In The Garden: Planting a Seed

My love for “Portable Container Gardening” began as a youngster during my summer in the South.

By Veronica Manlove-Price

Summer breaks from school in Westchester County, New York, were spent with my aunt and uncle in a rural community of Johnston, South Carolina. By the time of my arrival, all the garden rows had been beautifully prepared and planted. It was something about the design of the mounded dirt rows and the sprouting of the crops that intrigued me.

I often looked at the planted fields and would say to my uncle, “isn’t it beautiful when God paints?” That was what looking out over the vastly planted land looked like. It was like standing in the middle of a three dimensional painting. The thought and idea that I would be bringing home-grown vegetables and big sweet watermelons to my family in New York excited me all the more! There is where my love with vegetable gardening began.

Yellow Squash

The first seeds I ever
dropped into the soil of my Uncles farm were yellow squash, cucumbers,
tomatoes and watermelon. I watched as the dirt rows my precious uncle
prepared especially for me began to come alive! The squash, tomatoes,
and cucumbers along with other vegetables would mature first.

As my bountiful crop matured Uncle Earnest also launched me into a
world of entrepreneurialship, by building me a vegetable stand. It was
there at this stand I sold some my harvest that summer; and every
summer I came south thereafter.

Growing into a young adult and no longer going south for vacations, I
had to figure out how to continue my love for gardening. Living on a
third floor tenement flat meant it would take some creative thought to
how I could grow my vegetables. Then it occurred to me, I’ll make the
garden portable!

Not wanting the project to become expensive, I decided everything must
be from recycled materials, contained, and able to be moved around.

I set out to collect the following:
• Laundry Basket – 1 bushel laundry baskets, large flower pots, or five gallon buckets work great!
• Large, Tightly Meshed Burlap Sacks – The sacks that onions come in, or heavy duty trash bags.
• Seeds – Sent from sweet ole’ Uncle Ernest, or bought from the five
& dime store. You can purchase pre-grown containers of vegetables.
• 1 Large Barrel or Garbage Can – Collect rain water, this saves on
your water bill. Tap water usually has fluoride and chlorine, and could
possibly burn and stunt your vegetables and flower growth.
• Miracle Gro’ Fertilizer – Plants and vegetables love this stuff!
• A Few Garden Tools – To make it all happen!
• Gardening Soil – Pre-packaged soil is ready to use but can get to
be expensive depending on how many containers are planned. If you use
soil from the ground be sure to prepare it prior to using.

Cabbages grown in containers.

Till the soil first to remove the old grass, rocks, and other debris,
then till in some lime and cow manure. Allow 24 hours or longer for the
soil to rest.

Make sure all of your items have been cleaned and sanitize. Vegetables
blooms and flowers are prone to disease and infections, so it’s
important to give everything a fresh clean healthy start, whether in
new or recycled containers.

Put your burlap or trash bags into the container making sure to poke
holes in the bottom for drainage. Should you find that your containers
are not draining well, punch more holes around the sides at the bottom.
If you live in a condo, group housing, or above the ground floor, use
containment saucers to collect excess water run-off.

In a recycled two liter soda bottle, plant four seeds in separate
holes. Allow the seeds to mature to a viable size, making sure that a
strong root system has developed. Separate the four plants by cutting
the root ball into four sections with a sharp sanitize knife or
scissors. Plant each section into your prepared large containers.

Tomato Plant

Your soil should be kept moist, especially for cucumbers, squash and
the tomatoes, but not soggy. Prepare a trellis system to support your
tomatoes and any of the other climbing vegetables being grown. A little
T.L.C. takes care of the rest. In about 50 days (depending on the
location and environment), you should be enjoying the fruits of your
labor!

In remembering those visits with my Uncle Earnest, I remember joining
him on his early morning walks through the fields with a glass of melon
juice in hand. I soon learned that this was his time to commune with
the creator, always thankful for waking up in his right mind; for a day
he’d not seen before – and to bless his fields for an increase of his
harvest. That became tradition, and to this day I commune with my
garden in the same fashion.

Get the families and kids in the neighborhood together. Encourage them
bring a basket to plant a vegetable or two to care for! You’d be
surprised at what more you can harvest other than vegetables!

Be blessed, and allow your harvest to be a blessing as well!

Happy Gardening!

Veronica Manlove-Price is the owner of her own business, A Lil’
Dis-n-Dat, in Southeastern North Carolina. She is also an avid knitter
and creator of beautiful things.