Hi GPODers! Today we’re visiting Christine (@the_blooming_deck) in Bethesda, Maryland (Zone 7b), where she’s transformed her two-level deck into a thriving container garden filled with vegetables and flowers. As I’ve always said, you don’t need a ton of space to have a garden. Just a vision and the determination to make it happen.
My garden is a little oasis of beauty, food, and tranquility, created primarily in containers on my two-level deck in Bethesda, Maryland. What began as a love of growing my own food has evolved into a welcoming outdoor retreat filled with vegetables, herbs, fruit trees, colorful flowers, and visiting wildlife.
I grow everything from tomatoes, peppers, and leafy greens to lemons, olives, and seasonal flowers, making the most of the different sunlight conditions throughout my space. One of my favorite features is the seating area surrounded by lush plants, where I can enjoy my morning coffee, listen to the birds, and appreciate the changing seasons.
Even the shadier corners of my deck have become beautiful little gardens of their own. My garden is a reminder that you don’t need a large yard or elaborate landscape to create something special. With creativity, patience, and a collection of containers, even a modest outdoor space can become a place that nourishes both body and soul.
My deck garden seating
My productive container garden
My shade garden
My Meyer lemon (Citrus × meyeri, Zones 9–11) tree
Thank you for sharing your garden with us, Christine! I love how you’ve made room for growing food while still creating a beautiful place to sit back and enjoy it. And that Meyer lemon tree is impressive! If you’ve ever wanted to grow your own citrus, Fine Gardening has some helpful advice on growing citrus in containers.
We want to see YOUR garden!
Have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a particular collection of plants you love, or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit!
To submit, fill out the Garden Photo of the Day Submission Form.
You can also send 5–10 photos to [email protected] along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos. We’d love to hear where you are located, how long you’ve been gardening, successes you are proud of, failures you learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden.
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Fine Gardening Recommended Products
Chapin International 10509 Upside-Down Trigger Sprayer
Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.
CLEAN & DISINFECT: made to handle disinfectants and mild bleach solutions. DESIGNED TO CLEAN: adjustable nozzle for fine to coarse spray. 32-OUNCE TANK: translucent, chemical-resistant poly. COMFORT: ergonomic handle and sprays upside down to reach awkward areas.
DeWalt Variable-Speed Cordless Reciprocating Saw with 6-Piece Saw Blade Set
Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.
You can fit a variety of blades to this saw to cut fallen branches or prune larger limbs from trees in a pinch. It’s fast, tough, easy to use, and extremely versatile.
– 18.31 x 6.13 x 4 inches
– 1-1/8-inch stroke length
– Variable speed trigger with 0-3000 spm
– DW4856 Metal/Woodcutting Reciprocating Saw Blade Set, 6-Piece
Gardener’s Log Book from NYBG
Fine Gardening receives a commission for items purchased through links on this site, including Amazon Associates and other affiliate advertising programs.
This weatherproof five-year log book includes the following features:
· Sturdy waterproof cover to protect pages from rain and muddy soil
· Lined pages and gridded paper for plotting beds
· Five years of 12-month bloom and harvest grids for recording what you planted and when
· Authoritative appendices on composting, pruning, pest and disease control, and container gardening
· Useful reminders by season on fertilizing, mulching, and transplanting
· Space for listing your favorite sources and suppliers.
