Up front with container gardening of vegetables

Beckie Fox

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Three stacked raised beds hold a selection of vegetables — a display garden at the 2016 Philadelphia Flower Show.
Three stacked raised beds hold a selection of vegetables — a display garden at the 2016 Philadelphia Flower Show.
Three stacked raised beds hold a selection of vegetables — a display garden at the 2016 Philadelphia Flower Show. (Garden Making photo)

If you have a sunny spot by your front steps, consider constructing a series of stacked boxes to act as containers for growing a few vegetables. Wouldn’t it be fun to arrive home from work and harvest a few lettuce leaves, cherry tomatoes and herbs as you unlock the front door?

The scene shown above was part of a display of front garden designs at the 2016 Philadelphia Flower Show. It suggests a clever way to squeeze in a bit more growing space for produce, even in a small urban garden. Assuming the three wooden frames are bottomless, the top tier would be the deepest — perfect for more deeply rooted plants such as beans or cherry tomatoes growing on a trellis against the house, as well as a few green onions and colourful Swiss chard plants. The middle tier could include radishes and beets. The bottom layer would be perfect for leaf lettuces and herbs.

Add a few pots of nasturtiums, variegated sage, lavender and other herbs to the porch or window boxes and you’d have an attractive edible landscape to greet you every day.

Read more about growing food in your garden.

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