Yep, it’s been a long time, but I’m back. I realize why I fell behind in my writing this time, and I’m working on getting better at it. But I do have progress to report – I finished my first portfolio project and posted it! Yay!! Now on to my next project…😊
Life has been busy lately, the world has gotten crazier and I’ve decided to take up gardening. Not gardening for plants, but gardening for food. Tough times are coming and I’m trying to do my part to be prepared. But let me say, this is no small undertaking. There’s a LOT to it.
While I don’t want to spend an epic amount of time learning about food gardening right now, I still have to spend some time planning and making an effort to ensure a reasonable amount of success. I want to get started pretty quickly since it’s springtime and the perfect time to plant. But if I don’t plan properly, I could find my time was wasted and have little to show for my effort.
A video I found online really encouraged me. The woman used vertical gardening to get lots of plants into a small space. This idea is new to me and it helped me get more excited about gardening. Simply put, vertical gardening uses specially made planters with multiple sections, stacked on top of each other. The one she uses is called GreenStalk and it’s cool, but very expensive. Even though it’s patented, it’s popular enough to be copied.
So there are lots of other (less expensive) versions available now. They’re not quite the same as the GreenStalk, which is very tall (adult-sized) and self-watering, but they have similar characteristics and will fit any budget. (Be aware that the cheaper options are usually much shorter than the original GreenStalk, but they could be purchased in multiples to get a taller version!)
5 Tier GreenStalk Original Vertical Planter
Here are some additional options that you could purchase online or in-store:
Amazon: Vertical Planter 7 Tier Stackable Planters
Temu: Brick Red Stackable 3-Petal Flowerpot Set
Home Depot: 5 Tier PP Vertical Stackable Planter in Brown (30 Pots)
Lowe’s: Style Selections Rustic Indoor/Outdoor Vertical garden planter
Dollar Tree: Garden Collection 3-Section Stackable Planters
I’m kind of excited to see how it turns out. They say the food we buy at the grocery store doesn’t compare to the taste of our own fresh fruits, veggies, and herbs! If you’re intrigued, here’s a list of some of the most helpful videos I’ve watched to start my food gardening journey.
- The video that gave me hope and helped me decide to try vertical gardening: Meet a DECK Gardener Growing POUNDS of Food EVERY WEEK | Ways to Grow Food Fast in a Small Space by Becoming a Farm Girl
- A good beginner list of things to grow: 20 BEST Vegetables, Fruits & Herbs for CONTAINER GARDENING: Growing in the Garden by Growing in the Garden
- Growing fruit in pots: The best potted fruit plant options for small space gardens | Gardening 101 | Gardening Australia by Gardening Australia
- Start herb gardening: Indoor Herb Gardens – The Definitive Guide For Beginners by The Ripe Tomato Farms
- Container gardening and tips: The Lazy Gardener’s Guide to Starting a Container Garden by GrowVeg
- Great vertical gardening tips for success: Do These FIVE Things For Vertical Gardening Success! by MIgardener
Discovering vertical gardening makes me feel like starting a garden could be easier than I thought. And I won’t have to dig up my yard, which is not something that I was looking forward to. Now I know that I can combine vertical gardening with container gardening and do a lot with very little space. I really like that!
I want to, at least start my first vertical planter in a couple of weeks. I’ll let you know how it goes.
So, what about you? Do you garden for food? What do you grow? Any advice for a first-timer? I’d love to hear your feedback. Till next time, have a great day! 😉👍