Grow It Yourself: A Container Garden of Herbs and Lettuce

Although it's nice to have a garden plot in which we can grow our favorite vegetables, many of us don't have the room or the time. But that doesn't mean we have to do without good herbs and lettuces. Most of these grow just fine in pots on a sunny patio or balcony.

Sage, basil, thyme, rosemary, mint, parsley, cilantro, and other herbs all thrive in sunny containers. Even if you don't have a lot of sun, you can still grow lettuce in pots, fitting three or four heads to a good-size container. When it's ready to eat, just snip off what you need as you need it. Right now we're growing mustard greens and butterhead lettuce. (Because lettuce bolts at the end of its natural life—especially when the weather turns hot—it's good to have a backup container of seedlings to take over once your first crop is done.)

For us, one of the joys of warm weather is being able to stroll onto the patio and snip off enough mixed herbs and greens for a salad. For just a few cents and very little effort, we have some of the ingredients for a delicious light dinner.