<p>Okay, Okay, I know it’s the freezing season. Some of you don’t even remember what the pavement looks like in front of your front door, but for some reason, I am thinking about gardening. I want to plan a container garden for this spring, (veggies, herbs, etc.), and would like some tips if you’d care to share? What has been some successful plants for you? Did you sit your containers outside or just in front of indoor windows? What types of containers did you use? Any hints/tips would be appreciated.</p>
<p>I have always had luck with tomatoes and peppers in containers, just make sure you have a large enough container and soil that drains well. I usually do basil in a smaller container. I keep them on the deck and move them around for maximum sunlight and to protect them during thunderstorms, etc. I tried cucumbers and beans in large containers with pole/trellis support last year and it did not work as well. This year I am going to try cherry/grape tomatoes in those upside-down containers. Good luck with whatever you try!</p>
<p>Actually I’ve just finshed planting 10 milk jugs/berry boxes of seeds using the ‘winter sowing’ technique. They are all lined up outside on my terrace, under the roof overhang. I know it doesn’t get that cold here in the greater London area - I reckon we are USDA zone 6. But winter sowing (google it - you’ll get lots of hits) is great for us fanatical gardeners who can’t go too long without playing in the dirt. As for container gardening - I’ve found a mix of salad greens works all through the year - try ‘cut and come again’ varieties - I snipped leaves for salad yesterday from the rocket/mizuna/etc mix growing in the half barrel outside the kitchen door.</p>
<p>I do tomatoes in containers because the only place sunny enough for them is my patio. I also do herbs in containers that came with the house - sometimes I put some Tom Thumb lettuce in the containers too. I used to have a strawberry pot. When I lived in Germany I grew everything in my large built in containers on my terrace. I even had instructions for doing potatoes, though I didn’t bother. I use large containers, and a mix of clay and plastic. I’ve had both sorts die from freeze/thaw when I left them out for the winter. The herb containers are on either side of my back steps, the tomatoes just beyond, but far enough out from the house that they get more sun than they would if they were right next to it.</p>
<p>I almost started a thread a couple of days ago when my first seed catalog arrived. I don’t think there’s really anything I can do yet. I will have to wait until mid-March to start any seed sowing.</p>
<p>I have blueberries/tomatoes in containers. What I notice is that I must water them often because they tend to dry out easily. I use half-oak wine barrel for my container.</p>
<p>Columbia Student, we installed drip irrigation for our containers. We bought ours at Home Depot (DIG brand). It hooks to a regular garden hose faucet, it is very easy to install, and it can be controlled by an automatic timer. In fact, our entire front yard (roughly 1/4 of an acre) is now drip-irrigated! I have a lot of delicate plants in there (no grass), so regular high pressure sprinkler system was out of question.</p>