Transform Your Driveway Into a Vegetable Garden

I WAS SMITTEN with my driveway last summer. For several weeks, it produced tasty tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, summer squash, basil, bush green beans, and cucumbers. Throw in some lettuce, Swiss chard, and beets, and I ended up with much more than a garden; it’s also a conversation piece, a local gathering place for neighbors, a teaching center for children, and a chance to spread the joy of gardening.

But wait! The driveway surface is concrete. What’s the secret to growing an annual garden bounty — a ton of fresh produce — in such a location? Why turn an automobile parking place (or basketball court, as the case may be) into a garden? Well, necessity is the mother of invention. You could also use a deck or a patio, or any place in your yard that gets good sun exposure.

PLANTING OPTIONS AND GROWING TECHNIQUES

Traditional dirt gardens, raised beds, containers, straw bales, hydroponics, greenhouses, and vertical gardening arrays are some of the many options to adapt your gardening plans to the infinite possibilities of yards, conditions, and growing Zones. Any of these options will work well given some trial, experimentation, and patience. Most gardeners are familiar with an in-the-ground dirt garden, and many install raised beds. Adding containers and straw bales to your gardening tool belt will increase your options, and allow you