The weirdest thing I have grown in is an old sofa bed we pulled it back to the bare wooden frame and then used the spring section of the sofa bed as a trellis 😆.
I live in a flat with a balcony and last year I tried my hand at growing veg. Despite being a complete novice, I grew chili peppers, courgettes, beans and tomatoes. One thing I tired to increase my tomato yield was to have cherry tomatoes grown in upside down 5l plastic bottles and it worked a treat. This year I feel I've learnt a lot and with fantastic videos like yours, I feel more confident of a bumper harvest. Thanks for your great content and useful tips!
I’m in my 3rd year. I became very I’ll 2 years ago. My husband and I thought starting a garden would be very healing for me. I’m still recovering and still gardening. We started with two raised beds. Last year added two wine barrels cut in half. Containers this year along with a pallet trelliss. Ben your instructions are priceless! Your attention to detail is so helpful. I couldn’t have done this without you and my wonderful husband. Bee Well Ben. Diana from Colorado.
Get well soon Diana its no fun being under the weather, I have good days and bad days with my Fibromyalgia make the most of it when you have a good one. Love and hugs, and happy new year toyou and your hubby from Western Australia 🤗🙏🦘🦘🎊🎉🥂
@@jennyc1846 you are so wonderful in taking time to encourage me. We can pray for each other even across the oceans. My heart is happy. Happy and blessed New Year!
Two Ikea bags, one inside the other. They needed support on the sides to not flop open, but they grew a volunteer cherry tomato, two peppers, and some parsley.
Weirdest container so far: a leaky tea kettle. It was too pretty to throw out, so now it’s draped with thriving succulents. Thank you for your excellent videos!
Teapots are excellent! Can water in the spout or use the spout to pour out excess water. I have several. I use an old crib spring as a trellis. Would love an old wringer washer. The weirdest thing I grew in is an old avocado green toilet! LOL. TFS
Hi see Robbie and Gary channel.. they show how to grow successfully in containers using weeds, twigs, kitchen scraps etc. Soil is used only as a top layer. Cheers. 🌻
I did this in our school's polytunnel beds as i had a lot of very roygh compost free from the council which was too harsh for young plants when fresh. "Good" compost went on top and the stuff beneath had time to mellow. Result: a freezer full of beans and tomatoes and sunflowers like small trees!!
I put closet coat hanger racks on my fence and the rods between them. I strung grocery bags on the rods and planted peas. 20 bags and a 15x8 wall of peas!
Last year I planted Nasturtiums in an pair of very old cowboy boots! I'd worn holes in them and could never just throw them out. They were hung up on a 2-hook hanger with a Hummingbird feeder, they looked beautifully funny. I should have taken pictures! I love this video, you have such great ideas and I've over-sown so many seeds my greenhouses are just bulging, I need more pots. Thank You!
I used my old hot tub for planting. It’s deep enough no holes were necessary. It’s unprotected so just growing things there deer won’t eat. Save coffee grounds for my blueberries.. I’m container planting some things this year. Carrots, herbs,potatoes. My sister, who is elderly, wants a little garden. I’m using an old bathtub for her to have tomatoes.Ya’all have a blessed Sunday. Thanks again for all your ideas and knowledge you share Ben.
The balcony garden I grew was so much fun. I had morning glory and moon flowers on the balcony around the support post and safety border. People traveling by would slow down to look at how beautiful it was. Now I have a large back yard. The experience gave me knowledge to pass to my kids so they can grow a garden wherever they may live along their journey.
I started my seeds (tomato, pumpkin, potato, cantaloupe, peppers and zinnias) in medium sized McDonald's coffee cups. They're thriving! I transplanted the potatoes into 5 gallon food grade pails this weekend and I'll be planting the rest directly into the garden once it's warm enough.🇨🇦
Thanks Ben I use dry grass clipping to fill and news paper,wood chips, tear up cardboard for the bottom of pots,then fill with compost mix. All of my herbs grow in pots and wooden planter. I have use old buckets,small waste bins. I have use guttering for chives and flowers.
Thanks to you and your videos I am going around my house finding every possible container in which to plant seeds and plants. Cereal boxes and yogurt containers are being called to a higher purpose, lol!
I go to the dump and retrieve metal bathtubs. I now have 8. Gave them a good scrub, used plastic pain to touch up any rust and filled with lovely well rotted horse manure and topsoil with some peat moss. Cheap usually free or $3 each, place on bricks so it can drain well and your off.
A neigbor dumped a toilet on the corner of my property, and the tow wouldn't come pick it up because it wasn't mine, so I planted pansies in the seat, and petunias in the back. Got a lot of compliments, directed those people to thank neighbor. come autumn toilet was removed! :)
Beautiful! There really is no shortage of ideas for growing in containers. Bakeries and delis will give 5 gallon buckets away, and they make great growing spots. The bonus is that they are portable. Garden on! Blessings... daisy
Hey there! That is a great idea. I don't know of too many small bakeries, but I wonder if places like Panera that have some baked goods would have those! Those get expensive and they are super useful.
Howdy Ben and Rosie!👋 Another super topic!👍 I garden mostly in containers...I grow everything in them...even pie pumpkins, small varieties of watermelon and popcorn.😃 I fill the bottom with sticks and stuff too. For squash I make a compost pit...put food scraps, etc. near grew bottom. They really take off when they hit that compose in place food.😃 I repurposed our son's sandbox and grew food in it for 17 years...collards, lettuce, beets, etc.👩🏾🌾 I'm looking forward to next week's post!❤
I live on an island in Alaska and I used a large tote for holding halibut as a garden box and it was awesome haha nice and deep with a drain plug. I grew various salad greens and flowers in it
I've been gardening for nearly 70 years and really enjoy my hobby.......mainly in the "good years". Recently I've had a spate of bad luck in the midwestern U.S. with heat, drought, bugs, very heavy clay soil, and bad luck. I really enjoy your enthusiasm and ideas. It looks like a 'container garden' for me next year. Thanks for all your tips and good humor. Talk to the "Gardening Gods" for me.......
I mulch my garden paths heavily with fairly coarse wood chips (free if you can get tree guys to dump in your yard!). Every few years, I scrape of the top layer and dig out the well composted chips, which I use to extend potting soil and top off the raised beds.
Good timing, I can only grow in containers in my back yard, I’ve recently planted potatoes along with some potato fertiliser in an old council recycling bin, so glad you suggested that one
Aww your fur baby is so adorable. I wish ours was well behaved and listen to us. Our fur baby likes to help us dig and eat carrots. cucumbers and especially the strawberries that hangover the pots. Happy gardening.
I grew in a homemade toddlers bed that used their crib mattress after they had out grown the crib.😂 It was painted bright pink and really put a pop of color in my garden, made all my lettuce and radishes really stand out.
Just wanted to say a big thank you. I am now in my fourth year of growing and feel like I can call myself a proper gardener at this point. I've got my head around the local weather and can often problem solve on the fly. However, I am always checking back with your videos and garden planner for confirmation. Here's to a good growing year! 🎉
Everyone's unusual containers sound so great! They make my salad leaves in 2l cola bottle troughs seem so tame 😭 I do grow tomatoes in an old bath, and had huge success with wicking/self watering growing in an old fridge.
Thank you Ben! I feel inspired 🪴 after watching your posts. My city garden in the Netherlands has slightly polluted soil, so I grow crops in containers. So far I’m growing some beets, radish, carrot, arugula, quite some herbs, cayenne, paksoi, tomato, cherry tomato, edible flowers, spinach, wild garlic, strawberry spinach and a baby leaf lettuce kind. The cucumber hasn’t done so well yet, but as a beginning city gardener I’m proud of how it’s working out so far. Next goal is guerilla gardening in the municipal empty “green”patches across the street. 💚🍀🌿
Some wonderful produce growing there. And yes, loving the guerrilla gardening idea - more empty spaces need to be turned to good, wholesome, organic food.
Weirdest thing ever planted was an old rubber tire lol and my grandma had an old toilet bowl that she planted flowers in lol. I've seen soo many crazy "planters/containers it never ceases to amaze me. Some plants are absolutely relentless and will grow just about anywhere anyway lol. GOD bless Happy growing!
Just keep making videos. What ever it is I will watch it. I live in Colorado USA so the altitude is a problem but your cheerful optimism keeps me going.
Thankyou , straight to the point, concise and informative. Too many gardeners think that we want to hear about their lifestyles and spend more time waffling about other things rather than gardening. Good tips here and I'll be back.
Just the video I needed before I head to the garden centre tomorrow to get some seeds and plugs. I have a very small garden with no real borders but intend on filling it with containers. Great content! 💚🌱
Notes to self ❤ ✨Food grade plastic ✨drainage ✨light colored containers in hot climates ✨do soil research per plant (I’ll buy in store ) ✨rocks under the pots to keep drainage open
Hi Ben, I have used a 1950's wooden tool box to grow parsley in, worked a treat. Also used large commercial coffee tubs to grow shalotts in with impressive results :)
I love this info! Filling the pots half way with sticks and such is so smart! Thanks for that! Working on a Patio Garden now and this is so appreciated!
I lost half of my fence during the last winter storm; so I had the whole thing replaced with hedge bushes to make a natural fence (in a few seasons). The gardener was so amazing to offer me all the pots that the shrubs came in. Saved me over $200 on equipment and I’ve got more pots than I had in mind to fill. So nothing strange yet, just bushels of gratitude 🙏🏻
I fight Bermuda grass so I grow exclusively in containers. I once planted in a broken toilet. It was broken before we got to use it so it was hygienic. It all works. Great advice.
People put old broken furniture on the side of road for bulk trash. I helped by repurposing bed spring & mailbox post for trellis. Dresser drawers for containers & side boards for raised beds. If color matters just get cheap spray paint & paint the exterior. Also used a neighbor’s fallen wood fence they were going to throw away.
Thank you, Ben, that was my project for today. I am putting pots under or near underneath of a tree and I may have to move them if they come to trim the tree. This tree has large evergreen leaves that smother every thing. Various challenges but we are going for it.
Really helpful! I've already got a load of lettuce growing in big yoghurt pots on a windowsill and I'm just about to experiment with creating a veg garden on a window ledge using milk bottles (food grade plastic!) threaded onto tension rods. If I manage it without killing passers by underneath I might film the results....
I have a fairly large back garden but I still plant things like blueberries and tomatoes in pots so I can move them around to chase the sun. I love planting in containers and harvesting spuds in them is so easy.
Nice video! The oddest containers I've grown veggies in are: Potatoes in old tires. One stacked on top of the other, filled with dirt. The next is herbs in an old boot. A giant size man's work boot works well and it's a novelty you can show your friends.
My soil in my garden is pretty bad so will be amending all year in this season utilizing pots and cow feed tubs to grow in. Thanks for all the great information on container gardening. Really enjoying the video's
Thanks Ben!!! Love the brassiere! That tops my quirkiness, I don’t own any! 😆 Sowed zinnias, marigolds, lettuce varieties, creeping thyme and okra. 💐💖🙏🌠🌎🍃🌱🌷💗
I work at a research and extension center for a state university, so I have access to all kinds of weird planters. Swiftdrains (used for trench drains, they look like robust gutters) make GREAT planters for salad greens, the bottom third of a blue plastic barrel (the sump of a decommissioned recirculating aquaculture system) saw dahlias and tomatoes, with my favorite being an old stainless steel drum (from a raingarden mesocosm) used for flowers under one of my building's gutters. I have also seen the Styrofoam inserts of shipping coolers used for peppers.
Your fur baby is so stinking cute 🥰 I loved the close ups. Love your videos so informative. I have been going around my town collecting wood pallets to make raised beds and sewed some grow bags. I live in an apartment but have a small porch so taking notes on all these tid bits you have provided ☺️💖
Last year I gave birth and couldn't take care about garden much. So I planted my tomatoes in the plastic nappy bags. And got surprisingly reach harvest :)
First time gardening this year since we were both children and you’ve been such an inspiration, I can’t say thank you enough. So much useful information. We have lots of containers and I’ve made some raised planters from old pallets. Trying to grow herbs, a variety of salads and veggies inc potatoes and some fruits like strawberries and blueberries. So far so good, can’t wait to see them grow. Great videos thank you.
I'm a big fan of containers. For the past 14 years I've found I get good results for all types of veg by using large plastic pots (bucket-sized) as miniature raised beds. All I do is cut several 1" diameter drainage holes in the SIDES of the pots, level with the base, then plunge the container into a well-prepared garden bed a depth of 4 inches. Fill with compost, plant your veg, and you have the benefit of a (slightly) raised bed which will water itself to some extent. It needn't look untidy, either. If you arrange a 'raft' of even-sized pots - say, 21 of them in a block 7 wide and 3 deep and spaced as needed (6" between them is probably enough) - the result looks quite smart. It works especially well for tomatoes, sweetcorn, beans, sweet peppers, chilli peppers, and spuds. You can still water as usual, but I'm based in the grey and soggy north of England, so the soil is generally moist enough. Please note that the pots shouldn't have any extra drainage crocks in the bottom; it's important that there's direct contact between the container compost and the garden soil. I must admit that I don't insist on only using food-grade containers. I'll use anything, including the cheapest, grottiest plastic buckets. I'm not fanatical about green issues, nor am I neurotic about my health. I make my own compost to save cash, and if I can grow cheap food as well, I'm happy. 🙂
I have a small balcony that Im growing my autumn/winter crops (summer i had loads of tomato and strawberries) in pots/containers: Lettuces Cauliflower Broccoli Cabbage Silverbeet Spinach Beetroot Dwarf lemon tree Lime tree Blueberrys Raspberry Beans Radishes Carrots And herbs: dill, basil, parsley, chives, oregano, rosemary Ive also added some hanging pots for marigolds and lavender to help with pest control and bring the bees ❤ loved your video. Ive wanted to grow pumpkin and cucumbers but wasnt sure how to until I saw your video so thank you ❤❤
I have 2 kinds of radishes....3 kinds of carrots...peas and beets. Tomorrow I'll be putting my onion starts in I grew from seed and planting some cabbage seeds. My cabbage starts will go in the garden in a couple weeks.
The weirdest thing I've used for a container is a net laundry bag. I worked great and had wonderful results. I planted tomatoes and marigolds in it. I've also used storage bins. Thanks for the great ideas and happy gardening everyone!
I use some of those blue kiddie pools, but they are not food grade, most of those you have there are not I really don't think it really matters I have been doing that all my life and I am still here
you are such a good teacher, i enjoy your videos and i always learn something new. When my refrigerator and freezer died in the same week, i drag them in the front yard and as they lay on their back , i thought wow what a great planter. i now have 14 refrigerators that i have covered with repurposed wood . i fill the bottom with wood chips then leaves and on top good soil and compost. it is insulated both from heat and cold. if your fridge dies, rejoice you have a great planter , use it in your garden. Thank you for sharing your knowledge
I’m going to grow some carrots in my big plastic compost bin this year as a trial, strawberries and herbs in hanging baskets and an old leaky watering can is going to be modified to take something, maybe spring onions .
Great tips for container gardening! Just a side note, I live in Ontario Canada and this is where peat bogs are, so peat is local to me so not a burden to transport.
Over here in the UK we’re being told to avoid peat based compost in an effort to preserve peat bogs, you can still buy peat and I think a lot of commercial growers still use it but we’re being encouraged to replace it with peat free where possible - might be something to look into
I bought two sets of black fabric "raised beds" - each consisting of four pockets. These got filled with potting mix, and then planted with very happy tomatoes. However, they are in sun for much of the day, so I have since wrapped them round with lengths of white bubble wrap left over from the house move. This helps protect from excess moisture loss, and also stops the black fabric absorbing too much heat. Not the prettiest addition to the garden, but so far it seems to be working !
your videos bring me a ton of enjoyment! right now on the last day of april in northern minnesota, im still looking out the window to snow in the yard. i really want to get a bunch of containers going someday! we've had one or two in the past, and its really enjoyable! our ground is very hard to grow anything in (except crabgrass) so id love some raised gardens someday too. thanks for making it all look so much easier than my brain makes it out to be sometimes.
Thank for sharing such a wonderful video, I have a small space and love growing vegetables. 🥦 I use only potting mix. Now ill think of adding another source of mineral like bone meal or perlite
The majority of our garden is pots and containers. Last year, mum was getting rid of an old single divan bad. When she turned it upside-down to start chopping it up, I looked and said "That would make a great raised bed!" So we cut some of the length off and I grew amazing sweetcorn in it last year. Then In Autumn I put garlic and onions in which are still growing well. I'm thinking once they come out to put my borlotto beans in perhaps. I am growing a fair few types of tomatoes, including "Big Mama" which is supposed to give huge plum tomatoes, so I'm excited for those to make into sauces. I'm also going to try a trailing tomato in a hanging basket and also I have a "current" tomato which I'm hoping will grow really tiny toms! :D You mentioned about the carrots in a pot being lifted up to stop the carrot fly - just wondered if that means they only attack them if they are in the ground? Or can they still get to pots? We seem to be going through The Attack of the Aphids at the mo. They are driving me mad.
Wow, what a great up-cycle :) Maybe try inter-sowing carrots between the onions & garlic rows. (they are happy companions) When you crop the garlic & onions, are you going to start at the back so you can put a trellis up for your beans?
I read / or saw on a previous video that carrot fly don't fly above 30cm / 12", so if you interplant the carrots between the onion rows in the divan raised bed, they will be up high, so no carrot fly. Have a look at the companion plants to deter aphids you are experiencing. Your garden sounds fab you must be really proud of your hard work x
@@carolineowen7846 Thank you! :) It's been working really well. Ahh I didn't realise about the carrots and garlic/onions growing well together, that's a nice idea. I've not really had much thought about how I'm going to do the beans yet. I am growing Dwarf Borlotto lingua di fucco, as I grew about 6 plants of them last year and they were absolutely amazing. I had no issues at all with them and they only need short canes for a bit of support. I blanched and froze them, then put them in a Chilli con carne and they were so delicious with a buttery, slight nutty flavour. I only wished I had got more. So this year I'm doing double the amount.
@@carolineowen7846 Oh right really!! Now that is very interesting and so helpful, thank you. I've been eyeing up Dragon Carrots, not only because they look really nice, but also I'm a sucker for anything with Dragon in the name haha! (Also have Snap Dragons, Aquilegia Dragonfly and indoor Dracena (Dragon Tree) plant)
Yes, that’s right - by growing carrots in containers you can raise them up above the low-flying carrot flies. A finger-sized carrot for salads would be ideal for container growing.
Great videos, learning a lot from you. Thank you. An old butler's sink with a variety of flowers, which my husband say is not unusual, an old 1940's style mop bucket with tomatoes and a split 100L water butt, sawn in 2 halves for melons and pumpkin. The latter two grown for first time this year.
I once moved to a new place in the middle of (canadian) winter and come spring there was an old BBQ that appeared under the snow. It wasn't working but made an amazing bed for wild flowers which I later switched to strawberries. I'm so sad my current tint balcony is north facing I miss growing things
great video - I am enjoying your style. It is very refreshing and I am learning as well.!! I grow squash pumpkins, tomatoes, zucchini, chiles, peppers, peas, and a large variety of herbs. My herbs self sow into strange places, such as cracks in sidewalk, old tires laying around, and thanks to my local birds even in our rain gutters! thanks for all your info and garden planning!
Ben you wont beat the foll for quirkiness i,, if i i get seeds growing, i have hung up on my wall, an old mask to make a baby hammock, filled it with potting(quoting you of course) if you can put soil in it, you can grow in it, Wondering what is shallow rooted enough to plant in. Advice welcomed. Always enjoy your cheery way. Debby
I'm not sure much will grow in such a shallow container, but you never know - worth a try, perhaps with some salad leaves which are fairly shallow rooted. Good luck!
Another great video Ben! I am renting and mainly growing in containers at the moment. Your videos give me hope that I can actually grow pretty well this way, and still eat!
I once used an old pig feeder to grow herbs in....... i stuck an umbrella over the top, when it rained, as it was made of iron and had no drainage holes. Apart from that, it was stunning to look at.
I'm using cheap, square garden waste bags from places like Wilko. They are about 60cm square, and the same deep. The material is quite porous, so no problems with drainage. If you put a good layer of twigs and prunings on the bottom, they will probably puncture the fabric for even more drainage. I'm then filling with dug out turves (upside down) and used potting compost from other containers, finishing off with some BFB and fresh multi-purpose compost. This year planning to grow leeks, spinach, endives, carrots and spring onions, with a few annual herbs scattered in for companion planting.
The weirdest thing I have grown in is an old sofa bed we pulled it back to the bare wooden frame and then used the spring section of the sofa bed as a trellis 😆.
Literally a growing bed!
Wow!
Freaking sweet idea
The Winner!!!!
We used an old door frame, when we've replaced the whole door, as a raised bed, made it into a hugelcultur bed, my tomatoes love it!!!!
I live in a flat with a balcony and last year I tried my hand at growing veg. Despite being a complete novice, I grew chili peppers, courgettes, beans and tomatoes. One thing I tired to increase my tomato yield was to have cherry tomatoes grown in upside down 5l plastic bottles and it worked a treat. This year I feel I've learnt a lot and with fantastic videos like yours, I feel more confident of a bumper harvest. Thanks for your great content and useful tips!
Wonderful - you packed so much in!
Nice nice 👍👍👍👍👍👍💓💓💓👍👍😍😊💯💯🎉
I’m in my 3rd year. I became very I’ll 2 years ago. My husband and I thought starting a garden would be very healing for me. I’m still recovering and still gardening. We started with two raised beds. Last year added two wine barrels cut in half. Containers this year along with a pallet trelliss.
Ben your instructions are priceless! Your attention to detail is so helpful. I couldn’t have done this without you and my wonderful husband. Bee Well Ben. Diana from Colorado.
That's so lovely to hear Diana. I hope your recovery continues to progress.
God bless and expedite and your healing, dear Diana! I’m in GA, learning from Ben 💕
@@ladyela9283 what a precious reply. Thank you dear Ela.
Get well soon Diana its no fun being under the weather, I have good days and bad days with my Fibromyalgia make the most of it when you have a good one. Love and hugs, and happy new year toyou and your hubby from Western Australia 🤗🙏🦘🦘🎊🎉🥂
@@jennyc1846 you are so wonderful in taking time to encourage me. We can pray for each other even across the oceans. My heart is happy.
Happy and blessed New Year!
Two Ikea bags, one inside the other. They needed support on the sides to not flop open, but they grew a volunteer cherry tomato, two peppers, and some parsley.
I’ve got several of those dumb reusable grocery bags that I’m going to use this year, I’m glad to hear your experience.
Ikea bags need protection from the sun. If you can wrap it in protective material, it can last more than one season.
Weirdest container so far: a leaky tea kettle. It was too pretty to throw out, so now it’s draped with thriving succulents. Thank you for your excellent videos!
Tea pot with succulents and miniature ivy growing out of the spout.
Let's have a tea party!
Teapots are excellent! Can water in the spout or use the spout to pour out excess water. I have several. I use an old crib spring as a trellis. Would love an old wringer washer. The weirdest thing I grew in is an old avocado green toilet! LOL. TFS
Love that tip about part way filling the pot with organic material and then topping up the last 12’ with the good soil. Game changer!
It's saved me so much potting mix!
Hi see Robbie and Gary channel.. they show how to grow successfully in containers using weeds, twigs, kitchen scraps etc. Soil is used only as a top layer. Cheers. 🌻
@@janetbransdon3742 love her!
I did this in our school's polytunnel beds as i had a lot of very roygh compost free from the council which was too harsh for young plants when fresh. "Good" compost went on top and the stuff beneath had time to mellow. Result: a freezer full of beans and tomatoes and sunflowers like small trees!!
I put closet coat hanger racks on my fence and the rods between them. I strung grocery bags on the rods and planted peas. 20 bags and a 15x8 wall of peas!
Great idea - I bet that looks incredible too.
@@GrowVeg it really does.
Last year I planted Nasturtiums in an pair of very old cowboy boots! I'd worn holes in them and could never just throw them out. They were hung up on a 2-hook hanger with a Hummingbird feeder, they looked beautifully funny. I should have taken pictures! I love this video, you have such great ideas and I've over-sown so many seeds my greenhouses are just bulging, I need more pots. Thank You!
I bet those boots looked fantastic - what fun! :-)
Great video! I have 2 canoes (the seats rotted out) they are my most productive raised beds 😀
great idea, bet they look great
Wow - what fun! :-)
I just inherited two rusty canoes and was wondering with my husband how they would do for raised beds. I'm so excited to try mine, now! Thanks!
I used my old hot tub for planting. It’s deep enough no holes were necessary. It’s unprotected so just growing things there deer won’t eat. Save coffee grounds for my blueberries.. I’m container planting some things this year. Carrots, herbs,potatoes. My sister, who is elderly, wants a little garden. I’m using an old bathtub for her to have tomatoes.Ya’all have a blessed Sunday.
Thanks again for all your ideas and knowledge you share Ben.
Fantastic repurposing going on there Tonie. I bet they grow a feast!
The balcony garden I grew was so much fun. I had morning glory and moon flowers on the balcony around the support post and safety border. People traveling by would slow down to look at how beautiful it was. Now I have a large back yard. The experience gave me knowledge to pass to my kids so they can grow a garden wherever they may live along their journey.
That's fantastic to hear Catie.
Cardboard boxes, fabric pots, cinderblocks. and the earth.
I started my seeds (tomato, pumpkin, potato, cantaloupe, peppers and zinnias) in medium sized McDonald's coffee cups. They're thriving! I transplanted the potatoes into 5 gallon food grade pails this weekend and I'll be planting the rest directly into the garden once it's warm enough.🇨🇦
Thanks Ben I use dry grass clipping to fill and news paper,wood chips, tear up cardboard for the bottom of pots,then fill with compost mix. All of my herbs grow in pots and wooden planter. I have use old buckets,small waste bins. I have use guttering for chives and flowers.
Love guttering as a quirky container.
Thanks to you and your videos I am going around my house finding every possible container in which to plant seeds and plants. Cereal boxes and yogurt containers are being called to a higher purpose, lol!
Brilliant!
I've even seen an old car (Mk2 Escort) planted up, you truly can use anything!...Steve...😃
That's remarkable!
I go to the dump and retrieve metal bathtubs. I now have 8. Gave them a good scrub, used plastic pain to touch up any rust and filled with lovely well rotted horse manure and topsoil with some peat moss. Cheap usually free or $3 each, place on bricks so it can drain well and your off.
That's fantastic - what a great move!
A neigbor dumped a toilet on the corner of my property, and the tow wouldn't come pick it up because it wasn't mine, so I planted pansies in the seat, and petunias in the back. Got a lot of compliments, directed those people to thank neighbor. come autumn toilet was removed! :)
Smart move!
Turning their trash into a neighborhood-pot-of-flowers and they can't handle their "genius idea." Tsk, tsk.
@@GrowVegSmooth move! Pun intended.😅
Beautiful! There really is no shortage of ideas for growing in containers. Bakeries and delis will give 5 gallon buckets away, and they make great growing spots. The bonus is that they are portable. Garden on! Blessings... daisy
Hey there! That is a great idea. I don't know of too many small bakeries, but I wonder if places like Panera that have some baked goods would have those! Those get expensive and they are super useful.
Howdy Ben and Rosie!👋 Another super topic!👍
I garden mostly in containers...I grow everything in them...even pie pumpkins, small varieties of watermelon and popcorn.😃
I fill the bottom with sticks and stuff too. For squash I make a compost pit...put food scraps, etc. near grew bottom. They really take off when they hit that compose in place food.😃
I repurposed our son's sandbox and grew food in it for 17 years...collards, lettuce, beets, etc.👩🏾🌾
I'm looking forward to next week's post!❤
Wonderful Valorie! It sounds like you’re several steps ahead already. 😎👍🥒
I live on an island in Alaska and I used a large tote for holding halibut as a garden box and it was awesome haha nice and deep with a drain plug. I grew various salad greens and flowers in it
I've been gardening for nearly 70 years and really enjoy my hobby.......mainly in the "good years". Recently I've had a spate of bad luck in the midwestern U.S. with heat, drought, bugs, very heavy clay soil, and bad luck. I really enjoy your enthusiasm and ideas. It looks like a 'container garden' for me next year. Thanks for all your tips and good humor. Talk to the "Gardening Gods" for me.......
Growing in containers is great flexibility, so it’s definitely worth trying. I hope you have fantastic success in the coming growing seasons. :-)
I mulch my garden paths heavily with fairly coarse wood chips (free if you can get tree guys to dump in your yard!). Every few years, I scrape of the top layer and dig out the well composted chips, which I use to extend potting soil and top off the raised beds.
What a super idea - makes everything go a little further.
Good timing, I can only grow in containers in my back yard, I’ve recently planted potatoes along with some potato fertiliser in an old council recycling bin, so glad you suggested that one
Great minds think alike Kim.
Aww your fur baby is so adorable. I wish ours was well behaved and listen to us. Our fur baby likes to help us dig and eat carrots. cucumbers and especially the strawberries that hangover the pots. Happy gardening.
Sounds like your dog has exceptionally good taste. :-)
I grew in a homemade toddlers bed that used their crib mattress after they had out grown the crib.😂 It was painted bright pink and really put a pop of color in my garden, made all my lettuce and radishes really stand out.
Sounds incredible! :-)
Just wanted to say a big thank you. I am now in my fourth year of growing and feel like I can call myself a proper gardener at this point. I've got my head around the local weather and can often problem solve on the fly. However, I am always checking back with your videos and garden planner for confirmation. Here's to a good growing year! 🎉
That's great to hear Emma. :-)
Craziest containers I have use are stainless steel 3 compartment sink on wheels, suitcase and red wagon.
I put up turned small plastic pots in the bottom of my deep planters as they take up the space and add drainage too.
I know nothing and this video inspired me to begin a small balcony garden. If 2 containers count. THANK U
All those reusable shopping bags from supermarkets - great for potato’s and handles included for easy transportation
Everyone's unusual containers sound so great!
They make my salad leaves in 2l cola bottle troughs seem so tame 😭
I do grow tomatoes in an old bath, and had huge success with wicking/self watering growing in an old fridge.
Thank you Ben! I feel inspired 🪴 after watching your posts. My city garden in the Netherlands has slightly polluted soil, so I grow crops in containers. So far I’m growing some beets, radish, carrot, arugula, quite some herbs, cayenne, paksoi, tomato, cherry tomato, edible flowers, spinach, wild garlic, strawberry spinach and a baby leaf lettuce kind. The cucumber hasn’t done so well yet, but as a beginning city gardener I’m proud of how it’s working out so far. Next goal is guerilla gardening in the municipal empty “green”patches across the street. 💚🍀🌿
"Guerilla Garden"...I love the term. It's my goal in the near future to start a ''Guerilla Garden" group. 👍🏿
@Karen Session Good idea Karen 👍🏼 have fun starting your Guerrilla Gardening group 🪴🍀💚
Some wonderful produce growing there. And yes, loving the guerrilla gardening idea - more empty spaces need to be turned to good, wholesome, organic food.
@@GrowVeg Thank you Ben!
Weirdest thing ever planted was an old rubber tire lol and my grandma had an old toilet bowl that she planted flowers in lol. I've seen soo many crazy "planters/containers it never ceases to amaze me. Some plants are absolutely relentless and will grow just about anywhere anyway lol. GOD bless Happy growing!
Just about anything works!
Just keep making videos. What ever it is I will watch it. I live in Colorado USA so the altitude is a problem but your cheerful optimism keeps me going.
Wonderful - thanks for watching Wendy!
Thankyou , straight to the point, concise and informative. Too many gardeners think that we want to hear about their lifestyles and spend more time waffling about other things rather than gardening. Good tips here and I'll be back.
I know what you mean Anthony! :)
Just the video I needed before I head to the garden centre tomorrow to get some seeds and plugs. I have a very small garden with no real borders but intend on filling it with containers. Great content! 💚🌱
Great stuff Jonathan!
Notes to self ❤
✨Food grade plastic
✨drainage
✨light colored containers in hot climates
✨do soil research per plant (I’ll buy in store )
✨rocks under the pots to keep drainage open
Hi Ben, I have used a 1950's wooden tool box to grow parsley in, worked a treat. Also used large commercial coffee tubs to grow shalotts in with impressive results :)
Great repurposing going on there. :-)
I love this info! Filling the pots half way with sticks and such is so smart! Thanks for that! Working on a Patio Garden now and this is so appreciated!
I lost half of my fence during the last winter storm; so I had the whole thing replaced with hedge bushes to make a natural fence (in a few seasons). The gardener was so amazing to offer me all the pots that the shrubs came in. Saved me over $200 on equipment and I’ve got more pots than I had in mind to fill. So nothing strange yet, just bushels of gratitude 🙏🏻
Gratitude is a great thing to have. :-)
I recently moved into a new separate entrance apartment with a really large backyard. Cannot wait to start my own container garden 🪴
ooh how exciting! Wishing you happy gardening! :-)
Anything organic for mulch is the best way to go. It helps feed the soil and build it up.
I love your analogy to baking a cake! I also love that you are encouraging people that dont have a lot of space!
Thanks so much. It's surprising what can be grown in containers. :-)
I fight Bermuda grass so I grow exclusively in containers. I once planted in a broken toilet. It was broken before we got to use it so it was hygienic. It all works. Great advice.
I bet that made for an interesting feature!
People put old broken furniture on the side of road for bulk trash. I helped by repurposing bed spring & mailbox post for trellis. Dresser drawers for containers & side boards for raised beds. If color matters just get cheap spray paint & paint the exterior. Also used a neighbor’s fallen wood fence they were going to throw away.
What fantastic repurposing - love it! :-)
Thank you, Ben, that was my project for today. I am putting pots under or near underneath of a tree and I may have to move them if they come to trim the tree. This tree has large evergreen leaves that smother every thing. Various challenges but we are going for it.
Great you're going for it Jeanette - hope you enjoy a good crop.
Supermarket crates we had left from online shopping. They make nice big pots and have good drainage built in :)
I liked the garden compost arm chair 😂
Awesome! I live in an apartment with a balcony and would really like to plant some produce too! Thank you so much for this video😁
AWESOME!
I am a beginner gardener and learned much!
Really helpful! I've already got a load of lettuce growing in big yoghurt pots on a windowsill and I'm just about to experiment with creating a veg garden on a window ledge using milk bottles (food grade plastic!) threaded onto tension rods. If I manage it without killing passers by underneath I might film the results....
Sounds like you're coming up with a very creative solution there Claire.
I have a fairly large back garden but I still plant things like blueberries and tomatoes in pots so I can move them around to chase the sun. I love planting in containers and harvesting spuds in them is so easy.
Nice video! The oddest containers I've grown veggies in are: Potatoes in old tires. One stacked on top of the other, filled with dirt. The next is herbs in an old boot. A giant size man's work boot works well and it's a novelty you can show your friends.
Great repurposing there Deborah!
My soil in my garden is pretty bad so will be amending all year in this season utilizing pots and cow feed tubs to grow in. Thanks for all the great information on container gardening. Really enjoying the video's
Your dog so cute Ben!
Loved how you handle the billows of dust from the perlite..most amusing!
Will carry on watching..i enjoy. Tx
Thanks Debby! 😀
Great presentation without a lot of goofy stuff. Good job.
Lovely, thank you, Ben!
You have so much ideas to plant things in pots! See you soon!
Thanks Ben!!! Love the brassiere!
That tops my quirkiness, I don’t own any! 😆
Sowed zinnias, marigolds, lettuce varieties, creeping thyme and okra.
💐💖🙏🌠🌎🍃🌱🌷💗
I saw that at a garden show - not sure I'd be brave enough to put that in my own garden! :-)
Oh go for it! Live it up!!
I work at a research and extension center for a state university, so I have access to all kinds of weird planters. Swiftdrains (used for trench drains, they look like robust gutters) make GREAT planters for salad greens, the bottom third of a blue plastic barrel (the sump of a decommissioned recirculating aquaculture system) saw dahlias and tomatoes, with my favorite being an old stainless steel drum (from a raingarden mesocosm) used for flowers under one of my building's gutters. I have also seen the Styrofoam inserts of shipping coolers used for peppers.
That is incredible repurposing. What inventive containers!
You and self sufficient me are my favorite channels! 😊
Thanks so much. Love Self Sufficient Me also. :-)
Your fur baby is so stinking cute 🥰 I loved the close ups. Love your videos so informative. I have been going around my town collecting wood pallets to make raised beds and sewed some grow bags. I live in an apartment but have a small porch so taking notes on all these tid bits you have provided ☺️💖
So pleased you've been keeping busy getting your planters ready - very best of luck with what you grow. Rosie (the dog) says hello. :-)
Last year I gave birth and couldn't take care about garden much. So I planted my tomatoes in the plastic nappy bags. And got surprisingly reach harvest :)
Wonderful!
Your container gardening tips have been a lifesaver for my small patio.
So pleased to hear this, thank you. :-)
Hello dear friend 🌹😘🌹
Greeting from MACAU CHINA
Thanks so much for great sharing ❤️❤️❤️
First time gardening this year since we were both children and you’ve been such an inspiration, I can’t say thank you enough. So much useful information. We have lots of containers and I’ve made some raised planters from old pallets. Trying to grow herbs, a variety of salads and veggies inc potatoes and some fruits like strawberries and blueberries. So far so good, can’t wait to see them grow. Great videos thank you.
How exciting to be rediscovering the joys of gardening! Very best of success to you for this year’s crops. 😃
I'm a big fan of containers. For the past 14 years I've found I get good results for all types of veg by using large plastic pots (bucket-sized) as miniature raised beds.
All I do is cut several 1" diameter drainage holes in the SIDES of the pots, level with the base, then plunge the container into a well-prepared garden bed a depth of 4 inches.
Fill with compost, plant your veg, and you have the benefit of a (slightly) raised bed which will water itself to some extent. It needn't look untidy, either. If you arrange a 'raft' of even-sized pots - say, 21 of them in a block 7 wide and 3 deep and spaced as needed (6" between them is probably enough) - the result looks quite smart.
It works especially well for tomatoes, sweetcorn, beans, sweet peppers, chilli peppers, and spuds.
You can still water as usual, but I'm based in the grey and soggy north of England, so the soil is generally moist enough. Please note that the pots shouldn't have any extra drainage crocks in the bottom; it's important that there's direct contact between the container compost and the garden soil.
I must admit that I don't insist on only using food-grade containers. I'll use anything, including the cheapest, grottiest plastic buckets. I'm not fanatical about green issues, nor am I neurotic about my health. I make my own compost to save cash, and if I can grow cheap food as well, I'm happy. 🙂
What a great method, and I love the fact that they are almost self-watering too. Smart move! 🍅🌶🥔🌽
You’re fun & informative! 🤓👍🍓🪴🌽🍎🍅🥕
Thanks so much! :-)
Wowww…I loved planting too my friend thanks for sharing this great video 👍❤️new friend here 🙏 🙏🙏😇
Thank you, really appreciate that. :-)
when i whas 13 years i build a planterbox out of lego i grew carrots (very small) and cherry tomato
What a great idea! :-)
Pringles snacks tubes! Halved, with drainage holes drilled, they are good for small portions of herbs or salads
I did the same thing with comfrey. I ended up with a container of comfrey plants! Not that I mind, but it was a surprise!
great example of creating your own potting mix. Thank you.
I have a small balcony that Im growing my autumn/winter crops (summer i had loads of tomato and strawberries) in pots/containers:
Lettuces
Cauliflower
Broccoli
Cabbage
Silverbeet
Spinach
Beetroot
Dwarf lemon tree
Lime tree
Blueberrys
Raspberry
Beans
Radishes
Carrots
And herbs: dill, basil, parsley, chives, oregano, rosemary
Ive also added some hanging pots for marigolds and lavender to help with pest control and bring the bees ❤ loved your video.
Ive wanted to grow pumpkin and cucumbers but wasnt sure how to until I saw your video so thank you ❤❤
What a fantastic list of crops! Happy gardening! :-)
I once converted an old lamp into a planter for my scindapsus!
What a fab idea!
Thank you for the great information about containers. We love your videos.
Cheers Michelle!
I have 2 kinds of radishes....3 kinds of carrots...peas and beets. Tomorrow I'll be putting my onion starts in I grew from seed and planting some cabbage seeds. My cabbage starts will go in the garden in a couple weeks.
The weirdest thing I've used for a container is a net laundry bag. I worked great and had wonderful results. I planted tomatoes and marigolds in it. I've also used storage bins. Thanks for the great ideas and happy gardening everyone!
I grew salad greens in a cardboard produce box from Costco. Worked beautifully!
Nice one Carolyn!
I use some of those blue kiddie pools, but they are not food grade, most of those you have there are not I really don't think it really matters I have been doing that all my life and I am still here
you are such a good teacher, i enjoy your videos and i always learn something new. When my refrigerator and freezer died in the same week, i drag them in the front yard and as they lay on their back , i thought wow what a great planter. i now have 14 refrigerators that i have covered with repurposed wood . i fill the bottom with wood chips then leaves and on top good soil and compost.
it is insulated both from heat and cold. if your fridge dies, rejoice you have a great planter , use it in your garden. Thank you for sharing your knowledge
What a superb idea - how ingenious!
I’m going to grow some carrots in my big plastic compost bin this year as a trial, strawberries and herbs in hanging baskets and an old leaky watering can is going to be modified to take something, maybe spring onions .
That sounds superb. Salad leaf mixes would also look great in the watering can.
You are an inspiring delight to watch. You have got me out of winter blahs and lazy moods🥰🌹🌿🌹
Thanks Patricia - appreciate you watching. :-)
Great tips for container gardening! Just a side note, I live in Ontario Canada and this is where peat bogs are, so peat is local to me so not a burden to transport.
Over here in the UK we’re being told to avoid peat based compost in an effort to preserve peat bogs, you can still buy peat and I think a lot of commercial growers still use it but we’re being encouraged to replace it with peat free where possible - might be something to look into
I bought two sets of black fabric "raised beds" - each consisting of four pockets. These got filled with potting mix, and then planted with very happy tomatoes. However, they are in sun for much of the day, so I have since wrapped them round with lengths of white bubble wrap left over from the house move. This helps protect from excess moisture loss, and also stops the black fabric absorbing too much heat. Not the prettiest addition to the garden, but so far it seems to be working !
That sounds like a great addition. Probably very necessary in hot weather.
I bought 2.5 and 3 barrel laundry hampers, lined them with plastic, and grew potatoes.
That's a great idea Penny.
Celery does well in containers too!
your videos bring me a ton of enjoyment! right now on the last day of april in northern minnesota, im still looking out the window to snow in the yard. i really want to get a bunch of containers going someday! we've had one or two in the past, and its really enjoyable! our ground is very hard to grow anything in (except crabgrass) so id love some raised gardens someday too.
thanks for making it all look so much easier than my brain makes it out to be sometimes.
It can be quite easy. Just do what you can and concentrate on enjoying it all. :-)
Thank for sharing such a wonderful video, I have a small space and love growing vegetables. 🥦 I use only potting mix. Now ill think of adding another source of mineral like bone meal or perlite
That's really great to hear. Happy gardening! :-)
The majority of our garden is pots and containers. Last year, mum was getting rid of an old single divan bad. When she turned it upside-down to start chopping it up, I looked and said "That would make a great raised bed!" So we cut some of the length off and I grew amazing sweetcorn in it last year. Then In Autumn I put garlic and onions in which are still growing well. I'm thinking once they come out to put my borlotto beans in perhaps.
I am growing a fair few types of tomatoes, including "Big Mama" which is supposed to give huge plum tomatoes, so I'm excited for those to make into sauces. I'm also going to try a trailing tomato in a hanging basket and also I have a "current" tomato which I'm hoping will grow really tiny toms! :D
You mentioned about the carrots in a pot being lifted up to stop the carrot fly - just wondered if that means they only attack them if they are in the ground? Or can they still get to pots?
We seem to be going through The Attack of the Aphids at the mo. They are driving me mad.
Wow, what a great up-cycle :)
Maybe try inter-sowing carrots between the onions & garlic rows. (they are happy companions)
When you crop the garlic & onions, are you going to start at the back so you can put a trellis up for your beans?
I read / or saw on a previous video that carrot fly don't fly above 30cm / 12", so if you interplant the carrots between the onion rows in the divan raised bed, they will be up high, so no carrot fly.
Have a look at the companion plants to deter aphids you are experiencing.
Your garden sounds fab you must be really proud of your hard work x
@@carolineowen7846 Thank you! :) It's been working really well. Ahh I didn't realise about the carrots and garlic/onions growing well together, that's a nice idea.
I've not really had much thought about how I'm going to do the beans yet. I am growing Dwarf Borlotto lingua di fucco, as I grew about 6 plants of them last year and they were absolutely amazing. I had no issues at all with them and they only need short canes for a bit of support. I blanched and froze them, then put them in a Chilli con carne and they were so delicious with a buttery, slight nutty flavour. I only wished I had got more. So this year I'm doing double the amount.
@@carolineowen7846 Oh right really!! Now that is very interesting and so helpful, thank you. I've been eyeing up Dragon Carrots, not only because they look really nice, but also I'm a sucker for anything with Dragon in the name haha! (Also have Snap Dragons, Aquilegia Dragonfly and indoor Dracena (Dragon Tree) plant)
Yes, that’s right - by growing carrots in containers you can raise them up above the low-flying carrot flies. A finger-sized carrot for salads would be ideal for container growing.
Great ,thanks for sharing friend
Love this channel! Gives me no excuses to not get started growing this spring 😁👍
Great videos, learning a lot from you. Thank you. An old butler's sink with a variety of flowers, which my husband say is not unusual, an old 1940's style mop bucket with tomatoes and a split 100L water butt, sawn in
2 halves for melons and pumpkin. The latter two grown for first time this year.
Some great repurposing going on there Heather. :-)
I once moved to a new place in the middle of (canadian) winter and come spring there was an old BBQ that appeared under the snow. It wasn't working but made an amazing bed for wild flowers which I later switched to strawberries. I'm so sad my current tint balcony is north facing I miss growing things
That sounds like an amazing repurposing of the BBQ!
I feel really inspired by your knowledge and expertise. Can't wait for the morning so I can get stuck in preparing my mix
Great to hear that Ann!
great video - I am enjoying your style. It is very refreshing and I am learning as well.!! I grow squash pumpkins, tomatoes, zucchini, chiles, peppers, peas, and a large variety of herbs. My herbs self sow into strange places, such as cracks in sidewalk, old tires laying around, and thanks to my local birds even in our rain gutters! thanks for all your info and garden planning!
You've got loads of great stuff growing there - super! :-)
Ben you wont beat the foll for quirkiness i,, if i i get seeds growing, i have hung up on my wall, an old mask to make a baby hammock, filled it with potting(quoting you of course) if you can put soil in it, you can grow in it, Wondering what is shallow rooted enough to plant in. Advice welcomed. Always enjoy your cheery way. Debby
I'm not sure much will grow in such a shallow container, but you never know - worth a try, perhaps with some salad leaves which are fairly shallow rooted. Good luck!
Another great video Ben! I am renting and mainly growing in containers at the moment. Your videos give me hope that I can actually grow pretty well this way, and still eat!
I once used an old pig feeder to grow herbs in....... i stuck an umbrella over the top, when it rained, as it was made of iron and had no drainage holes. Apart from that, it was stunning to look at.
How creative Julie - I bet it looked fab. :-)
I'm using cheap, square garden waste bags from places like Wilko. They are about 60cm square, and the same deep. The material is quite porous, so no problems with drainage. If you put a good layer of twigs and prunings on the bottom, they will probably puncture the fabric for even more drainage. I'm then filling with dug out turves (upside down) and used potting compost from other containers, finishing off with some BFB and fresh multi-purpose compost. This year planning to grow leeks, spinach, endives, carrots and spring onions, with a few annual herbs scattered in for companion planting.
That sounds like a great setup there Paul.