Change is good

Change is good,change is good, change is good, ohm…… this has become my new mantra. I have to touch back on this thought often these days. There are big things on the horizon for me. You see, I just sold my house. I purchased it six years ago and dove head first into the garden. I ripped up large portions of lawn, put in raised beds, and for the past six years have been growing (and killing) plants with glee!
With the big move looming around July 1st, it has really taken some love out of my gardening habits. I am planting for someone else to enjoy? Selfishness has set in.
This change has turned my sights to containers.
I have never put many vegetables in containers. The extent of my container gardening has been mostly for a decorative note and a few invasive herbs (ie my mojito habit).
The one problem I am having is that containers are expensive! And HEAVY! I have collected a few odd pots over the years. I bought some really awesome pots at IKEA a few years ago, that were fairly inexpensive for being such big fancy ceramic pots. I just dug up my fig tree and put it in one of these! I am not looking forward to moving these as they are so heavy. Good thing I have strong friends!

I purchased some small, 10 gallon aluminum trash cans for my tomatoes. I love these on so many levels! They are metallic so they attract sunshine, which makes the soil warm up quicker. They look good (especially if I were to ever throw down on one of those rad feed troughs!). They are pretty lightweight for their size and pretty easy to move around. And one of the biggest reasons I bought them is because they were inexpensive!


And on the other side of the expense spectrum are these little beauties.

Thankfully I had a gift certificate for West Seattle Nursery, because when I saw them, I had to have them! Crescent Planters are plastic so they are super lightweight and durable but they also come in so many great shapes, colors and sizes! Now could they just be made out of recycled plastic and also be made in the United States? The price would have been more justifiable. I am really looking forward to planting a little salad garden in the pink bowl!
I have so many plants to move so my mind has been wandering towards items that are free, reused or recycled. A friend hooked me onto planting salad in old gutters which I think is a great idea! I fashioned this potato bin out of chicken wire and zip ties last year.(PS, it was fairly successful, however the hunt continues for the ~perfect~ potato bin)!

Do you have any great reused,recycled or inexpensive container ideas? Any tips on moving a garden? I would love to hear about them!

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About Flower

Flower, otherwise known as Flo, Dirty Little Secret, wild&free or Gail came to Seattle from Buffalo by way of a dare and a one-way ticket on the greyhound bus and never looked back. Her business, Big Dipper Wax Works, is dedicated to handcrafting 100% beeswax candles, using locally sourced wax and educating the masses about honeybee health. She has been in countless bands, and played roller derby for the Rat City Rollergirls. Seattle has continuously fed her passions which now include gardening, cooking and yoga. As she follows these pursuits, she finds herself moving closer to her kitchen, garden, friends and ultimately, her heart. And really what is life, if not growing your love to share?

3 thoughts on “Change is good

  1. How do you get your containers ready to be planted in? If they don’t already have holes in them, do you drill holes in them? And do you fill them with potting soil or make your own container mix somehow? I’m asking because I have had problems with drainage in containers before, because I either didn’t drill enough holes or filled it with soil without vermiculite.
    I think I might plant my tomatoes like yours. That’s a great idea for the reasons you listed but also because they are fairly deep and tomatoes like deep roots. Planting tomatoes in containers may also lessen or even eliminate reseeding. I have been pulling tons of tomato seedlings out of my cilantro patch this year, because that’s where I planted them last year!

  2. I usually drill holes with a half inch metal drill bit. It is the biggest bit I have and seems to work well for drainage. I drilled holes in the bottom of the container and also on the sides half way down and closer to the bottom of the pot. Most plants like well drained soil so I figured there was really no way I could put too many in! I use a pre made potting mix but always fertilize with sea kelp and fish emulsion after I plant something.

    And as for the seedlings, I found how truly easy tomatoes are to seed for that very reason. They are coming up on my rock pathways in between my garden boxes!

  3. I cut the bottom off of 5 gallon buckets dig a hole put seed potatoes in and add 4 inches of dirt. When the green tops show I throe a few more seed potatoes in and add more dirt I do this until the dirt is a few inches from the top. I did this in a 4×4 abandoned compost pile where I now have volunteer tomatoes, Potatoes and a Giant rhubarb. I am up near Northwest Trek in the Eatonville area. cheers David.

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