Container Vegetable Garden

I have done container vegetable gardens and raised beds. If you plan to plant a lot, the raised bed takes less water.(I put mine at 3', sit on the edge). Remember to plan a spot for herbs, and room for flowers. In the South we use Marigolds in vegetable gardens - natural pest control. Yes you need drainage holes in the bottom - remember to consider where it drains to..... a container in a low spot simply puddles.... MOST important - put it where you intend it to stay before filling with soil.....

Have a look at Mel Bartholomews site - Square Foot Gardening he has built some raised (on tables) container garden for disabled people and has grown all sorts of vegetables. Hope it helps.

My sister grows salads in containers. Feeding is important. Also you must provide good drainage - definately put holes in the bottom! And watering is essential. Regarding how deep - depends what you're growing. Carrots and parsnips can easily go down 3 feet (often far more!) but salads are generally quite shallow rooting. The bigger/deeper your pots, the better, as they will be less prone to drying out in the summer - watering is just as backbreaking as bending over to weed!

BTW, you could try dwarf varieties of carrots - there are some that only grow a 2 or 3" long :-)

Thanks for all these great replies!!!!

I'm just planning to have raised beds in my garden. I hope the fact that my garden is approx 4ft lower than my patio might help me in 2 ways. 1.I have ten or 12 sacks of concrete rubble to dispose of, I plan to use this for the 1st foot of depth - cheaper than skip and useful for drainage??
2. I will then have less topsoil to purchase (3ft instead of 4ft).
I plan to use either grave panels set into the concrete posts for exterior and to staple builders polythene to the areas where fencing abuts the back.
I plan to paint the gravel in a soft hazy green exterior paint and to plant some 'architectural' plants in front of it.
Anybody who can see flaws in this ''''i'd be pleased to hear from b4 I embark on it?