by Bob Ewing

Created on: May 10, 2008

Fresh is a strong word that conjures up an image of crispness and deep flavour. The best way to get your food fresh is to grow it yourself.

Now it is difficult to grow food for many people, at least to grow enough to feed themselves and their families. However, you can grow some of your own food, especially if you enjoy salads.

Container gardening is an ideal way for those who enjoy the wide range of tastes and textures that you can get from a salad greens garden to grow their own food. A 24 inch wide container will let you grow a range of those come and cut again leafy delights that make the backbone of many a salad.

For example, if you enjoy a piquant taste experience you can grow mesclun, arugula, mizuna, chicory and kale. All will do well in a container. Mesclun is a mix of assorted small, young salad leaves and containers allow you to grow you own mesclun mix.

Pick the greens you like and then as they beginning to grow, cut a selection of leaves for that meal's salad.

The salad garden is a come-and-cut-again garden and you can enjoy fresh young greens for your salad throughout the season.

What is a salad without a good dressing? Here is a simple dressing that will enhance your mesclun salad:

2 tbsp Red wine vinegar
1 tbsp Balsamic vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 c Olive oil

Put the vinegars and mustard into a bowl add olive oil and whisk, you can put this into the refrigerator and allow it to cool before using on the salad.

Your choice of soil is very important I use an organic potting soil that I buy at the local plant nursery. This way I know that the plants are getting what they need.

Now tomatoes go great with salad greens as do cucumbers. You can grow both in a 24 inch diameter container.

I favour cherry tomatoes and can grow three plants in one 24 inch container. Plus I can add basil pants to this container and get one of nature's perfect combos, basil and tomatoes.

I find that I can interplant my three cherry tomato plants with four basil plants and this will supply me with all the basil that I need. I simply snip a leaf or six when needed.

Tow 24 inch container are able to provide me with all I need to make a great salad so depending upon how much space you have there could be room on a patio or even in your front yard to grow your own salads.

Cucumbers have many uses, as garnish or for soups, salads and sandwiches. They will also do well in a container. You can set a trellis into the container and grow the plants up which I suggest.

This way you can place two or three cucumber plants in one container, be sure each plant has its own support and be ready to pick them as needed when they grow.

So, three 24 inch containers will give you ample produce for all your salad needs. So as always, your first step is to determine what you need.

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