I first saw this idea at one of our local farmers markets and thought it was ingenious!
The vendor sells both beautiful flower, herbs, and veggie starter plants but when I saw their 'Salad Bowls' I was charmed. They can be made for your own use; they would make ideal hostess gifts or even as a 'welcome to the neighborhood' gift, teacher gifts...you name it!
Start with a bowl shaped plant container. They are usually not too deep and can be found among the hanging basket section at a plant nursery or any garden center. The hanger part can be an option or not. You can even use an old discarded plastic or metal colander! (think recycling or yard sales)
Start with a variety of salad green seeds that grow in a myriad of shapes, colors and tastes: mesclun mix, Boston, Bibb, endive, mizuna, arugula, romaine, radicchio, green and/or red curly leaf and any others that strike your fancy including even some colorful and peppery nasturtiums.
Mix all of the lettuce and greens seeds together in a shaker jar; they are all tiny...all but the nasturtium seeds which are much larger, so keep them separate.
Place about an inch of shredded newspapers in the bottom and fill with a good mixture of potting soil and compost. Water thoroughly and drain well. Sprinkle seeds evenly on the soil mixture and place one or two nasturtium seeds in the center. Cover with a fine layer of soil, no deeper than a 1/4 inch.
When the seedlings start coming up, you can carefully pull some of them so the plants won't be too crowded and replant in another 'salad bowl' or garden location. Be sure to not pull the center nasturtiums.
While working on one, it would be ideal to make several at one time. Place them all around your deck, lanai, and sunny window sills, on plant pedestals or give them as gifts. No two will be alike!
Harvest your greens while still young and tender...and remember both the leaves and blooms of the nasturtiums are edible.
The 'Salad Bowl' garden is the gift that will keep on giving!
To read the previous posts on this same topic, please click on the following links:
The Home Farming Project - Edible Landscapes
The Home Farming Project - Victory Gardens
The Home Farming Project - The Recycled Garden
The Home Farming Project - Lasagna Gardening
The Home Farming Project - Growing your own small garden bounty
The Home Farming Project - Share the Harvest
The Home Farming Project - Growing Herbs in Your Garden
The Home Farming Project - Straw Bale Gardening
The Home Farming Project - More on Organic Gardening
The Home Farming Project - 'Potager' Gardens
The Home Farming Project - How to keep birds from eating your seeds!!
The Home Farming Project - Easy Free Mulch
The Home Farming Project - Composting with more than grass and peelings...
The Home Farming Project - Companion Plantings
The Home Farming Project - Companion Planting with Flowers
The Home Farming Project - Companion Planting with Herbs
