Container Gardening

The Joys of Container Gardening
By Jane Hayes

Container gardens are great for growing all sorts of plants, including ones you can eat, enjoy for looks and smell, use for tea or medicinal purposes and shade. There are also container plants that attract pollinators, feed birds and even make your cat happy. Beyond these tangible benefits, container gardening is also a wonderful way to enjoy the outdoors and can help bring peace of mind and a sense of well-being to those who indulge in it.

Container gardens aren’t always the first choice if you have a lovely sunny garden, but they are perfect for those who have a balcony but no access to an in-the-ground garden. You can also use containers to stretch small garden spaces, create a barrier to toxic soil, maximize paved driveways or make use of a sunny lane to grow glorious heirloom tomatoes. The list goes on!

If you’ve got the container gardening bug and want to find out more, Garden Jane is offering a new Container Garden Workshop on Mon May 26th, 7 - 9 p.m at the clinic. You’ll have a chance to learn tips on growing organic vegetables, herbs and a host of other useful plants in containers. The workshop includes a demonstration of planting containers that may be grown on a balcony, patio or rooftop. Workshop fee is $20-$30 (sliding scale), which includes take-home resources and a few plants to get you started. Pre-register at 416-252-3665. See www.gardenjane.com for more info and other local workshops.