Mobile garden
Gardening takes commitment…
commitment of time and effort to cultivate plants of course.
There’s also commitment to location from a pragmatic sense. I mean you grow plants in the earth. And the earth doesn’t pack up and move… tho people do.
We’re familiar with the typical model used by urban gardeners with limited land: construct a number of frames (AKA “containers”, “boxes”) out of durable wood, fill with soil and you’re good to go.
That’s what we did here many years ago and have added to since.
However, that model doesn’t work well for everyone. Some folks aren’t home “owners” and neither have control over the yard space or want to invest in improving the yard space only to leave it behind should they move. Other folks such as condominium dwellers may not have yard space.
Not a problem if you think outside the “box” and focus on a broader definition of “container”.
The purpose of a container is simply, to contain. In this case, growing soil. There’s one additional requirement when you’re growing food which is that the material not leach toxins into the soil.
With our expanded definition, you can now create a garden that doesn’t rely on owning a back yard or long term location commitment.
True, plastics are a bit of an environmental no-no, I know. But they’re durable, moldable and lightweight. This makes them attractive as containers.
Currently we’re using a dozen old rectangular plastic recycle bins. (Our trash collection company switched over to cans on wheels a few years ago and we kept - and re-purposed - our bins. Then we collected more bins from others that had them sitting around without a purpose. “One person’s trash…”)
They work great. Filled with soil, two of us can move them which makes them portable. And the size (2′ x 1.5′) makes them easy to fit in otherwise not used spots and corners here and there.
Additionally, you can sit them on any surface: wood deck, concrete patio… so you’re not reliant on a “yard”.
We have other areas that get sun, but aren’t optimal for a wood frame box such as the brick patio, wood deck, concrete driveway.
So we’ll be taking advantage of these growing areas with containers.
We fetched some 15 gallon nursery containers and some 19 gallon tubs (commonly known as “keg tubs” or “rope handle tubs”).
They’ll be moveable by two people when they’re filled with soil. So they don’t take the level of location commitment a 3′ x 6′ or 4′ x 8′ wood frame container take. And they don’t cost nearly as much.
The keg tubs are generally $7-$14, findable at larger liquor stores, grocery stores and general merchandise stores. They tend to be a seasonal item, around during the summer.
15 gallon nursery pots can be hard to find… at least at a reasonable price. We called around to local nurseries and were able to find some. I’ve also seen them at large garden centers. I recently saw them at Orchard Supply Hardware for around $9.
With black plastic especially, and less so with lighter colors, the pot will absorb heat and not dissipate it easily. Too much heat can basically cook the plant roots. Not a happy outcome. So you want to be careful in sunny areas. You can shade the pot.
With plastic containers such as keg tubs that aren’t designed for plants, you want to be sure to drill/cut some drainage holes in the bottom.
With all containers, the soil dries out more quickly, so they require more frequent watering.
Take a look around. Maybe you already have a “container” you can use to grow some food. Maybe a no longer used little kid plastic wading pool, trash can…
Here are a few more like this one:
