Aluminium is an ideal material for planters as it does not rust and needs no painting or treatments. Aluminium is a very light metal so is the perfect metal for window boxes which are fixed to the wall.
mounted aluminium planter
The boat shaped planter in the photos is made by Matthew of Aluminium Art.
flowers in aluminium planter
The planters would make an ideal herb trough, similar to the one below which is growing mint, chives, thyme, oregano and borage.
herb-trough
The planters come with ready made drainage holes, so just need filling with compost before planting out.
There is great potential for growing fruit and veg, too. Strawberries grow well in containers, and tumbling tomatoes look spectacular. Click this link for more ideas for which veg to grow in containers.
Matthew builds each aluminium planter himself from scratch so is able to alter the size to suit. Free-standing aluminium planters look stunning and make an excellent present for a gardener. Traditional 10th wedding anniversary gifts have a theme of aluminium, so the planter would be most appropriate.
For more information click Aluminium Art; the aluminium planters make a welcome present which needs no aftercare!
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So many vegetables can be grown on the patio, balcony or window box.
- Very little space is needed to produce a regular supply of fresh, healthy salad leaves, and one courgette plant will produce plenty of fruit, without causing a glut.
- We have a friend who lives in a fourth floor flat, with a small west facing balcony, who grows tomatoes, salad leaves, courgettes and french beans.
- A great variety of vegetables can be grown in containers, but it is important to select a small or mini-variety.
radish-growing-in-pot
Examples of vegetables which can be grown on a patio or window box are:
Thompson & Morgan have a great offer for a patio vegetable collection for £9.99 comprising:
- 2 x Tomato Vilma plants
- 1 x Pepper Mohawk plant
- 1 x Courgette Black Forest plant
- 1 x Cucumber Fanfare plant
Plus FREE seed worth £5.28! Runner Bean Summer Medley (16 seeds) & Niche Salad Leaves Blend (400 seeds).
patio veg collection
Click this link to buy this patio vegetable collection for £9.99 which is also suitable for a balcony or window box.
Click this link to buy this book about growing vegetables in containers:
Ramsey Horticultural Society are demonstrating that anyone can grow a few vegetables, even if they are short of space, by using a bra as a container & planting veg in a bit of compost in the cups.
Once the bra is filled with compost you can grow salad leaves, herbs, alpine strawberries and even tumbling cherry tomatoes in them.
lime-mint
Georgie Webb of the Royal Horticultural Society said:
‘The bigger the bra the more you can grow.
‘But the serious message behind the “bra-skets” is that you do not need a lot of space or even a lot of money to start growing your own food – just a bit of imagination.’ Grow veg in recycled bras!
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Wool based compost is being sold by a UK farmer in The Lakes.
The unique properties of sheep’s wool make it ideal for compost. Sheep’s wool compost:
- retains moisture
- acts as a slow release fertiliser
- provides nitrogen
- is 100% natural
- sustainable
- has low carbon footprint
Lakeland gold is a sheep’s wool compost made on a small hill farm in the Lake District.
Wool based compost is ideal for use in hanging baskets and containers as it retains moisture and slowly releases the fertiliser.
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When growing vegetables in containers it is wise to group plants which grow well together and have the same water requirements.
The amount of light required by different vegetables varies.
- sun loving vegetables include beans, cucumbers, aubergines, pepper, courgettes, squash and tomatoes.
- partial shade is tolerated by lettuce, salad leaves, onions, parsley and radish. But this group will do better in full sun.
Container size:
- small containers – onions, parsley, radish
- medium – beans, lettuce, salad leaves
- large – cucumbers, aubergines, pepper, courgettes, squash, tomatoes
Minimum days from seed to harvest:
* radish – 20
* beans – 45
* lettuce – 45
* salad leave – 45
* courgettes – 50
* squash – 50
* cucumbers – 50
* parsley – 70
* onions – 80
* aubergine – 90
* pepper – 90
* tomato – 90
Tender green beans, crisp lettuce and freshly picked parsley will give great satisfaction. A simple container-garden enables the whole family to enjoy the true flavour of home grown vegetables.
Problems with vegetables grown in containers are easily rectified if recognised early. The container garden should be inspected regularly, at least daily, so it is worth keeping it in an accessible place.
Common problems in container gardening are:
- Leggy plants – caused by insufficient light or too much nitrogen. Put this right by
moving the container to a lighter position, or reducing the amount of nitrogen given.
- Weak plants with yellow lower leaves – caused by too much water or low fertility. Check the drainage and reduce the amount of watering. Feed the plants.
- Wilting plants even though plenty of water – caused by poor drainage or the soil being too dense and lacking in oxygen. Lighten the soil by adding sand or compost.
- Eaten leaves – look for insects – pick them off, or wash the plants with soapy water.
- Spotty leaves – with a white or brown powdery or dead patch – caused by a fungus – pick the diseased area off and put it in the rubbish bin.
- Stunted, purply plants – too cold, bring the containers in or cover at night.
Containers growing vegetables need plenty of tender loving care. Problems can be identified early, and corrected, so that the containers are productive giving plenty of fresh, well flavoured vegetables.
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new-potatoes-lifted
There are many varieties of potatoes which are particularly suitable for growing in pots and containers.
Growing your own potatoes is very satisfying, and does not depend on possessing
a large vegetable garden. Salad potatoes grow well in containers.
Choose an early variety of potatoes, as earlies grow well in pots – main crop varieties do not.
Potato varieties particularly suited to container growing are:
Accent
Amandine
Annabelle
Blue Belle
Lady Christl
Mimi
Rocket
Swift
Vivaldi
This list of potato varieties are recommended for pots and containers, but there are many more.
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Raised beds & containers will extend the harvest season of many
vegetables for several weeks:
* because the soil remains warmer than that in the ground, so the
growing period is extended
* by covering plants when frost threatens.
* by carrying containers indoors when frost is forecast
Click this link for information on how to make raised beds
Vegetables that are planted in small spaces, like containers, can be
harvested when young and tender.
Container grown veg have a shorter growing season.
Vegetables to try in containers for the summer are:
* baby cauliflowers
* finger carrots
* salad leaves – pick and cum again
* cherry tomatoes
* spring onions
Containers will dry very quickly, so it is important to keep an eye on
them and water them often. Water twice a day in the heat of summer!
Because vegetables can be cycled through faster, due to the shorter
growing season, growing in containers can be quite productive.
corn-on-the-cob
Growing sweetcorn in troughs can produce large cobs, if the containers are deep enough.
The tubs should be at least 18inches deep, to allow the sweetcorn roots
to develop. The troughs must have holes at the bottom, to allow water to
drain away.
A 5 inch layer of Farm Yard Manure, at the bottom of the trough, gives
the roots something to go down into. Cover the manure with compost.
Vermiculite and sand can be mixed with the compost, so that the trough
is filled with a light, free draining growing medium.
sweetcorn-cob
Choose an early variety of sweetcorn and start the plants off under glass.
Plant them out when the weather is sure to remain warm.
Keep the Sweet corn well watered. It is important that the soil does not
dry out between watering, so in a dry period the corn needs more
frequent watering. Once the tassels appear, the sweetcorn needs at least
one inch of water per week.
The advantage of growing sweetcorn in containers is that the pot can
often be tucked into a sheltered suntrap.
As sweetcorn is a sub-tropical plant it likes plenty of sunlight and
continual warmth.
