November/December 2023 - 16

GREEN GOODS
folks with limited mobility are still able to experience
growing their own vegetables; they make a unique
hostess gift; and they're a great conversation starter
nestled among your other houseplants. "
She said home gardeners are encouraged to purchase
Kitchen Minis, which can be harvested for four to six weeks.
After that, the plant material can be composted and replaced
with a fresh plant, bringing customers back to the garden
center to shop.
The Kitchen Minis line expanded this year with a new
class - cucumbers - which was introduced at California
Spring Trials. The trellised 'Quick Snack' variety sets fruit
without the need for pollinators and can thrive in a sunny
indoor spot.
" The lineup is growing even further, so watch for another
debut at California Spring Trials 2024, " Rotella said.
Garden centers can direct customers to PanAmerican
Seed's consumer-friendly website, kitchenminis.com, and free
video and social marketing materials and store signage at
panamseed.com/northamerica/brands/kitchenminis.
containers, such as a balcony. A veggie hanging basket can
also serve as a focal point or add interest when placed
among other container plants.
5. Straw Bale Gardening
Similar to the container gardening popularity, straw bale
gardening isn't new - but offers new benefits with its
approachable and small-space qualities.
" When I developed the Straw Bale Gardens (SBG) method
32 years ago, nobody had ever heard of such a thing, " said
Joel Karsten, owner of SBG. " But now, five books and nearly
3,000 live presentations later - and with the help of social
media - we now have more than a million people who have
adopted the method to grow their own backyard gardens,
and we know of 60-plus countries where people are growing
using the SBG method. "
Straw bale gardening is essentially using a straw bale as a
container for growing plants. Karsten said some of the
benefits of this method are its accessibility - the raised
height makes it easier for anyone who has limitations to
physically getting down to the ground. In addition, the bales
can be put anywhere, " even on asphalt, concrete or on a
rooftop because the root system of the plants can be fully
inside the bales, " he said. " This allows anyone to grow a bale
or two regardless of how much 'land' they own. A single
parking space in a parking lot can fit up to 20 bales and
produce a bounty of harvest. "
And since no tools are needed for this growing method, it's
more approachable for first-time or new gardeners - or those
with limited resources. " They may need a garden hose and a
pruner or a knife for harvesting, but that is about all they
would absolutely need to garden in bales, " he said.
To introduce customers to this method, Karsten
Pepper 'Pot-a-Peno' is an All-America Selections winner
bred to grow in containers. Photo by Teresa McPherson.
4. Edibles in Containers and Hanging Baskets
Advancements in breeding are now giving home gardeners
new ways to grow their vegetables outdoors as well. Once
limited to ornamental annuals, containers and hanging
baskets are a suitable and space-saving way to grow edibles.
" Patio gardening has been on the increase for years now, "
Blazek said. " When we (the All-America Selections board) saw
that trend, we took action and created a special container trial
for select edible entries. This allows breeders the opportunity
to show what their new, compact breeding can really do. "
Three edible varieties are recent All-America Selections
winners bred to be suitable for containers with compact
habits - pepper 'Pot-a-Peno' (PanAmerican Seed), pepper
'Quickfire' (Tozer Seeds) and pea 'Snak Hero' (Syngenta).
" There are skeptics who think you can't produce a decent
crop in a container, but winners like 'Pot-a-Peno', 'Quickfire'
and 'Snak Hero' are just a few that really thrive and produce a
large yield even in smaller containers, " Blazek said.
Garden centers can suggest these varieties as an
alternative to traditional in-ground plants, especially for
those who might not have the floor space for large
16 |
recommended that garden centers set up a demonstration
straw bale garden. Both customers and employees can then
see how the preparation and growing process works.
" A good supply of straw bales and a display of Balebuster
straw-bale conditioner will be needed, " he said, " and maybe a
few books, just in case someone goes crazy and really wants
to learn all the specifics. The basics are simple, and printed
right on the package of Balebuster. "
He said since it is " very conspicuous " to grow in bales, it can
attract attention and generate questions and curiosity from
customers, giving garden center staff the chance to explain
the method and its benefits.
6. Chaos Gardening
Some gardeners are eschewing the rules and throwing
caution - and seeds - to the wind (literally) with chaos
gardening. A TikTok search for #chaosgardening yielded
23.7 million views, with users sharing content such as
scattering a handful of carrot seeds throughout the
landscape and mixing several flower seed packets together
and tossing them into the wind.
This laissez-faire approach might be appealing to gardeners
with limited time or those who find the planning and sowing
of seeds to be intimidating or stressful (read: new gardeners).
It can also be a good approach for a pollinator garden if native
plants are used.
16 | LAWN & GARDEN RETAILER | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023
http://www.kitchenminis.com http://www.panamseed.com/northamerica/brands/kitchenminis
November/December 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of November/December 2023
