Backyard Vegetable Gardening in Containers: Simple, Cheap & Productive

A backyard veggie garden brings peace, health, and fresh food. Easier and cheaper than you think.

Container Choices

Large black nursery pots (often free) work perfectly. Even one big pot can host a mini "square foot" layout with significant yields.

My favorite: storage/toy tubs—cheap, ubiquitous. Drill pencil-sized drainage holes in bottom and lower sides. Elevate on blocks (a few inches) for drainage and airflow; ground contact attracts pests and muck.

Drawbacks: tubs weaken after 5+ years; when full, they're heavy and can split if bumped. Move carefully or not at all post-planting.

Layout & Planting

One tub = 4 soil segments = 4 crops (e.g., carrots, beans, peas, radishes). Two tubs = 8 crops.

Pole Beans

Any variety. Use 8+ ft bamboo stake at pot edge, drilled and tied for stability. Plant 4–6 seeds at base. Minimal space, continuous harvest all season.

Peas

Easy, delicious young. "Tall Telephone" variety grows vertically like beans—saves soil space. Same stake setup.

Endless Options

Potatoes in bags! Lettuce (cool, fast, compact). Basil—expensive in stores, sensitive outdoors. Grow indoors on a windowsill; easy from seed, dry for later.

Your backyard vegetable garden is just a couple afternoons of planning and building away. Happy planting!