How better to try your hand at fruit and vegetable gardening than by growing pots of old-time favorites like strawberries, tomatoes or herbs on a sunny balcony, deck or patio? Container vegetable gardens bring a bounty of fresh, good-tasting produce within the grasp of city dwellers, gardeners with limited space and those seeking a healthier alternative to market vegetables of doubtful age or origin.

Tomatoes love the warmth of sheltered patios and decks.

Photo Credit: ©2002 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard

This container planting mixes pepper, eggplant, cucumber and edible marigolds.

Photo Credit: ©2002 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard

Fragrant and flavorful mint deserves its own pot; it spreads from its rhizomes, and if it’s not contained, it may quickly crowd out less invasive plants.

Photo Credit: ©2002 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard

Tomatillo and endive are good container companions: The popular Mexican salsa ingredient is deep-rooted, while the endive only penetrates 6-8 inches.

Photo Credit: ©2002 Dolezal Publishing/John M. Rickard

You’ll receive a big payoff when you garden in containers, even as you conserve your time and resources. The amount of space you’ll need is small, suitable pots are economical, and potting mix can be obtained by the bag at your local garden center or nursery. With nursery starts (also called starter plants), many vegetables mature in as little as 6-10 weeks from planting, and you should have your first crop of leafy greens in about a month.

Pots used to grow vegetables should be deep and tall rather than shallow and wide. They should be placed on “pot feet” or other risers (like bricks or wood blocks) to allow them to drain properly. And if they’re particularly large containers, set them in their final location (and on top of risers) before you fill them with soil, because after they’re filled, they’ll be quite heavy!

Your containerized edibles should be placed in a location that receives full sun for at least 6 hours per day. (That said, remember that even shady locations are suitable for some vegetables, such as cabbage and spinach.) Pick an area that’s also protected from wind, which can cause stems to break or foliage to tear.

Begin your container vegetable garden with a strawberry pot or a mixed herb garden. Strawberry pots have numerous openings in their sides, each accommodating a plant that will yield two or three berries at a time and repeat producing for several months.

For a seasoning garden, try kitchen herbs like chives, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, tarragon and thyme. Allow at least 6-8 square inches for each plant in a mixed container and start harvesting when the plants become well-established, usually in 6-8 weeks.

Gardeners also can experiment with salad greens, like amaranth, celtuce and Malabar spinach, as well as root vegetables, including leeks, radishes, shallots and salsify. Try planting Yukon Gold potatoes in a half barrel, or grow tasty and unusually colored heirloom tomatoes in a bucket, barrel or other large container.

No matter what you grow, you’ll experience unsurpassed taste and pride as you pick produce directly from your planters. (You won’t be able to contain yourself!)