The 20-30 Something Garden Guide. Dee Nash

      A west or south-facing area will be much hotter, getting afternoon or all-day sun. If your area faces north, you’ll have cooler temperatures and more shade. That isn’t a bad thing if you live in a hot climate, but in cool, rainy places like Portland or Seattle you’ll need all the sunshine you can find.

      The sun becomes much stronger as summer progresses and the sun's angle changes. In hot climates, morning sun is always best for your plants, but with a little ingenuity and some shade cloth (see page 80), you can grow in afternoon sun as well.

       Pots don’t have to just sit there

      You can move them around as needs or whims arise. Don’t have enough sun? Want to change the look of your garden space? Here’s one of the great things about container gardens: they’re mobile.

       Tools of the Trade

      Containers should be at least 18 to 24 inches wide and 12 to 16 inches deep to provide plenty of room for your plants. One benefit to using larger containers is they don’t dry out as quickly as smaller ones. Small pots can look nice tucked into small spaces, though. It helps if you line porous containers with some type of material that retains water. I sometimes use a layer of sphagnum moss in mine around the edges, but I have also used bubble wrap. I like moss better because it's natural.

      There are several different kinds of containers to choose from. Here’s what you need to know to pick the best ones for your garden:

       TERRA COTTA. Terra cotta is porous, so it heats up quickly and drains rapidly. In a hot climate, it can dry out too quickly. However, it is wonderful for large, top-heavy plants that need a sturdy pot.

       PLASTIC. Don’t belittle the humble plastic container. While it might not be the sportiest one on the block, it will get you through your first and probably second season just fine. Plastics with bisphenol A (BPA) have been in the news recently because of their potential link to cancer. There is debate about whether you should choose BPA-free plastic to grow vegetables. BPA is understandably controversial, and research is ongoing. For my own garden, I use organic practices throughout; last year I chose food-grade plastic buckets to grow my potatoes. There’s still scientific discussion about whether BPA leaches into growing vegetables. That’s not to say that it doesn’t, though. To be safe, I would choose food-grade plastic or a completely different type of container to grow fruit and vegetables, just in case.

       INSULATED CONTAINERS. These are an excellent medium for flowers. However, since they are not made of food-grade plastic, I wouldn’t use them to grow anything I’d want to eat. They also hold moisture – not ideal in rainy climates, but can be very beneficial in dry climates.

       GLAZED CERAMIC CONTAINERS. Glazed containers are a good choice because the glazing retains moisture. But, they are heavy and can crack like terra cotta if left outside over winter. Glazed containers can also be pricey, so it’s best to collect them a few at a time. I grow most of my plants in cobalt blue glazed pots I’ve gathered over the years.