Growing your own herbs, etc.

We've been wondering if the same sort of thing exists in the US.

If your landlord won't let you dig in the garden, you can always make a few raised beds.  Plus you get the added advantage of completely controling the soil, so there are no worries about nasty things leaching into your veggies.

If your landlord won't let you dig in the garden, you can always make a few raised beds.  Plus you get the added advantage of completely controling the soil, so there are no worries about nasty things leaching into your veggies.

I am brand spanking new to all this so pardon my ignorance.....do raised beds have bottoms or just sides?

June

Raised beds can be just sides, but you can seal.. or almost seal the bottoms, too.   Related, but not exactly the same... I'm fooling around with lasagna gardening now.  Basically, you build your beds up from the ground, with vast amounts of newspapers/other paper and compost.  Your soil is clean (and new) and it's supposed to help condition the underlying soil without too much digging.

Your landlord won't like any of those ideas, anyways... If you're not allowed to mess with the garden space, I think you're stuck with pots.  You can buy pretty big pots, though!

Your landlord won't like any of those ideas, anyways... If you're not allowed to mess with the garden space, I think you're stuck with pots.  You can buy pretty big pots, though!

We'll see how that goes but I think something like this would be OK as long as it has a bottom.

http://www.gardeners.com/Two-Tier-Raised-Bed/default/StandardCatalog.PotsPlanters_RaisedBeds.36-389.cpd

June

Your landlord won't like any of those ideas, anyways... If you're not allowed to mess with the garden space, I think you're stuck with pots.  You can buy pretty big pots, though!

I've found that if you assure the yard/outdoor space will be in the same condition upon leaving as when you moved in, most landlords are okay with it.  They'll probably put a clause in your lease, but that's no biggie.

I've had success with Grow Bags-which are bags of compost designed to put your plants right in-and then they're easy to dispose of at the end of the season. 

We'll see how that goes but I think something like this would be OK as long as it has a bottom.

http://www.gardeners.com/Two-Tier-Raised-Bed/default/StandardCatalog.PotsPlanters_RaisedBeds.36-389.cpd

June

Hmm..that doesn't really look high enough.  My grandparents had acres of land, but always grew veggies, etc.. in raised beds and it worked really well.  If I remember correctly the beds had sides as high as 2 or 3 feet. 

I've had success with Grow Bags-which are bags of compost designed to put your plants right in-and then they're easy to dispose of at the end of the season. 

My bf has one of those weird plastic-y greenhouses (dirt cheap), filled with grow bags. The tomatoes he's grown are incredible! For someone who doesn't want to mess with a landlord's graden, they're ideal!

i grow rhubarb, just planted a cherry tree, sage, rosemary, parsley, chives, strawberries, mint.  the rosemary, mint & starberries were in the garden when i moved in... think the strawberries have had it though (been in the ground 10+ years or so).  thinking about ripping out and putting another rhubard in it's place.  the mint was orginally planted in a pot in the garden,  but now it's run amuck!  i find it EVERYWHERE.  great for summer pimms though.  the parsley survived the winter here- really really surprised....

While watering the strawberry plants this morning I noticed they have started to bloom!!!!  YAY!!!!!

As for the carrots, I can see nothing yet.  Prolly too early to tell.

The parsley died.

June

Doesnt look like my chilli plant is going to come back to life at all, so im off to look for something else to plant in that pot.

My rosemary has done brilliantly through the winter, though, and im  seeing signs of garlic coming up too.

My rosemary also made it through the winter with flying colours - it looks fab!

I just put in a tarragon plant and a peppermint. My chives have sprung back to life somehow too. Yay!

I put in 2 little chili pepper plant seedlings last week - fingers crossed they're still upright and they're in the hottest space in the garden so I have high hopes. I think I may try strawberries this year too.

Yesterday I saw a little herb pot, sort of like the strawberry pots with the little sections all around the sides. It came with 6 different herbs. Has anyone had any luck doing herbs this way? I've done them outside in beds or in pots, but never in a pot like that.

Yesterday I saw a little herb pot, sort of like the strawberry pots with the little sections all around the sides. It came with 6 different herbs. Has anyone had any luck doing herbs this way? I've done them outside in beds or in pots, but never in a pot like that.

My bf's mother gave me one of those pots last year. It was all pre-planted up, though, and not everything survived - I think it might have been a cheap one or, at least, one not done really well. If I re-pot stuff in it myself, it might do better, but I haven't got around to doing that yet.

I just planted strawberry plants today.  Does anyone know if there's anything special that I need to do with them (obviously besides water them!)?

Thanks:P