Last season we grew tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, summer squash, hubbard squash, cantelopes, and mustard greens in 5 gallon buckets in our garden. Tomatoes and peppers were especially productive. We are taking a step forward this year and will be training a "Bucket Brigade" in cooperation with the Community Health and Resource Group (CHARG!), a committee of The Foothills Transition movement. We will be participating as exhibitors at an exposition at The Hickory Science Center Saturday, March 16.

The Fisherman's Garden is developing more approaches to container gardening which will also be featured at our 2013 Garden Fest on Saturday, April 20 at the Unitarian Universalist Church. We are located at 105 Virginia St. SW in Lenoir.

Come and play in the dirt with us and learn how to build food security through gardening!

Start a Container Garden

These used 35 gallon barrels are from a local car wash but they could be 55 gallon barrels and are available from local hardware stores, bottling plants, or food processing plants. Don't use barrels that have been used for storing chemicals or petroleum products!

The first step is to saw the barrel in half lengthwise. No doubt the barrel has a seam that is visible if you look closely. Run a pencil all along the seam and carefully saw with a circular saw or jig saw. This one had a seam that went through the screw caps, we just tightened the caps and sawed right through them. Be careful to secure the barrel so that it does not roll while sawing! A few 3/8"-5/8" holes should be drilled in the bottom for drainage.

We are using flourescent grow lights and inexpensive light fixtures. The biggest use is as a set-up for starting summer vegetables but right now we have planted spicy mesclun mix in this barrel and we will move it outdoors when the plants have established themselves. In the next few weeks the tomatoes and peppers will start their journey to the garden here.

Starting plants is easier indoors in the winter so we created this tray that will catch excess water and will double as our starter set-up for summer vegetables such as peppers and tomatoes... The liner is  2'x5' of pvc shower liner (available in home improvement stores in the plumbing aisle). The frame is 2x4's screwed together. Total outside dimensions are 18"x54".