wrote
cshenk wrote:

Just curious what things others here may be planting. Might get some
interesting ideas!

I just planted a new bouganvillea in a pot on patio..never have had one
before. Recently harvested my first large batch of basil to make some
pesto .. yum! We live in a condo, so can't have a garden or plant in
yard. Fortunately, there are two patios, with room for pots. Got a

Ah! Container gardening! There's much you can do with that. Things you
may not have thought about.

Oren, you may want to note some of this too as in your area (Mojave desert)
there isnt much else you really can do.

One of the easiest is seed lettuce. No need to get seedlings as these
sprout really easy. There are several types so try a few. Those longish
plastic containers with drain holes (Oren, plug them in your area) that are
from 6-8 inches deep and about as wide, varies from 3-6ft long, work just
perfect. You can get fancy wood ones but be careful the wood isnt PT (IE:
you want food grade woods and if unsure just go plastic). I never buy
lettuce from April to late October. I'll crop several batches a year in
containers instead for 99cents a seed packet. I keep 2 containers for
lettuce and rotate the seeding time so when one is ready to bolt and be
replanted, the other is perfect for eating.

Like green onions? Next time you get a bunch from the store, plant the bulb
part leaving about 2-3 inches of the green tops. They will recrop in about
4 weeks. With minimal care, they will come up for several years too.
Chives work the same. I have a green onion and chive plot still growing
from 9 years ago that survived the renters.

Tomatoes like containers too, be sure to get a cage (re-usable year after
year). You'll need to use a little tomato fertilizer in a container,
especially if you just reuse the same soil like I do.

Rosemary, I found is very very easy. In fact, I have a bush that survived
the winter here.

I found that the bell pepper plant wanted to give me bell peppers still in
October. Just one plant, so this year i think I put in more but that one
was almost enough for all our needs.

Chile peppers, if into that, are very easy as well in containers.

The main trick to container gardening (having lived 21 years in apartments
with no other options) is to water well in the morning then again at
evening. I also line the bottoms with old blue jeans or towels so the dirt
doesnt leach out on my patio. It also helps with water retention.