Happy First Day of Summer!
I’ve spent the last few hours sitting on my porch with a giant salad made from odds and ends from my garden, listening to the Twins game on the radio and catching up on back issues of InStyle, which, in my opinion, is a perfect way to spend the Summer Solstice.
Okay, so I don’t have a garden, strictly speaking. What I do have is a collection of planters that look pretty when friends come over and also come in handy when I’m cooking. If you’re a serious gardener, this post will exasperate you and you should probably stop reading and go to my friend Amy’s blog, The Lunch Hour Gardener, so you can talk shop with other people who know how to start seeds under grow lights and can beets and other such mysteries of the gardening universe.
If, however, the very word “gardening” makes you panic a little, keep reading. If you can remember to water your plants every other day, you’ll do fine with a container garden. Just go to the nursery and pick out the following:
Flowers and plants that look interesting to you
Herbs and vegetables you like to eat or drink
Plants that require full or part sun. (Just to keep it simple.)
If you’re still worried, ask a nursery employee if anything in your cart won’t work in a container garden. They may suggest another variety of tomatoes, but pretty much anything that’s already growing in a flat or a small pot will do just fine in a container. (Just don’t buy seeds – now is not the time to get all ambitious on me.)
Plant them in good potting soil and water well. DONE! Now it looks like you’ve made a big artistic effort, but really you’ve just planted flowers and decorative snacks. Use what you can and just let everything else grow together.
Here are some of my favorite combinations:
Chamomile and cilantro. (The cilantro seeds are actually coriander – great for making curries and covering up my ugly meter box.)
Arugula, dill, Pink Sizzle geraniums, mojito mint, alyssum and nasturtiums.
Spinach and chives.
Happy Summer!
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