Townhomes, condominiums, apartments, and small in-town lots don’t give you much room to grow plants. You may only have a small area or perhaps just a balcony where you may get enough sun. You can grow anything in a container – from fruits, vegetables and herbs, annuals and perennials, to trees and shrubs. Some plants may require special soil mixes, but most will do fine in a high-quality potting mix. There are many types of containers that you can use. You can purchase concrete containers, lighter weight materials that look like concrete, terra cotta, ceramic, wooden barrels cut in half, and plastic. If you are a little more eclectic, you can use items that you might have around your home as containers for growing plants. Old dishes, old wooden baskets, old wheel barrows, watering cans, old buckets, old cast iron pots, or even old boots or shoes are some examples. My grandmother was a little disappointed with me when she discovered that I had taken the old cast iron bean pot she had given me and turned it into a container full of impatiens! Just make sure any item you may use as a container has drainage holes in the bottom and have fun gardening. There are entire books on the subject of container gardening, so check out your local library or book store. 

Join the Union County Extension Master Gardener Volunteers for the Successful Gardener program on May 5, at 7 p.m. Ian Schaller’s topic will be “Grow Little Buddy”. He will discuss ways to achieve a healthy harvest with local and sustainable amendments you can make at home to feed plants and the soil. He will also discuss when and how to fertilize your plants for the best possible results. The program will be held virtually via Webex. It is free, but registration is required at mastergardenersunioncountync.org.