How to Start a Deck Garden: Easy Plants for Small Outdoor Spaces
You don’t need a big backyard to grow flowers, herbs, or fresh vegetables. A sunny deck, patio, balcony, or front step can become a productive garden with a few containers and the right plants.
Deck gardening is a great option for new gardeners, renters, first-time homeowners, or anyone who wants to grow more in a smaller space. Containers are easy to rearrange, simple to maintain, and give you the flexibility to try different plants throughout the growing season.
Here’s a Central Iowa–specific guide from Holub Greenhouses in Ames to help you create a deck garden that fits your space.
Why Start A Deck Garden
Deck gardening is an easy way to start growing, even if you have limited outdoor space or are new to gardening. With a few containers and the right plants, you can grow colorful flowers, fresh herbs, and vegetables right outside your door.
Starting with a small deck garden also gives you a chance to learn what grows well in your space and what you enjoy caring for. As you gain experience, you can add more containers and try new plants.
Holub tip: Start with just a few containers. One pot of flowers, a couple of herbs, and a tomato or pepper plant can give you plenty to enjoy without making your first garden feel overwhelming.
Consider Your Deck’s Sunlight
Before choosing plants, pay attention to how much direct sunlight your deck or patio receives throughout the day.
A space with six or more hours of direct sun gives you plenty of options for sun-loving flowers, herbs, tomatoes, and peppers. Areas with partial sun can still support many colorful annuals and herbs, while shadier spaces are well suited for plants such as coleus, begonias, and impatiens.
Understanding your light conditions makes it easier to choose plants that are well suited for your space and more likely to thrive throughout the growing season.
Holub tip: Not sure how much sun you have? Check your deck in the morning, around midday, and again in the afternoon before choosing your plants.
Add Easy Flowers for Instant Color
Annual flowers are an easy way to add plenty of color without taking up much space. Many varieties grow well in pots, window boxes, and hanging baskets, making them a natural fit for deck and patio gardens.
For sunny spaces, consider:
For decks with more shade, try:
Keep it simple with one variety per pot, or combine plants with different colors, heights, and textures for a fuller container.
Holub tip: When combining plants in the same container, choose varieties with similar sunlight and watering needs.
Grow Fresh Herbs
Herbs make an excellent addition to a deck garden, requiring little space while providing fresh ingredients throughout the growing season.
Basil, parsley, cilantro, and chives can all grow well in containers when given the appropriate sunlight and moisture. Keeping herbs near the kitchen also makes it easy to grab what you need while cooking.
Try growing:
You can grow individual herbs in smaller pots or combine compatible varieties in a larger container.
Can You Grow Vegetables In Containers?
Yes! You don’t need a traditional vegetable garden to enjoy homegrown produce.
Tomatoes and peppers are popular choices for sunny decks, while lettuce can grow well in containers during cooler portions of the growing season. Cucumbers can also work when given enough room and a trellis or other support to climb.
Good choices for a container vegetable garden include:
The size of your container matters. Vegetables with larger root systems need enough soil and space to grow, and every container should have drainage holes to allow excess water to escape.
Holub tip: Bigger containers generally hold moisture longer than small pots, which can make watering easier during hot Iowa summers.
Choose the Right Containers and Garden Supplies
You can find containers in almost every shape, size, and style, but good drainage should be one of your top priorities.
Choose pots with drainage holes so excess water can escape. Fill containers with a quality potting mix rather than soil directly from your yard. Garden soil can become heavy and compacted when used in pots, making it more difficult for roots to get the air and drainage they need.
Depending on what you’re growing, you may also need fertilizer, stakes, cages, or other plant supports. Holubs Greenhouses has a full inventory of garden supplies including containers, planters, soil, fertilizer, and more.
Keep An Eye On Watering
Container gardens usually need more frequent watering than plants growing in the ground. Pots can dry quickly during hot, sunny, or windy Central Iowa weather, especially smaller containers and hanging baskets.
Instead of watering strictly according to a schedule, check the soil. If the top inch or two feels dry, it may be time to water. Give the container a thorough drink until excess water begins draining from the bottom.
During the hottest stretches of summer, some containers may need to be checked every day.
Holub tip: Check containers in the morning during hot weather. Plants can dry out quickly on decks that receive strong afternoon sun.
Can Perennials Grow in Containers?
Yes, some perennials can be grown successfully in larger containers. However, Iowa winters require a little extra planning.
Perennial roots planted in pots are more exposed to freezing temperatures than roots growing directly in the ground. Depending on the plant and container, you may need to move the pot to a protected location or provide additional winter protection.
If you want to include perennials in your deck garden, ask our team which varieties are best suited for containers and how to care for them through an Iowa winter.
Deck Garden Checklist
Before planting, make sure you have:
- Containers with good drainage
- Quality potting mix
- Plants suited to your available sunlight
- Enough space for plants to reach their mature size
- A plan for regular watering
- Stakes or supports for plants that need them
- Fertilizer appropriate for your plants
Most importantly, don’t feel like you need to fill your entire deck at once. Begin with a few plants, see what works well, and build from there.
Ready To Grow? Visit Holub Greenhouses in Ames
Whether you’re planting one container or turning your entire deck into a garden, choosing the right plants makes all the difference. Stop by our Ames garden center for locally grown annuals, herbs, vegetable plants, containers, garden supplies, and friendly advice from a team that gardens right here in Central Iowa. Bring a photo of your deck or patio and let us know how much sunlight it receives. We’ll help you find plants that fit your space and your gardening goals.