"Container" Gardening – Growing Tomatoes!

I am an aspiring gardener. I really, really wanted to grow a garden this summer, but the timing was just not right. Between selling our old house, moving into our new house a month before I was due and then Brenden being born there just wasn’t the time to plan and plant a proper garden. But, my wonderful mother did provide me with 3 tomato plants and even planted them for me as I was 9 months pregnant!

Also, because I have been known to kill plants in the past, I thought it might be wise for me to nurture and grow these tomato plants this year and see how well I could do, before I attempted to actually grow a garden.

I wanted to share how we planted these tomatoes, because it really is such an easy way to grow tomatoes, especially if you don’t have a yard, or don’t want to (or have time to) designate a spot in your yard for growing tomatoes.

We (and when I say “we”, I really just mean my mom) used bags of potting soil and cut a hole in the top of the bag and planted the tomato plant right inside the bag of potting soil. The bags came prefertilized, so technically these aren’t “organic” tomatoes, but I haven’t sprayed them with any kind of chemicals, and I didn’t have to add any other fertilizer, so I’m okay with it. Then all you have to do is put them in a sunny place and water them regularly. The bag really helps to give the tomato plants the kind of growing environment that they thrive in by keeping the soil hot and keeping the soil moist.

My tomato plants are growing well. And last week I harvested my first tomato! My mom and my sister were actually in town visiting, and we sliced the tomato to have on sandwiches for lunch. Oh, there is nothing like a homegrown tomato! It was really good, and I’m excited for my many green tomatoes to ripen up!

I am hoping to plan and prepare this fall for planting a real garden next spring/summer. There is something so exciting to me about planting something, watching it grow and produce food that you can actually eat. And best of all – it’s free. Well, besides the cost of the plants or seeds, soil and any other supplies you might need to start your garden. But, the cost of homegrown food is much less than buying it at the store or the farmer’s market. I love to think about all the possibilities of growing my own food in my own garden next year!

Have you planted a garden or container garden this year? What kinds of things are you growing? Do you have any tips for preparing in the fall to plant a garden in the spring?