Thursday, March 28, 2024

Harvest Happenings — September 2022

Farming and gardening are the heart of our community. We love having a working commercial farm and an onsite farmer who shares his passion and expertise with homeowners and their children.

We recognize that starting a garden can be daunting. We try to help by providing community gardens where our onsite farmer can help homeowners develop their green thumb. If people want to start smaller, we also recommend patio gardening.

Patio and porch gardening continues to grow in popularity, and it’s easy to see why. A patio garden is easy to start and manage, and can allow people with little or no yard to enjoy all the benefits of their own garden in a much smaller amount of space.

The joy of having fresh produce, herbs, and flowers readily available from plants you grow and care for yourself is a big reason many folks choose patio gardening. After all, adding fresh ingredients to tasty meals is a lot easier if those ingredients are just a few feet away. Another inspiration for many patio gardeners is simply the opportunity to create a relaxing, natural, vibrant space of their own, right outside their doors.

Starting your patio garden is probably simpler than you might think. All it takes is a few decisions and some initial investments and research. After that, your new patio garden will be yours to enjoy — with some light maintenance, of course!

First, you have to decide where to set up your garden. Any space that’s level and receives plenty of sunlight will work. However, take care to consider the exact area. Pick somewhere with the right amount of sunlight (at least six hours a day is recommended), which may vary depending on your plants. Also, consider your plants’ proximity to a water source, as hot summers mean lots of watering.

Second, be creative! Patio gardens are an excellent opportunity to try out your green thumb on a variety of plants. Flowers, herbs, vegetables, and even small trees are all easy to grow on a patio, as long as they’re positioned to take advantage of the right amount of sunlight. Thanks to the warm summers and moderate winters in Texas, a bounty of plants grow well here.

Finally, you need to choose your planting containers. Choosing the right containers for your plants affects both the health of your plants themselves and the overall style/“feel” of your garden. Containers can take almost any form: planters, buckets, whiskey barrels, even old suitcases. When choosing each one, it’s important to consider the soil needs of your plants — smaller plants mean smaller root systems, and vice versa. Another consideration is mobility: some plants benefit from being able to move into or out of direct sunlight depending on the time of day. In those cases, wheeled planters or pot dollies are helpful, since you can move them around the patio as you need.

Give it a try! You might be surprised how much fun gardening is!

CTG Staff
CTG Staff
The Cross Timbers Gazette News Department

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