Tips for planting a container garden – what type of garden to set up, and plants you might want to try when working with kids.

Some links on this site are affiliate links and I may earn a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you! Learn more.
I spent my early childhood living on a farm. I’m raising city kids, but I want them to have a tiny taste of farm life, especially the incredible flavor of home grown food.
We always had a couple of big container gardens in our house in Massachusetts. The kids loved planting our garden every spring.
I started a garden in our condo, but my time-tested approach to keeping away pests in Massachusetts didn’t keep the squirrels away. Frustrated by squirrels biting the stems off of pea plants before they even had peas on them, I gave gardening up for a while.
But the kids missed our garden. They gave me last summer off since we were traveling, but this spring they asked for a container garden.
We have a pretty small back yard, and I wasn’t willing to give up the grass for a garden. Low-set gardens also attract more animals than raised gardens.
So I started hunting for container gardens. Eventually I decided to get this raised planter.

The planter is high enough off the ground that our 15lb dog can’t get into it. I really liked the water reservoir built into the planter. The reservoir encourages plants to grow roots, and provides plenty of water if we leave town for a few days.
My kids love turning our gardens into fairy villages, and a raised planter is perfect for that!
Setting Up a Container Garden
What You'll Find on This Page
The raised planter I bought was unbelievably easy to put together. 13-year-old Emma and I slotted the pieces together in under 15 minutes!
A couple of rainstorms filled the reservoir up neatly for us. Then we added soil and planted our seeds.
What Grows Well in a Container Garden?
My green thumbed sister can grow just about anything in a container garden! I’ve watched her grow trees, watermelon, and grapes.
Emma and I opted for more traditional plants: tomatoes, sugar snap peas, strawberries, and carrots.
We bought nursery tomato and strawberry plants, and we love watching them thrive. Pea plants grow quickly; carrots are slower but they seem to be doing well also.
I’m excited to see what sorts of fairy villages my kids set up this year as the plants grow larger. Lily and Anna are going through a big Playmobil fairy phase, so I expect they will make an appearance in our container garden fairyland soon!
Update: How Is This Garden Doing One Month Later?
Our garden is THRIVING! Honestly, I’m wowed at how well this container gardening is doing. We went on a long weekend trip, and the water receptacle in the bottom of the planter completely saved the garden. The weekend we were absent turned out to be scorchingly hot, and we came home to a sunburnt lawn but a very happy garden!
More Gardening Ideas for Families
Gardening activities for families to enjoy together.
Garden Book Activities for Children Everywhere
Here are some of our favorite gardening activities for kids to go along with one of my favorite pictures books, The Curious Garden.
6 Surprising Health Benefits of Growing Plants
Gardens are beautiful. They are healthy too, including in ways you might not expect. Discover the benefits of growing plants.
Tips for Using Recycled Materials in the Garden - Upcycled Gardening
Combine green recycling with green gardening through these fun ideas for using recycled materials in the garden.
Simple Experiments for Kids: Plants and sunlight
Did you know that plants crave sunlight so much that they will bend to follow it? Kids love this simple visual phototropism plant science experiment, and it’s one of our favorite simple experiments for kids.
Plant Biology for Kids & Garden Themed Learning Activities
A simple introduction to  plant biology for kids, plus more garden-themed learning activities that pair beautifully with picture books listed in the post.
Gardening Fun for Kids
Simple ways to garden with your kids from spring through summer.
Gardening With Kids: Tips for Planting Tomatoes
Tips for planting tomatoes with kids, especially in climates where you can get surprise cold snaps in spring.
Tips for Gardening With Kids
Helpful tips for gardening with kids, plus more gardening activities for kids. These ideas work with all ages and gardens of all sizes!
Shamrock Gardens: Fun Ways to Create and Grow Clover
Clover is easy and fun to grow!
Growing Grass and Other Earth Day Learning Activities for Preschoolers
Grass is easy and fun to grow, making it the perfect preschooler science activity. This post also features other Earth Day themed learning activities for preschoolers.
Do you plant a container garden? What fruits and vegetables do you love to grow?
Share comments and feedback below, on my Facebook page, or by tagging me on Instagram. Sign up for my newsletter to receive book recommendations, crafts, activities, and parenting tips in your inbox every week.
MaryAnne is a craft loving educator, musician, photographer, and writer who lives in Silicon Valley with her husband Mike and their four children.
I love the theory of having a garden, but I’m terrible at the day to day upkeep of gardens.
They do need constant attention! When people ask me what blogging is like, I always say it’s like growing a garden. Lots of rewards, but you have to look after it to see the results!
This garden looks fantastic. I hope it brings a lot of veggies to your plate :)