Container gardening a growing trend in Fredericton apartments

A growing trend called container gardening has hit the green thumb circuit, and it has been helping Fredericton apartment dwellers cut down their grocery bills.

Charlie Benn-Frenette has always loved gardening, even though these days, he does it in a surprising place — his apartment.

"I've been at my current apartment for the last six years, and so this will be my sixth year of gardening," said Benn-Frenette.

He estimates he grows enough food to replace 40 per cent of his weekly food budget by replacing the expensive produce found in grocery stores.

He does it through container gardening, a way to set up a garden anywhere, whether it's inside an apartment on a windowsill, or outside in a raised box off the ground.

The containers can be any size, and any material, as long as the plants aren't over-watered and overcrowded.

Year-round growing season

Benn-Frenette said he's had hundred of plants on his balcony.

He grows salad greens year-round, cherry and grape tomatoes, carrots, strawberries, cucumbers and even pumpkins.

Benn-Frenette and his husband Rob like to switch up their eating habits in the hotter months, and fresh fruits and vegetables were a healthier choice.

"[Grocers are] selling it for a group of people instead of for a smaller group of people like me and my husband," he said. "So it's easier for us if we can grow those things, and we can harvest and eat when we're hungry."

Container gardening has become so popular that gardener Katrina Christopher has created a seminar for people interested in starting. 

"Most people think because they're in a small apartment or they're in a condo or they've downsized quite a bit, that they've lost the opportunity to garden," she said. "But this is why container gardening is such a great idea."

Edible and ornamental

Christopher said a container garden is just a smaller version of any other type of garden, and anybody can do it with edibles, ornamentals or both, as long as the gardener knows the difference.

"I would say you should have a bit of knowledge about what you're putting in it, and what you can eat and what you can't eat," said Christopher. "I wouldn't offer the container up to just everybody."

The downside of container gardening for some can be the mess, but Christopher said the possibilities of having a garden full of freshly grown fruits and vegetables can outweigh the clean-up.

"Most people do love plants, it helps rejuvenate the soul, keeps you grounded."