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Gardening for Renters (Or Anyone) |Sustainable Food Center

Most of us start gardening in apartments, condos and rental houses. As new graduates (and newlyweds) Greg and I rented a duplex. I planted a few annuals and picked up this (cheap) ammo box at a military surplus store to install my first herbs. Our puppy, Shauna, promptly dug them up while my back was turned.
ammo box herb garden Central Texas Gardener
Even if we wind up “owning” a home, we can cart our containers and sentimental plants along with us.
stock tank and patio containers Central Texas Gardener
patio containers Central Texas Gardener
cute containers patio garden Central Texas Gardener
trug container gardens Central Texas Gardener
Gifted plants follow us along our timeline. This Hawaiian Ti plant (Cordyline fruticosa) from Randy Case has been on my watch only a few years. Snuggled into the house this winter, it’s actually flowering! And obviously needs to be potted up this year. . .
hawaiian ti plant Central Texas Gardener
And yes, that’s a bougainvillea I brought in, too, during cold-spell patio painting. After dropping its leaves in a snit, it staked its winter spot inside by blooming.

Once you make a distinctive hypertufa container, you know it’ll never get left behind on moving day.
hypertufa container Central Texas Gardener
Viewer picture goes to Johnny Whitworth for his unique designs that accent his charming garden.
hypertufa container in garden Central Texas Gardener
I simply adore how he pepped up his home’s patio with an Alamo décor!
cute Alamo styled patio Central Texas Gardener
For gardeners on the go, Amanda Moon from It’s About Thyme spares renters “dirt-deprivation” with inexpensive, portable solutions.
Tom Spencer Amanda Moon Central Texas Gardener
Galvanized containers punched with holes make cute, low-cost planters. Even a tight budget can sneak in a few flower seeds. Our intern, Emily, told me that having plants and flowers in her apartment provide her so much contentment.
stock tank planter Central Texas Gardener
After those plants bloom, collect the seeds to have forever and ever. Many of my larkspurs came from my neighbor years ago, who gathered seeds from his mother’s garden!
larkspur Central Texas Gardener
And whether you’re a renter or not, check out Amanda’s ‘Cowardly Lion’ begonia, a knockout, low-water beauty that’s been hardy for her into the 30s—but bring inside if freezing. Like all begonias, it’s easy to propagate.
cowardly lion begonia Central Texas Gardener
Even a renter or small-space gardener can grow yummy potatoes, especially those you can’t usually get in grocery stores.
growing potatoes in bin Central Texas Gardener
Trisha picks the easiest, tastiest spuds, including All Blue. Get her fail-proof tater tricks.
All Blue potato Central Texas Gardener
Now, we know that we’re heading into the “season of fungal disease.” Last year really delivered a whammy, even to the hardiest plants. Daphne analyzes Jennie Ostertag’s troubled young mock orange shrubby tree. Can it be saved? Find out how.
fungal disease on mock orange Central Texas Gardener
On tour at the Sustainable Food Center’s teaching garden, learn how to grow healthy food with water conserving methods, even in small spaces.
cedar vegetable beds rain garden Central Texas Gardener
border vegetable gardens Sustainable Food Center Central Texas Gardener
At a former east Austin brick-making factory, they’re reviving soil and neighborhood solidarity through sustainable gardening methods.
painted bricks Sustainable Food Center Central Texas Gardener
The teaching gardens illustrate design options to suit your good taste, and show how to water them efficiently.
horseshoe drip irrigation sign Central Texas Gardener
square foot garden Sustainable Food Center Central Texas Gardener
Check out their self-nourishing keyhole gardens which use less water. They’re ideal for gardeners growing on rock or bad soil.
keyhole and ground gardens Central Texas Gardener
See how to make efficient wicking gardens for that patio-sized stock tank.
container wicking bed Central Texas Gardener
In their Quonset hut, they conduct classes for kids and adults.
quonset hut teaching garden Sustainable Food Center  Central Texas Gardener
It’s also designed to sluff rainwater into rain gardens, filled with plants to attract pollinators for their food crops.
rain garden Sustainable Food Center Central Texas Gardener
Get lots of ideas in the adjacent community garden sponsored by the St. David’s Foundation, who knows how good health starts with good food and exercise outdoors.
corrugated metal vegetable beds Central Texas Gardener
community garden trellis beds Central Texas Gardener
staking trellis Sustainable Food Center Central Texas Gardener
It’s a very new garden, with more exciting projects soon on the horizon. The long-term picture on land donated by the Meredith family is a community park and discovery adventures along Boggy Creek.
wooden bench arch Sustainable Food Center Central Texas Gardener
mosaic design on wooden arch Central Texas Gardener
Watch the whole story now!

Thanks for dropping by. See you next week, Linda

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