Sometimes 1’x1’ (square foot) gardens are known as container gardens. I have even heard raised beds referred to as container gardens. What I am addressing here are vegetables grown in pots or buckets of various sizes. Varieties listed are open pollinated (non-hybrid).

It is my recommendation that you plant vegetables where you can get maximum nutrition from the smaller space. Beets and radishes can be used for the leaves and the roots. Plant varieties with longer roots rather than rounder roots. This would include radishes, beets, and carrots, for example. Use deeper pots for these plants. The tendrils on pea plants can be eaten. Spinach, kale, and chard havemore nutrition than lettuce.

Some vegetables suitable for container gardening:

Beans (bush beans that grow from about 20” up to about 24”, yield in about 55 days)

Beets (long rather than round)

Brassicas (cabbage and mustard family, early, like cool weather)

• Nickel Filet (tender, good producer)
• Golden Roc d’Or (tender, stringless, yellow)
• Purple Queen (tender, stringless, purple)
• Green Slenderette (tender, stringless, green)
• Pencil Pod Golden Wax (tender, stringless, yellow wax bean)
• Beurre De Rocquencourt (early, good flavor, yellow)
• Burpee’s Stringless (very early, stringless, green)
• Landreth Stringless (meaty, heavy yields, green)
• Red Swan (early, tolerates cool soil and weather, red)
• Cylindra (sweet, tender flesh, very uniform shape)
• MacGregor’s Favorite (tender, delicious leaves)
• Crapaudine (oldest variety known, 1000 years old, a little difficult)
• Bok Choi
• Rainbow Tatsoi (good for salads)
• Rosette Tatsoi (larger head, good for salads)
• Barese Swiss Chard
• Tuscan Baby Leaf Kale

Carrots

• Little Finger (small)
• Babette (small)
• any standard variety like Scarlet Nantes

Corn (for those who must have corn!)

• Orchard Baby (early, sweet, 3’-5’)

Edible Flowers

• Dwarf Nasturtium [radish flavor – leaves (can substitute for watercress), flowers, buds, seeds (can substitute for capers if brined)]
• Irish Lace Marigold (licorice flavor – tea, salad, seafood)
• Sweet Mace Marigold (also known as Mexican tarragon, anise flavor, substitute for French tarragon)
• Lemon or Tangerine Gem Marigold
• Calendula (peppery or bitter flavor)
• Dandelion (leaves, roots, and flowers)

Greens

• Mach  (corn salad)
• Watercress (needs running water such as a hydroponic set up)

Herbs (Almost anything works except maybe those that would grow bush size because of space restrictions. Here are a few suggestions

• Pot Cilantro
• Midget Savory
• Emily Basil
• Any mint

Lettuces (Almost any variety works except maybe those that grow huge like the giant Blue Feather Leaf which reaches 4’ tall – that would need some room!

Onions

• Grolau Chives or any other type
• Any type of bunching onions like Evergreen, Welsh, Red Beard, Deep Purple
• Garlic
• Zebrune Shallot

Peas (edible pods)

• Dwarf Grey Sugar
• Tom Thumb
• Patio Pride

Peppers (Most pepper varieties, both sweet and hot, can be grown in containers.)

• Yummy Belles (orange sweet)
• Mini Bell Red (sweet)
• Pizza My Heart (red sweet)
• Early Flame Jalape os