Gardening is incredibly popular because people love having their own fresh grown vegetables, herbs and flowers. One easy, convenient way to enjoy all the benefits of a garden without a ton of physical work is to to grow plants on your deck. Creative deck design can include built-in planters and flower boxes. It’s a smart idea to position these features strategically, to take advantage of the best sunlight.
Framingham is in hardiness zone 6A, which means popular garden vegetables like tomatoes, cucumbers, peas, beans, and lettuce all grow well here. You can also grow Asian vegetables including bok choi, tatsoi, mustard spinach and bitter melon. Love the idea of having an orchard on your porch? Have your deck designer include space for container-grown fruit trees: miniature varieties of apple, cherry, plum, peach, and citrus trees will all thrive in the Framingham sunshine. Fruit trees will need some special care and may need to be sheltered indoors to survive through the winter – you’ll want to keep that in mind when making your garden plans. To enjoy fruit on your deck with less work, choose to grow strawberries or blueberries. They do great in containers and add a bright pop of color to your deck.
You can grow a lot of different kinds of herbs in Framingham, MA. Herbs grow very well in containers. Oregano, basil, dill, parsley, chives, and other herbs are really pretty plants as well as being very tasty additions to your cooking. Growing herbs from seed can take a lot of patience – some varieties take weeks, even months, to sprout. The quicker route to a great herb garden is to buy herb plants – try 4″ pots in flowerboxes.
Growing flowers on your deck is a fun way to add a splash of color to your home. Zinnias and marigolds are fun for the kids to grow from seed. Petunias, pansies, impatients, and other colorful annuals come in gorgeous shades of yellow, red, orange, pink, purple, and more. For a really dramatic look, choose to grow flowers that are all the same color family; if you’re aiming for a warm welcoming casual look, use a combination of your favorite colors.