The Dirt Diva Diaries Series · Book Five
From the Files of the Dirt Diva Diaries
Ivy’s Container Food Gardening
“I grew my first real food garden on a thirty-square-foot apartment balcony. I had strong opinions and almost no space. Turns out you need a lot less of the latter than you think — if you know what you’re doing.”
Available on Kindle and in paperback
The idea that you need a yard to grow food is one of the most persistent myths in gardening. A patio, a balcony, a sunny deck, a few square feet of concrete with good light — any of these is enough to produce real food in real quantities if you understand how container gardening actually works.
Container gardening has different rules than in-ground gardening. Drainage matters more. Watering is more frequent and more critical to get right. Soil choice is not interchangeable with garden soil. The right container size is not a preference — it directly affects whether your plant thrives or slowly declines. These are not complicated rules, but they are specific ones, and most container gardening advice glosses over them.
Ivy’s Container Food Gardening does not gloss over them. Kevin Mansoor, CNP covers the technical side of container growing — drainage, soil science, feeding schedules, and what plants actually need when they’re growing in a confined space. Ivy Green covers everything else — including which containers actually look good on a patio and why that matters more than Kevin thinks it does.
Container gardening has different rules than in-ground gardening. Drainage matters more. Watering is more frequent and more critical to get right. Soil choice is not interchangeable with garden soil. The right container size is not a preference — it directly affects whether your plant thrives or slowly declines. These are not complicated rules, but they are specific ones, and most container gardening advice glosses over them.
Ivy’s Container Food Gardening does not gloss over them. Kevin Mansoor, CNP covers the technical side of container growing — drainage, soil science, feeding schedules, and what plants actually need when they’re growing in a confined space. Ivy Green covers everything else — including which containers actually look good on a patio and why that matters more than Kevin thinks it does.
What’s Inside
Container selection — size, material, drainage, and why every one of these decisions affects your plant more than you’d expect
Soil science for containers — why garden soil fails in pots, what a quality potting mix actually contains, and when to amend it
Watering in containers — more frequent, more precise, and more consequential than in-ground; how to get it right every time
Feeding container plants — nutrients deplete faster in containers, which means your feeding schedule needs to be consistent and calibrated
What grows well in containers — a practical guide to vegetables, herbs, and fruits that actually thrive in pots versus ones that struggle
Companion planting in small spaces — making the most of limited container real estate by pairing plants that support each other
Season extension — starting earlier and finishing later so your container garden produces as long as your climate allows
Troubleshooting — the problems that show up specifically in container growing and the fixes that work
This Book Is For You If…
✓You want to grow food but don’t have traditional garden space — apartment balcony, small patio, rooftop, or just a sunny corner
✓You’ve tried growing things in pots before and they never quite thrived the way plants in the ground seem to
✓You want to understand the actual differences between container and in-ground growing so you can make better decisions
✓You have limited space and want to make every square foot of it as productive as possible
✓You want real food from your containers — not just decorative plants — and a book that takes that goal seriously
🎁 Ten Free Resources Included
Grab the book and you’ll get access to the full companion resource library — no extra cost, no extra hoops.
Companion Planting GuideWhat grows well together in containers and why
Container Size ChartThe right pot for every plant — no guessing
Container Starter ChecklistEverything you need before you plant your first container
Garden PlannerMap out your container garden before you spend a dollar
Potting Mix RecipesIvy’s tried-and-true soil blends for containers that actually work
Season Extension ChartStart earlier, finish later, harvest more
Succession Planting PlannerStagger your plantings so you’re harvesting all season
Vegetable Quick ReferenceSun, water, spacing, and harvest time at a glance
Feeding & Watering TrackerTrack what you did so you know what worked
When You Can’t Be in the Garden — Try This
Some days the garden has to wait. When it does, our Sanctuary Slow TV channel brings the unhurried beauty of the outdoors right to your screen — no narration, no agenda, just the sights and sounds that make you remember why you started growing things in the first place.