Many people are becoming more and more interested in growing their own food. This may be a bit easier if you have a yard that supports gardening, but you don’t have to have acres of lawn to keep up a garden. In fact, you can can create small deck gardens on your deck.

Here are some great ways to grow food in deck gardens:

Pallets

Do you have a small deck? Grow a vertical garden! One easy option for this is to take a reclaimed pallet and turn it on its side. Add coconut fiber to the slots to hold dirt, and then plant fresh herbs or veggies. You can also grow a vertical salad garden easily using a French riddling rack, which is made to hold wine bottles. Put fencing material on the back, and then add coconut fiber and dirt to the holes. Lettuces and strawberries tend to do well in this configuration.

Container Gardening

Some plants do very well in containers. Carrots and potatoes are at the top of the list here. To keep your deck from looking too cluttered, mix several plants together in large containers. Be sure to do some research, so you can choose plants that do well together. For instance, tomatoes, lettuce and spinach make great ‘roommates’.

Hanging Gardens

Are you looking to add some privacy? recycle gutters by adding paint and then cutting them to equal size. Then, use rope to create a hanging ‘ladder’. If you have a pergola, you can hang them from the frame. Otherwise, you’ll need to dig support poles. Once you’ve made this frame, simply add dirt, and then you can grow your plants in the gutters. As the plants grow, the spaces between the gutters will fill up, creating a green screen. Look for plants that don’t need a lot of depth, like peas, radishes, lettuce, and tomatoes.