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Construction is complete on our DIY Container Garden. Now it’s time for planting. Yay!
But before we can get all excited about digging into our newly built container garden we need to do a bit of planning about exactly what we want to grow. We also need to learn about what veggies will actually produce during our extremely hot summers.
Even though my father-in-law is a farmer, the only things we have tried to grow have been tomatoes and the occasional pepper plant. So we Honey began his most favorite thing to do before starting any project: research.
One site he landed on was the Gardener’s Supply Company Kitchen Garden Planner. It is a free online planner those allows you to design your garden using square foot gardening techniques. You can use their Pre-planned Gardens or Design your Own Garden.
We chose to build a 4′ x 8′ container garden. After checking online with our local extension office to search for vegetables and fruits that would do well in our area, we designed our garden online with Gardeners Supply Company.
To make the design we created easier to follow we decided to make a grid in the garden using small nails and yarn from my craft room. Honey marked off 1 foot sections along all four sides of the container then handed Big Boy a hammer and small nails. This was the perfect job for our “get it done” oldest child. 😉
After the nails were in place, they worked together to create the grid with yarn.
Next it was time to fill the box! Armed with our list of veggies and fruits from our plan we headed to Home Depot to buy our plants and seeds.
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Here’s what we planted:
- five varieties of tomatoes {we really like tomatoes}
- several varieties of peppers (green, sweet, and jalapeño)
- squash
- cucumbers
- basil and dill
- red onions
- romaine lettuce
- peas and beans
We originally planned to grow watermelon in the garden but chickened out at the last minute. Farmer Grandaddy said watermelons need a bit more room to grow. So watermelon and cantaloupe will go in another sunny spot. Wish us luck finding one!
Did you spy the two blueberry bushes? We will plant those in another area of the yard soon.
Seeing each square was very helpful to us. It helped in placement of the plants and let us know that all the space was begin used to its fullest potential.
All planted!
Our sweet dog is famous of snatching left behind shoes and burying them in the flower beds. She wouldn’t look at me when I snapped her picture but I know that she is thinking…
Now we are just crossing our fingers the dog, squirrels, and moles stay out and praying something grows!
Want to see where we started? Here’s how we built our DIY Container Garden.
{Click here} to see all the DIY Container Garden Posts
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What a great idea! I’ve long wanted to have a veggie garden in my yard, but for some reason I felt funny just plopping the plants straight in the ground. I have a great space to use this idea. Love the planning tool too.
Those little squares were super helpful as we (our boys) planted the plants and seeds. So far everything is growing and happy! 🙂
What an organized way to approach it! I am not a garden person, but I can feel that changing in me. 😉 I will be homeschooling my kids next year, and I am already thinking about the lessons I could teach them with a garden. Great post, very helpful!
I never thought my husband and I would get so much joy from a bit of dirt and tiny plants!Gardening is so much fun! Thanks so much for leaving me some bloggy comment love!
~ Ashley
This is a great tutorial. I’ll definitely have to check out gardeners.com.
I’m so excited for garden season! We plant, preserve, and freeze a lot of produce and eat it all winter long. 🙂 I’m really bummed we woke up to 26 degrees with a dusting of snow…
I’m ready for fresh veggies!!! Enjoy the fruits (and vegetables) of your labor. 😀
More snow!? Oh thank goodness we only dropped down to the mid 30’s last night. I would have cried if snow feel and killed my plant babies!:)
Yup, snow. Up here we don’t plant until after Mother’s Day for fear of frost, but snow on April 16? Not cool. I didn’t cry, but I definitely did some whining. 😉
I love it! I wish we had a better spot for something like this. We grow tomatoes and basil and a few other things, but we only have a little spot for it all! Nothing better than home grown produce!
Our basil already looks so happy! And the tomatoes already have blooms! Wahoo!
Ashley, I am so excited to see your garden grow! I am a gardener at heart, but just haven’t been able to build ours yet in our new house. My kids love gardening and picking from the garden is so much fun. Make sure to post lots of pics and then the recipes you make from all this yummy goodness!
We have tried for year to grow something but I think this is our year to really make something grow!
~ Ashley
Oh my gosh the dog and soft dirt! LOL I know how that is. We out chicken wire around one of our beds to keep the cats out since they since they generally won’t climb chicken wire…they liked using the bed as a litter box. :O I can’t wait to see what you get out of your garden and what the kids think of it!
Oh girl! That silly, sweet yellow dog is trouble!Tootsie runs out and check the garden everyday. Too cute!
Great tutorial! This is exactly what I was looking for…when the snow melts anyway. Thank you!
Hey Caroline! Sending warm wishes that your snow melts quickly!
We have box gardens in our yard too. We added a new one this year. Love this post!
Thank you for sharing your wonderful blog at the Thursday Favorite Things Blog Hop ♥
We are already talking about where we can add another container garden! It’s been so much fun! Thank you for hosting your party!
{big hugs}
~Ashley
I need to do this…thanks for making it look so easy. Also, thanks for sharing on the Thursday Blog hop!
Hey Pam!
So excited you like my Planning and Planting Garden Post! Thanks for hosting your fun party!
Ashley, I’m loving this whole idea! Going to have to do it when we start planting… genius!
It was very simple with the grid pattern. Our garden is already so green an pretty!
Stopping by from BeYOUtiful Party and this is amazing! You did a great tutorial on this!!! Carrie, A Mother’s Shadow
Thanks so much Carrie! We are loving our little garden!
I used that planner too – to design my raised beds. It is a great little app and I am planting out in the sunshine this weekend – can’t wait to follow how you are getting on Ashley, so fun as our gardens are on different sides of the world 🙂
Hey Amber! I hope you had plenty of sunshine to plant your garden this weekend! It’s been nothing but rain here. Boo!
I will have to check out that garden planner website – it sounds interesting. I have already done our backyard gardening the previous 2 weekends and used a BHG magazine I got from Sam’s club for some ideas. I still need to do our flowers out front though.
So happy you have had great weather to garden! Thanks so much for the bloggy comment love!
~ Ashley
You have so many great tips here!
Thanks again for joining the Link Up this week!
Square foot gardening is so helpful! I used the same online planner last year to great results! This year my box is full of my herbs and greens, so I need to get another box or 2 built for this years tomatoes and cucumbers.
So excited you used the same planner and got great results! And I can totally see our family building another one of these next year. It’s so much fun to watch our tiny plants grow! 😉
We do raised bed, container gardening here, too. Though I must admit, our aren’t as neat or organized. Mostly because I have children who like to help 😉 My next container garden is for herbs. Cannot wait! I popped over from the Lovely Ladies Linky!
Hey Lilah! So happy you popped over and left some comment love. Thank you!
I have to give my husband credit for the organization. He’s all about the research and making it pretty!
This is such a fabulous idea…my daughter is trying to do this kind of gardening this year too. I love it! .Come link up to Centerpiece Wednesday and share this post with us http://thestylesisters.blogspot.com/2014/04/centerpiece-wednesday-beautiful.html
Karin
Thanks for the great information. I’m a new follower.
So excited you found my blog and are following!
Looks great. Pinned this for later …we are slow to start on our raised beds for the year. Thanks for linking up at Happiness is Homemade!
So far so good with our DIY Container Garden! We even have teeny little tomato blossoms! Wishing you the best with your garden!
I love this! I really want to get better at gardening and I think this is amazing! Simple easy and great for the budget all summer long! You are a Fabulous Feature!
Hey Krista!
I am beyond excited that you have featured our DIY Container Garden! Thank you so much!
{big hugs}
~ Ashley
I need to do this!!! Pinned! Thank you so much for stopping by our party. Please swing by this Tuesday, I would love to see what you have been up to! Lou Lou Girls http://loulougirls.blogspot.com/
We are loving our little garden. So happy you are inspired to try it out! 😉
Container gardening is such a wonderful concept. Love all your well-thought-out ideas…. Thank you for linking up at Wonderful Wednesdays, your post has been featured: 12 Spring Gardening Tips. Congrats!! 🙂
“hugs” Crystelle
Wahoo! Thank you so much for featuring my DIY Container Gardening – Planning and Planting!