For terra cotta, glazed ceramic, plastic or other washable surfaces, mix one teaspoon of bleach with a gallon of water and soak the containers in the solution for an hour. Another op-tion is to dip a rag in the soultion and wipe down the pot. Rinse thoroughly be-fore use.MAKE PROPER DRAINAGE HOLES Good drainage is essential to growing healthy plants. Most containers will come with pre-drilled drainage holes. If your container does not have one, use a drill to create a one-inch hole in the bottom of the pot. If you are working with a clay or concrete pot, be sure to use a masonry bit.

USE A DRIP TRAYPlace a saucer under each container to protect surfaces. These can also function as reservoirs for baskets or other planted pots that benefit from humidity and an additional supply of water.

Six Quick TipS forconTainer Garden SucceSS

1

2

3

4 STAKE YOUR GROUND Some of the edibles you grow will re-quire a stake or cage for support, or a trellis for vines to climb. Choose a large enough container to accommodate the stake, cage, or trellis and train the vine accordingly.


WATER WITH CAREPlants in containers dry out faster than plants in the ground. Yet overwatering is still the most common gardening mis-take; too much water drowns the roots. Water when the top inch of soil in the container feels dry. Vegetables tend to re-quire more watering than herbs.

5

6 KEEP UP YOUR GROOMING & HARVESTING Keep herbs neatly clipped to encourage new growth. If you notice the flowers of ornamentals are fading, deadhead them immediately and pinch off any yellowing leaves or foliage. Remember to harvest vegetables when they have matured, just as you would in an in-ground garden.


Green GoddeSS Salad conTainerS

Parsley and chives both thrive in sunny conditions and have root systems that

allow them to share a container without overrunning one another. They do equal-ly well sharing a pot or standing alone. If planting together, place in a 14-inch pot, allowing approximately 6 inches of space between each plant.

To allow plenty of room for the bulbs, plant green onions in a container of their own. Plant the bulbs at least three inch-es deep, allowing only the very tips of the bulb sprouts to extend beyond the soil. Ex-pect to see a crop of green onions in a few weeks.

Place this quartet in a sunny location and water regularly. You’ll continue to enjoy its bounty throughout season. To enjoy this combination on your plate, look to page 8 for the Green Goddess Dressing recipe.

GROW IN THE KNOWClustered pots can help to hide unsightly or distracting elements in and around the garden, such as water spigots, air-conditioning units or coiled hoses.

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uick Tip

Container 1: 14" pot Parsley

Container 2: 14" pot Chives

Container 3: 14" pot Green Onions

Container 4: 14" pot Buttercrunch or Red Sails Lettuce

spring


Parsley

Chives

Buttercrunch orRed SailsLettuce

Green Onions

PARSLEY BUTTERCRUNCH LETTUCE GREEN ONIONSCHIVES

RED SAILS LETTUCE


PREPARATIONPlace the mayonnaise in a small bowl, and mix in the anchovies if you like. Stir in the tarragon vinegar, green onions, garlic, parsley, chives and tarragon, blend-ing well. Season the dressing with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate leftover dressing for up to 2 weeks.

INGREDIENTS Serves 2

2 Cups mayonnaise4 Canned anchovy fillets minced (optional)2 Tbsp tarragon vinegar2 Green onions, white and green parts, finely chopped2 Garlic cloves¼ Cup finely chipped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves¼ Cup snipped fresh chives (¼ inch pieces)2 Tbsp chopped fresh terragon leavesSalt and freshly ground Black pepper

Green GoddeSS dreSSinG


GROW IN THE KNOWHarvest kale when the outer leaves have reached full maturity if you plan to use them to cook. Select smaller leaves for salads.Harvest spinach when the outer leaves are large enough to eat in a salad.Harvest broccoli when the flower head has formed, but its buds remain closed.

Quick Tip

Super foodSconTainer

cluSTer

Plant three containers—each with a different super food—and you’ll be

reaping the health benefits before you know it. Kale, spinach and broccoli will not only add an abundance of vitamins to your diet, but will also bring rich green color to your patio.

Kale is a hardy and relatively easy-to-grow plant that can give your diet a boost of fiber and antioxidants. You can use its green leaves in everything from omelets to smoothies or simply steam them and add seasoning for a delicious side dish. Plant each plant container-deep for best results,. For maximum potential, provide 1 to 1.5 inches of water per week.

Similar to kale, spinach is an excellent source of antioxidants and phytonutrients, which help to protect cellular structures and DNA. Allow at least 6 inches of space around each spinach plant for it to achieve maximum maturity. This leafy green needs a lot of nitrogen, so don’t forget to feed it regularly with liquid plant food. Spinach makes an excellent side dish, a tasty addition to crepes or salads or a healthful ingredient in dips or casseroles

Container 1: 16" pot Kale

Container 2: 12" pot Spinach

Container 3: 14" pot Broccoli

For the third super food in this grouping, plant broccoli. It is rich in vitamins A, B, C and K as well as zinc, phosphorous and phytonutrients. Broccoli also likes a steady water supply and should get 1 to 1.5 inches of water per week. Combine the broccoli with cheese and rice for a dish the entire family will like or serve it raw with a ranch dipping sauce. Bonus: The leaves are edi-ble, too. Cook them as you would any oth-er green.

Plant the containers and set out three to five weeks before the last frost, making sure to choose a sunny location. Kale and spinach can be harvested a few weeks af-ter planting, while broccoli will take a little longer.

Spinach

Kale

Broccoli

DID YOU KNOW?Cooking spinach actually increases its health ben-efits. This is because the body cannot completely break down raw spinach to receive all its nutrients.

spring

BROCCOLI SPINACH KALE


Kid's

container

cluster

summ

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10 | Container Gardens


DETERMINATE CHERRY TOMATOES SWEET MINTYUMMY SNACKING PEPPERS

DeterminateCherry Tomatoes

Sweet Mint

Yummy SnackingPeppers

Container 1: 18” pot Determinate Cherry Tomatoes

Container 2: 14" pot Sweet Mint

Container 3: 12" potYummy Snacking Peppers

Little ones love to help in the garden. Let them get their hands dirty with a

simple trio of vegetables and herbs that will also please their palates. The min-iature size of the cherry tomatoes and ‘Yummy Snacking’ peppers is perfect for kids of all ages. For a refreshing treat, add the sweet mint to a bowl of your child’s favorite ice cream, or let them experience the taste by adding a few leaves to a glass of water.

To create the garden grouping, fill all containers 2/3 full with premium qual-ity potting mix. Place the plants inside the container and cover the roots with additional potting mix to anchor them. (Plant according to the depth indicated on the stick tag.) Put the grouping in an area with full sun and be sure to water frequently. As the tomato and pepper plants grow, add a stake or small trellis to the pots and train the vines upward for support. Harvest the tomatoes and pep-pers when ripe, and the mint as needed. Be sure to pick regularly for maximum growth and maturity

GROW IN THE KNOWTomatoes thrive when they are able to establish a strong root system. There-fore, you should plant them slightly deeper than other plants by burying 2/3 of the tomato stem.

Q

uick TipGOOD TO KNOWAn average-size tomato plant will fill an 18-inch planter.


Sometimes a simple idea can lead to amazing (and beautiful) results. That was the case with Jenny Peterson and her Herb

Tower Container Garden. “I’m a landscape designer who spe-cializes in small spaces, so I’m always looking for ways to gar-den vertically to save space,” she says. “I’ve also been reading a lot recently about herb spirals, in which more drought-toler-ant herbs are planted on the top so they drain well—and sud-denly I had the idea to put the two projects together!” Follow the steps below to create your own version.

Place a lavender plant in the center of the smallest of the three containers. Make certain the pot has at least one good-sized drainage hole, as lavender grows best when it has the proper drainage system and air circulation. Do not overwater. When the lavender blooms, you can enjoy it as an ornamental piece of the garden tower or clip its blooms for culinary or aesthetic purposes.

A quartet of kitchen herbs comprises the second layer of the tower. Plant the onion chives, lemon thyme, Thai basil and boxwood basil along the edges of the container as shown in the diagram. (Feel free to substitute thyme or basil varieties.) Keep the pot well watered, especially as temperatures begin to rise.

In the largest of the three containers, plant three types of mint as outlined in the diagram. Plant along the outer edge of the container, and allow 4-6 inches of space between the different types of mint. It will quickly fill in to create a full circle.

When you have planted the three individual pots, transport them to a sunny location in your yard and stack to create the graduated tower.

HerB ToWerCreated By Jenny Perterson

Of J. Peterson Garden Design

LAVENDER

ONION CHIVES

LEMON THYME

SWEET MINTsum

mer

GROW IN THE KNOWMint is known for being a plant that spreads quickly and will even spill out from containers. To keep it in check, harvest the leaves regularly and pull out any wayward fingers of the plant.

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uick Tip


Sweet MintChocolate Mint

Spearmint

Lavender

LEMON THYME

SWEET MINT

THAI BASIL

BOXWOOD BASIL

CHOCOLATE MINT

SPEARMINT

Container 1: 24” potSweet Mint, Chocolate Mint, Spearmint

Container 2: 18" potOnion Chives, Lemon Thyme, Thai Basil, Boxwood Basil

Container 3: 14" potLavender

Lemon ThymeThai Basil

Boxwood BasilOnion Chives

Jenny Peterson of J. Peterson Garden Designis a garden designer, blogger and au-

thor living in Austin, Texas. She began writing three and a half years ago with her

blog, J. Peterson Garden Design. Here, she shares design tips, DIY projects, healthy living ideas and recipes from the garden. She loves to make gardening accessible, and is passion-ate about using it as a way of connecting to the world around her. Her recent creation, the Herb Tower Container Garden, was a winning entry in an edible container garden challenge held by P. Allen Smith and Bonnie Plants.

MEE

T THE BLOGGER


SuMMer STapleS

No matter the size of your garden, there are a few must-haves on almost

everyone’s list. For many people, these include tomatoes, bell peppers, cucum-bers and basil. It’s no wonder they are so popular, since with just these four simple ingredients you can create numerous salads and side dish options. Here’s how to get started growing the staples in your con-tainer garden.

For the first three containers ( tomatoes, basil and bell pepper), fill your container half to 2/3 of the way full with premium quality potting mix and place the plants in the soil. Add potting mix to fill the remain-der of the container and anchor the plants. The plants should be planted at the depth indicated on each stick tag. Insert a cage or stake for support at planting time. As the tomato and pepper plants grow, secure the stems to the support.

GROW IN THE KNOWCucumbers were referred to as “cowcumbers” in 18th and 19th century England. In fact, the well-known novelist Charles Dickens often ref-erenced them by this name in his literary works.

Q

uick Tip

Cucumber

In the same manner, plant the cucumbers in a fourth container. You’ll need to in-clude a trellis in the pot to give vines plenty of room to spread out and mature. This feature will also add height to your grouping.

All of these containers need lots of sun, so place in an area that gets at least six to eight hours per day. Make sure they have proper drainage and air circulation to help them thrive. Give them at least 1-inch of water per week, keeping the soil moist at all times.

summ

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Mid-sized Determinate

Tomato

Greek Columnar Basil

Bell Pepper

MID-SIZED DETERMINATE TOMATO GREEK COLUMNAR BASIL CUCUMBERBELL PEPPER

Container 1: 24" pot Mid-sized Determinate Tomato

Container 2: 16" pot Bell Pepper

Container 3: 14" pot Greek Columnar Basil

Container 4: 16" pot Cucumber


fall

16 | Container Gardens

p. allen SMiTH’S Mixed HerBWindoW Box

17 | Container Gardensbonnieplants.com 17 | Container Gardens

GROW IN THE KNOWYou can maintain these same herbs in an indoor garden by practicing light feeding, being careful not overwater, placing the container in a sunny location, and being sure to repot each year.

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uick Tip

http://bonnieplants.com/library/how-to-grow-herbs-indoors/


fall

p. allen SMiTH’S Mixed HerBWindoW Box

Looking to bring a little flavor into your kitchen? A window box filled with German thyme, lemon thyme, parsley, sage and rosemary provides a variety of savory flavors

to season everything from roasted new potatoes to grilled chicken. This grouping’s mix of textures and fragrant aromas is sure to excite the senses. What’s more, the conve-nience of a window box means the herbs will always be close at hand.

To plant the container, begin by filling it 2/3 full with premium quality potting mix. Plant rosemary, sage and parsley plants (one each) along the back of the window box as shown in the diagram. Next, fill in the front and sides with two lemon thyme plants and two German thyme plants. Fill in the remaining areas with potting mix and press down to anchor the plants.

Place the box in a sunny location and water regularly. Harvest the leaves by clipping the stems with garden shears or scissors.

Container 1: 16" x 4" window boxLemon Thyme, German Thyme,

Parsley, Sage, Rosemary

LEMON THYME PARSLEY SAGEGERMAN THYME ROSEMARY

Sage

Lemon Thyme

German Thyme

Parsley

Rosemary


ROSEMARY

Get ready for beautiful fall color—and a few delicious edibles as well. This con-tainer combines dark blue-green kale and vivid green parsley with pansies, one

of fall’s favorite ornamentals. For a savory fall dish, harvest the kale and cook with bacon. Use the parsley and pansies for a garnish that also happens to be edible.

Fill the container 2/3 full with premium quality potting mix. Place the plants in the container as shown in the diagram, and add additional potting mix to cover the root systems and fill in the container. Set the container in an area that receives at least six hours of daily sunlight for best results. Harvest the kale and parsley as needed (being sure to keep them trimmed for the best results) and enjoy the color throughout the season.

fallediBleS&ornaMenTalS planTinG

GROW IN THE KNOWLacinato kale is sometimes referred to as dinosaur kale. The bumpy texture of its leaves is said to resemble dinosaur’s skin.

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uick Tip

Lacinato Kale

Pansies

CurledParsley

CURLED PARSLEY

PANSIES

Container 1: 16" potLacinato Kale, Curled Parsley, Pansies

LACINATO KALE

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