Home-grown vegetables are never a bad thing — but for many American homeowners who live in urban areas, starting up a garden hasn’t really been a feasible option.
Until now.
Recently, more and more homeowners have been taking advantage of the patio planter — a raised container filled with soil that can produce a bountiful harvest of veggies year-round and is never more than a few steps away from the kitchen.
According to a December 9 Mother Nature Network article, raised patio planters can either be pre-bought, or you can make one yourself. Their elevated surface makes gardening easier for people with back or joint problems, who would otherwise have trouble bending down.
Patio planters allow homeowners to extend their gardening season. Because the planter’s soil warms up faster than the ground soil, you can start planting earlier in the spring — and when the weather gets chilly, you can cover the planter with a cold frame to keep your veggies safe from the frost.
And perhaps best of all? With a patio planter, you no longer have to worry about the rabbits, deer, groundhogs and other vegetable-loving creatures that prey on traditional gardens.
Patio planters work best on concrete or tile patios. They’re usually too heavy for wood patios. Your choice of planter material is flexible, but you should always be sure to poke plenty of holes in the bottom for water drainage. Ideally, your planter should hold anywhere from six to 12 inches of soil.
Once you’ve set up your patio planter, you can grow virtually any vegetable you’d like, with the exception of potatoes, which need to be planted deep down in the ground, and corn, which grows too tall for a raised patio planter.
The possibilities are endless with your new patio gardening space. Happy gardening!