One pot wonders

In the kitchen, ‘one pot wonders’ are popular because they combine simple ingredients with flavours that bring out the best in each other. And it’s easy to use the same concept in the garden. Growing in pots means there’s no digging, and it’s the perfect solution for small-scale gardens. Pots are also mobile and can be positioned in the ideal microclimate, which gives you a greater choice of what to plant. And you can grow combinations of plants that require similar conditions. Choose flavours you use and love. Start with seedlings for quicker harvesting. Here is a tasty one pot wonder to get you started.

The classic combo

‘Totem’ tomato, sweet basil, leaf lettuce and edible flowers (violas and marigold)

Use indeterminate tomatoes (also known as vine tomatoes) as they’ll produce fruit continuously: cherry tomatoes are a great option as they grow and ripen quickly. Pinch out the growing tips of the basil to produce more leaves. (Cutting off the growing tips just above a pair of leaves on any stem will cause two stems to emerge that will each grow new leaves.) Leaf lettuce provides a continuous harvest – start snipping off the outside leaves when they’re about 10cm long. Add edible flowers to attract pollinators and add colour to salads.

Growing notes Grow in full sun. Water to keep the potting mix moist but not wet, and water more often as the plants grow; use a saucer if they’re drying out too quickly. Depending on the size of the seedling, you should be harvesting in two to six weeks.

Also suitable Capsicum, perennial basil, chillies, nasturtium.

Step-by-step

1. Place a sheet of newspaper in the base of the pot to stop potting mix dropping through the large holes; it will soon disintegrate.
2. Add a 10–12cm layer of straw to fill the pot a bit.
3. Insert a tomato cage for tall-growing varieties.
4. Add potting mix and seedlings.
5. Water well, adding seaweed solution to the watering can.

Header image by Virginia Cummins