Imagine a vegetable garden with ripe tomatoes hanging from the vines, so fresh you can smell them without even biting into them. Beside the vines, dark purple eggplants are sprouting from the bushes, almost bursting from size. Now, imagine the place where the gardener lives. Do you envision a house? Maybe one with a beautiful green lawn? Would you believe that the garden isn’t in the ground at all? In fact, the vegetables are in planters sitting on the patio of a very small apartment.

The green lifestyle has swept over the country, and some of the biggest players in this movement are people with little access to soil, let alone backyards. Urban dwellers may not have the garden with the white picket fence, but they can certainly have the garden with a high rise iron fence.

To get started, go to your local garden center and purchase pots (or use recycled plastic bottles for smaller plants). Cut small holes in the bottom of each container, and line with small rocks two inches deep. Make sure you place each container in an area where it will receive no less than four hours of sunlight each day.

Indoor Veggies

Some plants that thrive indoors are: eggplant, bell peppers, hot peppers, greens and various herbs. If you have a balcony, make sure you take advantage of the patio beams and grow vine plants, such as beans, tomatoes and cucumbers.

“I used the fence on my porch to grow blackberry vines last summer,“ Lisa Cooper, a Knoxville condominium resident, said. “Every year I switch it up. Like one year I did cherry tomatoes, just to see what I can grow.“

Outdoor Veggies

In the large, outdoor containers, grow vegetables that require more space. Some vegetables that need this extra room are cauliflower and brussels sprouts. Make sure the larger containers have plenty of holes in the bottom because larger plants require more ventilation to grow.

If there are vegetables that only grow in large spaces, like root veggies, such as potatoes and carrots, look online to find weekly farmers markets near you. The vegetables are usually organic, and you can support local farmers at the same time.

Make sure you research what vegetables are in season because they are cheaper, and chances are, they aren’t transported from somewhere else. For instance, Tennessee has no fruits or vegetables currently in season, which makes finding fresh local produce more difficult.

Or rent a vacant lot in a local community garden. Get together a group of friends to help pay for the lot; it’s a great way to hang out, save money, and promote wellness.

Carl Simoson, a community gardener in Chicago, IL blog about his experience: “Me and four of my retired buddies rent an acre from a local garden. We mainly grow vegetables. It’s great exercise for me to be sweating in the sun for a few hours, and it gives me a good excuse to get out of the house and spend the afternoon with old co-workers.”

Vegetable gardens can be easy to do; not only will you be saving money, but you will help encourage good health. Anyone, anywhere, on any budget can be green, budget-conscious and healthy.