The Back Porch Garden

Do you have limited space and feel like you can’t enjoy fresh garden vegetables on a regular basis? It doesn’t have to be this way, a back porch garden can add some green to your living area and provide fresh food at the same time. A variety of vegetables and herbs that will happily grow in pots on a back patio or window sill.  Herb’s such as Sage, Chives, Oregano, Parsley, Thyme, and Basil all do well in pots, an added bonus is that Sage, Chives and Oregano are perennials and will continue to come back year after year.

In addition to herbs, vegetables such as; tomato’s, cucumbers, corn, peppers, and even lettuce also do well in pots on a back porch.  The most important part of porch gardening is planning according to the space that you have.  For example, a 3′ x 3′ (36″ x 36″) area can fit approximately twenty-five 6″ clay flower pots which are great for all kinds of herbs.  The only issue is being able to evenly water and reach all of the pots.

Try out these designs for a small apartment porch:

Porch Corner Italian Herb Garden:  (Space needed: Approximately 24″ in each direction)

Be sure to put the Basil in the 12″ pot in the back, basil needs lots of room to grow into an adult plant which can be up to three feet tall.  Also be sure to pinch off the flowers when they appear to keep the basil producing all summer long.  The sage, thyme, and oregano are perennials and will keep coming back year after year.  The rosemary and basil should be brought inside when temperatures are anticipated to be below 50 degrees for an extended period of time.