Beautiful Ideas for Growing Food in Pots

You don’t need a big backyard to grow food. If you’ve got a sunny patio, porch, or balcony, you can start with a few pots and grow things you’ll actually use in the kitchen.

But deciding what to put in those pots is where I think a lot of people get stuck. You want the plants to grow well, of course, but it would be nice if the whole setup looked good, too.

That’s what caught my attention when I got an advanced copy of The Container Kitchen Garden by Claus Dalby.

The Container Kitchen Garden by Claus Dalby: Beautiful Ideas for Growing Food in Pots

I have the book in my hands, and the idea behind it is one I love: a food garden can be useful and beautiful at the same time.

You can grow vegetables, herbs, and fruit without making your outdoor space look like you ran out of room and started putting plants wherever they’d fit.

Growing Food in Pots Doesn’t Have to Look Like a Backup Plan

People often think of containers as the thing you use when you can’t have a “real” garden. But pots give you choices. You can start small, group plants where you want them, and move a container when a spot isn’t working. It’s also great when you have soil that’s hard to work with like clay or sandy soil.

They also make it possible to garden in places where digging a bed isn’t an option. Maybe you’re working with a small patio. Maybe you have a balcony and nowhere to put a raised bed. Or maybe you just want a few fresh herbs close enough to grab while you’re cooking dinner.

That’s still a garden. And it can be one you’re happy to look at when you’re sitting outside with your coffee.

What This Book Covers

The Container Kitchen Garden brings together the practical side of growing food and the fun of arranging plants. It covers choosing containers, working with soil, and combining edible plants with flowers.

There are also more than 300 images, which is especially helpful when you’re trying to picture how a group of pots might look in your own space.

Some of the topics that stand out to me are:

• Growing vegetables, herbs, and fruit in containers
• Pairing edible plants with flowers
• Choosing pots and plant combinations that look good together
• Moving containers to make better use of available light
• Taking care of a container garden as the seasons change

I appreciate that it goes beyond “put a plant in a pot and water it.” That might get you started, but there’s more to think about if you want a garden you’ll enjoy tending and using.

A Kitchen Garden You Want to Spend Time In

I think that’s the most appealing part of this book. It’s easy to focus so much on what a garden produces that you forget about the space you’re creating around yourself.

A pot of herbs by the door is handy. A few thoughtfully arranged containers can make the whole patio feel inviting. Add in edible plants that bring different colors and textures, and your food garden becomes part of the place where you want to sit and spend time.

You don’t have to copy a beautiful photo exactly, either. You can take one idea, try it with the space and pots you already have, and see what works. That’s a much less overwhelming way to start than feeling like you need to design an entire garden at once.

Who Would Enjoy The Container Kitchen Garden?

I’d look at this book if you’re interested in growing food but don’t have much space, or if your current collection of pots could use a little direction. It also makes sense for someone who already grows vegetables and herbs but wants new ideas for arranging them with flowers.

And if you’re a person who likes a gardening book you can sit down and look through, this one has plenty of visual inspiration. Sometimes seeing a combination is what makes you think, “Oh! I could try something like that.”

You can see The Container Kitchen Garden on Amazon. Whether you’re planning your first few pots or rethinking a patio full of them, it offers a lot to consider before your next planting.