Can you feel it in the air? The warm breeze (almost), the birds singing – and things beginning to grow? Can you feel the call of the wild? Or at least the call of the average-sized flower pot? Take advantage of the season and make a patio vegetable garden.
This is when most people wander off into the garden sections of their supermarkets and hardware stores and wander amongst the shiny gardening tools, colorful seed packets, and fertilizer. They wonder about what it would be like to have a little garden paradise all on their own and if they have what it takes.
Some folks who have patios never wander outside of their comfort zone. A patio is a barbecue place, and maybe have coffee on warm weekend mornings. Most of us don’t realize that it only takes a bit of work to get your patio ready for spring and summer.
What you need are a few simple tools, good ideas, and solutions. You don’t have to grow your plants in the ground when pots will do just fine. You don’t have to worry about constant watering when there are many watering hacks out there. And you don’t even need good weather to keep your plants safe when there are so many narrow lean-to greenhouse options for your patio, even if it’s not that spacious.
So, no worries, we will show you how to get this done. Yes. You CAN have a patio vegetable garden of your own!
Garden Hacks for a Vegetable Garden on a Patio
There are many options for planting, and some of them aren’t your average run-of-the-mill solutions.
Anything can be a container if you put your mind to it. Some people use makeshift planting containers to add spice and character to their patio garden. This might include things like these:
- Old pots and pans for growing herbs
- Upcycled bathtubs, especially the antique kind!
- Wooden pallets for vertical gardens
- Wine Barrels
- Old BBQs
- Reusable shopping bags
- Old boots
- Wicker baskets
The options are virtually endless. It’s time to upcycle! Some tools that are going to be especially useful for busy patio owners are self-waterers. Of course, if you are lucky enough to have water access outside, you can install an automatic watering system. But if your patio is free of luxuries like running water, an upside-down bottle and a bit of DIY will do. Self-watering spikes can last for up to two weeks!
You can have a tiny compost bin as well. If you have a little bit of space, you can put your kitchen scraps and coffee grounds to great use.
Decorative Veggies
There are some veggies you can plant in your patio vegetable garden that will keep it pretty and tasty. Rapidly climbing plants like watermelon, cucumbers, squash, and pumpkins are always a great idea.
All you need is a trellis. These veggies will climb and produce beautiful large leaves, beautiful flowers, and a lot of greenery, even if they’re growing out of a container. If you train them correctly, they can wrap a whole wall and ceiling in a green curtain.
Pumpkins, cucumbers, and gourds love hanging around, and they will add a festive harvest atmosphere to your patio come autumn. Their flowers are, of course, edible too.
Some other veggies that are pretty and tasty are cherry tomatoes, decorative cabbage, kale, and peppers. If you play your cards right, you will be munching away all season long. And if you opt for a small patio greenhouse, you can extend the growing season by weeks.
Edible Flowers for Your Patio Vegetable Garden
There is nothing quite like growing your own vegetables, but if you are dead set on something that blooms and is pretty, then you can grow edible flowers as well and enjoy them for their aesthetic values as well as their yumminess.
Nasturtiums:
A great choice for your salad and your pickle jar is Nasturtiums. They grow quickly, spread like wildfire, and bloom in intense colors of orange, yellow and red. They can be grown in pots or made to cascade out of vertical gardens. And, best yet, they are edible– you can dress up any salad too! Nasturtiums have a sweet, slightly spicy taste. Their green fruits can be pickled and known as the “poor man’s capers.”
Calendulas:
Calendulas are an edible and medicinal orange beauty. Their flowers are used in tea, salads as well as in skin-soothing salves and creams. You can macerate them in oil to draw their goodness out. These are considered weeds by some and grow very easily. A low maintenance miracle in a flower pot!
Lavender:
Lavender is great low maintenance and drought-resistant plant. If you are a forgetful waterer, this is a very rewarding flower to plant. Fragrant and soothing, you can not only make scent bags out of dried Lavender flowers, but you can mix them with black tea for added aroma.
Sunflowers:
Growing sunflowers on a sunny patio can add that rustic vibe to your space. You can plant them in large planters and grow them out of seeds. There are many different types and heights of sunflowers. If you have a few patches of super tall, huge seed-bearing flowers, you can have a fun harvest come fall. Tall sunflowers are also very impressive and attention-grabbing while they are growing.
Vegetable Gardening: A Healthy Pastime
You don’t have to have a full-grown garden to put homegrown veggies in your salad bowl. Think of vibrant leaf lettuce and juicy, ripe red tomatoes. Yum!
A little know-how and a pinch of patience will help you get some spring, summer, and fall joy out of your patio.
Of course, no one is saying to become a patio homesteader. Developing a simple pot gardening hobby might be rewarding in so many ways. For example, it helps you become more mindful of what you eat. Taking care of plants is a natural destresser and an antidepressant. Lush plants create a sense of pride and accomplishment. What’s not to like about a vegetable garden?
She has a B.S.Ed. in Secondary Education/English and a Spanish Minor. In addition, she holds a Certificates in Natural Health and Herbology from accredited programs. She pursued these natural wellness certifications due to her love for herb gardening.
Despite freelancing to make a living, her love is "all things home."
Deborah grew up in a family that grew a large vegetable garden and a fruit orchard, helping her parents pull weeds and can home-grown foods as part of her childhood. In fact, she had no idea that she could purchase veggies and fruits in pre-packed steel cans until she went to college and made a food run.
Today, she lives in Bertie County, North Carolina, an agricultural rural area with more chickens than people. She lives with her husband and two rescue pets a sweet toy fox terrier and a cat who showed up one day and moved into the house. Together, they enjoy DIY projects, furniture refinishing, gardening, and canning.
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