Gardening is such fun for kids and a great way to ensure your family is eating healthy fruits and vegetables. Something about growing your own food creates a healthy appetite. Have you been motivated by all the news stories of vegetable gardens but feel you don’t have the space, time or knowledge to get started?

You don’t need an acre of land to have a great vegetable garden. You can garden successfully in pots and containers. Using the right varieties, the correct soil, adequate light and water you can have a thriving garden on your back porch!

Here are some tips to get you started and some links to inspiring container gardening information.

• Decide what to grow: If this is your first garden choose easy vegetables such as tomatoes, zucchini, beans, and radishes.

• Choose varieties of these plants that will do well in containers.  If you plant some vegetables such as carrots and cucumbers choose the smaller varieties that will do well in containers.

• Plan where your containers will go. Some vegetables need more sun than others. 6 to 8 hours for vegetables such as tomatoes and cucumbers. More shade happy vegetables such as lettuce will be happier in your less sunny areas.

• Hardy or Tender: To know when your seedlings can go outside determine the temperatures your plants can handle. Tomatoes are tender and need warmer soil. Carrots and onions are hardy and can handle cooler temperatures.

• Water well: If you’ve had problems in the past with letting your plants go dry try a self watering pot or some of the watering helps on the market. Or add it to your child’s chore list.

• By the way you can container garden in most anything. Wash your pots before using them if they held something else before.

Have fun!