Vegetable Garden Edible Garden-plants and small edible plants are the perfect companion when you live in an apartment. You can grow your own herbs, vegetables, or fruits in small containers. Whether they are for indoor or outdoor planting, planters and containers are very useful around the apartment. They are also more convenient in small apartment gardens since they can be easily used in any small area, indoors or out.
The most popular plant to use in small edible gardens is lettuce. If you have a balcony or front yard, you can plant lettuce in containers for an instant window dining experience. Lettuce is a perennial herb that goes best planted in the spring and the summer. However, lettuce likes the shade as well and will do well with protection from the sun during the colder months. If you live in a place with lots of sunlight, there is no harm in leaving them in their own backyard but if you are short on the time, there is another option to consider.
Tomatoes are the other main plant in a small edible garden, and there are two kinds: the sauce tomato and the bell pepper. For larger terracotta or concrete vegetable pots, there are varieties of tomatoes that will go great in raised beds. There are many varieties to choose from, such as small white tomatoes, sweet peppers, green peppers, large red peppers, small yellow tomatoes, small black tomatoes, purple tomatoes, and purple grape tomatoes. Bell peppers are also great along with a variety of herbs. The small white variety is good for snacking while bell peppers can be added whole into salads.
On the other hand, if you live in a small apartment, you may want to consider using other plants that don’t require a lot of space to grow. One of these plants would be herbs. With today’s market flooding with fresh herbs, you can put your herbs in a sunny window. You may want to choose smaller varieties of herbs so you don’t overwhelm your small edible garden space. Popular choices would be parsley, mint, basil, sage, dill, chives, tarragon, thyme, oregano, Rosemary, and even garlic.
Of course, just because you’re planning a small edible garden doesn’t mean you can’t include fruit trees or some ornamental edible plants. The great thing about having ornamental, edible plants is that they don’t take up much room and are quick to grow. These plants could include lemons, limes, oranges, grapefruits, strawberries, kiwi fruit trees, passion fruits, pineapples, cantaloupe, and raspberries. All these fruits and vegetables can easily be added to your table. Just remember not to crowd them too much because they may spoil faster than other edible flowers and fruits.
One of the best things about an edible plant is that it does not require a lot of care and maintenance. Some popular herbs for small edible gardens are basil, chives, chervil, oregano, Rosemary, sage, and summer savory. The most difficult of these herbs to grow are the chervil, which needs 6 hours of daylight each day and must be kept cool. Sage, oregano, and Rosemary are easy to grow and don’t require any special care. Be careful though, because some of these herbs can also attract bees and other insects if left on the plant unattended.
Vegetable gardens can also be designed and built as a small edible garden and then used to supplement your main vegetable garden. These gardens can be designed to be self-supporting as well, saving you money in the long run since there won’t be any need to buy organic produce. However, you can also grow vegetables on a compost pile if you want to, using organic material instead of soil to create your veggie garden.
If you have an area that remains relatively dry, you can grow edible plants on the ground in addition to your annuals and perennials. You can also grow flowers on the ground, such as lavender. You can create interesting designs with various types of flowers and vegetables on the same plant, turning your garden into something beautiful along the way. You can have a vegetable garden that looks like an entirely different plant all around!