As warmer days return to Northern Michigan, gardening is on our minds—specifically, how to make it easier. The answer: planters galore. Here’s what you need to know about starting your own container garden.
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Summer Up North is for play time—more beach nights, more bike rides, more boat days, less yard work and fewer chores. That includes gardening. Many of us may have less time than we’d like or aren’t around all the time to care for an elaborate garden plot throughout the entire growing season.
That’s where small, contained gardens come in. If you don’t want to be tied to weeding and watering schedules, here are some pro tips for creating summer mini gardens that are a breeze, from Farmer Andrea Bushre of Cadillac’s NanBop Farm.
Tip: Never underestimate the power of pots.
“I like the flexibility; you can move pots wherever they need to go,” Andrea says. “If they’re on the deck and you have a party, you can whisk them off to the yard. If you don’t have full sun, you can move them throughout the day to get more sunshine.”
Pot Pros:
- They look prettier. Garden beds can be all about business, but pots invite curating, fun with combinations, and planters of any kind: from repurposed bath tubs or water troughs, to pretty ceramic pieces.
- They’re easier to access and care for—no schlepping out to the garden. You can keep herbs and veggies within arm’s reach and don’t have to walk far.
- When potting flowers and herbs, at season’s end you can bring them inside to a garage, basement, back window or mudroom, and still enjoy the greenery throughout the winter.
Photo by Annie Spratt
Quick picks for containers: “I lean toward terra cotta pots, because they can leach salts that can easily build up in pots,” Andrea says. “And check out GreenStalk, a five-tier vertical planter with an internal watering system perfect for growing herbs, strawberries, lettuces and flowers.”
Farmer Andrea’s potting pro tip: “Make sure all your pots have drainage holes, otherwise plants can develop root rot, making leaves curl, yellow and drop off.”
Vegetables, Herbs & Berries that Love Containers
- Lettuce: look for fun varieties like oak leaf, red romaine
- Snap peas
- Beans
- Kale (bonus: kale makes for beautiful visual interest in a planter)
- Spinach
- Potatoes (plant one per 10-gallon pot)
- Strawberries
- Mint (mint spreads like mad, so pots are perfect to contain it)
- Thyme
- Hot peppers (these seem to prefer pots to regular garden beds)
Photo by Derek Sutton