The Frugal Veggie Farm: Containers & Raised Beds for Small Spaces & Budgets

Dedicated to all the thrifty virtuous souls who, upon resolving to grow their own salads in the interest of self-sufficiency, marched to their local nursery, only to be cut down by sticker shock. To these -- our crestfallen Heroes -- we say, "Never give up, never surrender!"

Maybe you live in an apartment. Or, perhaps, you have a tiny yard with little or poor quality soil. A tidy harvest of home-grown veggies and herbs can still be yours ... if you have a bit of sunlight and a little imagination.

No yard -- not even a patio? A windowsill or a table or shelf-top under a window will do. If you have deep windowsills both in- and outside, so much the better! Or, consider putting a planter or two or three outside your door.

Petite Planters on the Cheap

Seed starters: Empty cardboard egg cartons with holes for drainage make good starter pots for seeds or small cuttings.

Planters: Used plastic food containers with holes in the bottom make fine pots. Cut tops off too, if you're using bottles or jars. If you use non-food containers, please make sure they never held toxic materials. Use leftover fast-food trays, foil pie tins and cake pans to catch drainage. To keep water from running through your planting mix too fast, line your planters with coffee filters.

Former Easter or gift baskets make beautiful tabletop gardens. Try herbs and salad greens, or cherry tomatoes or strawberries.

For a unique look, try a sturdy old shoe or boot!

Salads and Seasonings on Your Windowsill

Fresh herbs beat dried leaves from a jar, any day. You can buy seeds or small pots, of course. But you can also plant your neighbor's cuttings, or fresh herbs from your grocery or farmer's market. Dip the cuttings in Homemade Rooting Compound: 1 aspirin dissolved in 1/4 cup of water. Then stick 'em in some potting mix. After a couple of days, you might want to water your cuttings with a weak solution of aspirin and water. (I've had success with supermarket cuttings out of the fridge!)

Salad greens need less space than you may think. You'll want to invest in some seed packets -- look for packs of mesclun (mixed salad greens) or mixed lettuces, or make your own mix! Sprinkle atop your potting mix, then cover lightly with more potting mix, water frequently and wait. Baby greens can be harvested as soon as they grow real leaves. For a continuing harvest, sprinkle some new seeds among the sprouts every couple of weeks or so.

Raised beds protect your good soil/planting mix from erosion and spare your back and knees from excess strain.

Classic garden beds have lumber frames. Lengths of lumber and the sturdy hardware required to hold them together can be expensive and may require more construction expertise than one may have or wish to use. And they probably won't work too well on your patio.

But there are alternatives. Consider these leftovers from your own, or a neighbor's, projects. (Please ask neighbor first.) You can also find them -- and lumber too! -- offered for free on your local Craigslist or Freecycle list. Or, post a "Wanted" ad on one or both. Both services are international and free.

Reuse Plastic Tubs. Kitty litter and other merchandise are often sold in large plastic tubs. Poke holes in them, and place the lids underneath to catch drainage. Or, cut the bottom off completely, and stick it down in the soil. Fill with a mix of dug-out soil, compost and/or leaf mold, or with potting mix.

Old Wading Pools. Believe it or not -- Inflatable or not. Use like plastic tubs 

Used Bricks. Dig shallow pit to desired size and shape. Or, lay several layers of wet newspaper in your chosen spot. (If your spot's on a patio, line the bed with reused plastic -- garden-sized garbage bags or leftover bubblewrap will work.) Heap with your dug-out soil/compost/leaf mold blend, or potting mix. Stack a layer or three of used bricks, or a layer or two of cinder blocks, around the perimeter to hold the planting medium in. Voila! 

Cinder Blocks. Instead of brick, use one or two layers of cinder block to frame the bed. As a bonus, fill cinder block crevices with planting medium, and plant small vegetables in those spaces too. Cinder blocks also make great twin planters all by their lonesome, or in clusters. 

"Urbancrete" is concrete left over from a driveway remodel or other forms of demolition. Stacked like bricks, it gives a surprisingly rustic look. To avoid lead poisoning, stick to unpainted concrete, and to keep the icky car-stuff out of your veggies, line with reused plastic.

Tires. Line with plastic to keep out the icky car-stuff. A stack of 3 or 4 tires makes a great potato tower!  Make sure there are holes for drainage at the bottom, and fill with the planting compound of your choice.

Hypertufa. For crafty do-it-yourselfers. Hypertufa is a mixture of Portland cement (not concrete) and peat moss, applied to a mold. The result looks like classic stone, at a fraction of the cost and weight. Your mold can be a cardboard box, plastic tub, or use your imagination! It's a fantastic way to reuse a styrofoam container. Learn more about hypertufa here, and/or here.