Container gardening offers many advantages. Containers can be less work because they can be placed closer to a water source. Their small soil area cuts down weeding. They can be placed at a height that can minimize bending for watering and tending. Movable containers can follow the sun if you have changing exposure. They can provide a garden plot even in urban apartments or homes with no space for a traditional garden. And just about any plant – flower or vegetable – can be grown in a container.

Virtually anything that will hold soil and water is a candidate, from a bag with holes punched for planting and drainage, to wooden tubs, old riding boots, milk cans, hanging baskets and fancy ornamental pots. You can choose the size, shape and cost to fit your needs.

The deeper the pot, the less watering it will need. Pots with a small soil volume will dry out faster and require more frequent watering. Unlike plants in the ground, plants in pots or hanging baskets are exposed to the drying effects of wind and sun. On hot, windy, type days, you may have to drink water more than once.

Darker colored containers will absorb more heat, which can get seeds and transplants off to a faster start, but will require more watering if they are in direct sunlight. Lighter colored containers may be better for most gardeners.

Select a container that will give your plant's roots room to grow, but not so much that it will not fill out the pot. Consider the mature size of the plants you will be growing, and follow the spacing recommendations for that plant. Leaves should grow to touch each other, providing shade that will help retain moisture in the pot. However, because weeding will be minimal and you can reach easily into a pot, there is no need to plant in rows. And you can space plants closer together than in a garden.

While unglazed clay containers may be more natural or appeal to those who want a certain look, plastic containers offer an advantage if they are to be placed in full sun. Unglazed clay pots are porous and water can quickly evaporate from them. Plastic containers, on the other hand, do not breathe and therefore will not need watering as often as clay.

Be sure that your container allows for drainage. If the pot doesn't have a hole in the bottom, add one. If you don't want to put a hole in a decorative container, simply put a smaller pot inside, being sure there is some room at the bottom for water to drain out so the roots will be able to breathe.

Some gardeners are tempted to just dig up some garden soil and put it in a container. Generally, though, you are better off buying prepared soilless mix for container growing because it is free of weeds and often contains added nutrients to help plants grow. Choose a potting soil that will provide support for plants as they grow, and one that will help retain moisture. A peat and perlite or peat and vermiculite mixture is usually a good choice.

Thoroughly water the soil before planting. If you are going to move the pots, you may want to move them before they become heavy with water.

For seeds, follow the seed packet directions for whether or not to cover the seeds with soil. Keep the soil moist by gentle misting or watering several times a day. When seedlings emerge, keep them watered, and if you have too many plants pluck out all but the strongest.

For transplants, plant the top of the root ball even with the soil line and keep plants well watered until established.

Plants that will be grown outdoors in full sun in containers can benefit from a layer of mulch. Mulch will help retain moisture in the soil, discourage weed growth and break the harshness of rain drops or water from a hose or watering can. Sawdust, shredded bark and gravel can act as mulches – choose one appropriate to the container and to the plants.

Vining plants such as tomatoes, cucumbers, morning glories, others will need the addition of stakes or a small trellis to support them. Add the stakes or trellis when you first plant the seeds or transplants so that you won't damage roots by adding them at a later date.

When the plants are large enough that you need to fasten them to the stakes or trellis, do not tie too tightly. Leave a big loop that will support the stem but not constrict it. For large-stemmed plants like tomatoes and melons, strips of cloth are gentler than plastic or metal twist-ties. When fruits begin to get large, a cloth sling tied around the fruit and fastened to the stake can keep the fruit from falling off before it's ripe.

One of the special advantages of container growing is that you can extend the harvest or bloom season by moving pots indoors when the weather grows cold. When you move them indoors, put the containers in a location where they will receive maximum sunlight during the day. Eventually, winter's shorter days will take their toll and your plants will get scraggly looking. You may want to finally get rid of them, but with the right exposure, you can keep plants growing indoors for months after their usual outdoor life.
 

Hot summer days. Lazy deck chairs. Ice cubes clinking in a big glass of fresh juice. Dinner sizzling away on the grill, its delicious aromas wafting on the cooling evening breeze.

Microscopic bits of polyunsaturated fatty acids floating in the air.

That’s what a study by environmental engineers at Rice University in Houston, Texas see when they think barbecue. According to the scientists, who measured sources of organic particulate matter in the atmosphere above Houston in 1997 and 1998, the residue of charred meat turned out to be an important component of the fine particles in the city’s air, which ranks as one of the more polluted American cities. It also has a reputation for being the barbecue capital of Texas, if not the whole USA.

The researchers noted that fine particles, such as those that come from cooking meat, are a health concern because they can penetrate deep into the lungs and lead to respiratory and heart problems. And of course, many people shun grilled meat for its potentially cancer-causing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, the negative effects on the environment of using cattle for protein or concerns about Mad Cow Disease.

So what are we health and environment conscious people to do all summer? Does your throat close up at the mere thought of veggie burgers that taste more like cardboard than the beef they’re supposed to mimic? Are you sick of settling for some chopped greens and egg salad on the side? Are you starting to think that the phrase “vegetarian barbecue” is an oxymoron?

Well, think again. The meatless barbecue is gaining popularity. Just think about how good that corn-on-the-cob tasted when you were a kid and it was thrown un-husked onto the campfire coals and grilled until juicy and tender. Aside from the old standby corn, what else can a non-meat eater do come patio time? Here are some yummy suggestions to acquaint friends and family to the vegetarian grill.

Artichoke Kebabs

18 small artichokes
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons water
½ teaspoon thyme
salt and pepper

Combine lemon juice, olive oil, thyme and water. Trim stems from artichokes and remove leaves until you get the pale inner leaves. Cut off the thorny tips of the leaves and remove the fibrous parts from around the bottom. If larger than about 1 ½ inches, cut in half lengthwise. Coat with marinade. Thread onto pre-soaked bamboo skewers and place on preheated grill. Cook for about 15 minutes, or until the bottoms become tender. Turn frequently. When done remove from grill and pour remaining marinade over them with a little salt and pepper. Other vegetables that work well as kebabs include mushrooms of all types, onions, cherry tomatoes, leeks, asparagus, and all manner of squashes, zucchini and eggplant.

Grilled Vegetables

2 large ears fresh corn, husked, each cut crosswise
1 small eggplant, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
1 large red onion, cut into 3/4-inch-thick wedges
3 large bell peppers (various colors), seeded, cut lengthwise into strips
1 large zucchini, trimmed, quartered lengthwise
8 asparagus spears, trimmed
1 large carrot, peeled, cut on deep diagonal into 1/4-inch-thick slices

In a saucepan, make a basting sauce by combining ½ cup butter and ¼ cup olive oil with some chopped onion or shallots, mustard, lemon juice, herbs and grated lemon peel. Cool. Whisk over low heat to re-warm before using. Arrange corn pieces, eggplant rounds and onion wedges in single layer on large baking sheet. Arrange bell pepper strips, zucchini spears, asparagus spears and carrot slices in single layer on another large baking sheet. Transfer ½ cup sauce to small saucepan and reserve for dipping. Brush both sides of vegetables lightly with some of remaining basting sauce. Heat barbecue to medium-high. Grill corn, eggplant and onion until tender and lightly charred, brushing occasionally with basting sauce and turning with tongs, about 6 minutes. Transfer vegetables to small platter as vegetables finish grilling. Cover loosely with foil to keep warm. Grill bell peppers, zucchini, asparagus and carrot until tender and lightly charred, brushing occasionally with basting sauce and turning with tongs, about 6 minutes. Transfer vegetables to same platter, arranging alongside other vegetables. Season all vegetables with salt and pepper. Garnish with fresh herb sprigs and lemon. Serve vegetables, passing warm dipping sauce separately.

Fire-Up-the-Grill Fajitas

Summer veggies sizzle in this marvelous Mexican meal that is perfect for backyard barbecue's. This recipe is courtesy PETA. You’ll find many yummy veggie recipes on their website www.peta.org, or call 1-888-veg-food for more recipes and a free vegetarian starter kit.

Juice of 2 limes (4 Tbsp.)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced (for extra heat, don’t seed the pepper before mincing it)
2 Tbsp. minced fresh cilantro
2 tsp. chili powder
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper (or more if you can stand it)
1 lb. extra-firm tofu, cut into 1-inch strips
2 ears of corn
1 large red onion
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch squares
1 green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch squares
12 cherry tomatoes
4 large flour or corn tortillas

Put the lime juice, olive oil, garlic, jalapeño pepper, cilantro, chili powder, and cayenne pepper in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake well. Put the tofu in a shallow pan, add the lime juice mixture, and marinate in the refrigerator, stirring occasionally, for several hours. Meanwhile, remove the husks from the corn and soak it in cold water for 1 hour. Drain the corn and wrap in aluminum foil. Grill for 20 to 30 minutes, turning often, until the corn is lightly charred. Cut the corn kernels off the cob. Parboil the onion and cut into quarters. Thread the onion, bell peppers and tomatoes on skewers and brush with some of the lime marinade. Grill, turning often, until lightly charred. Place the tofu on the grill, cover with a lid or aluminum foil and cook, basting occasionally with the marinade, until the tofu is light brown. Heat each tortilla briefly on the grill. Divide the vegetables and tofu equally among the tortillas, then roll them up fajita-style.

“Run, they are handing out tofu again!” That's the generic version of a joke trick-or-treaters told one another at Halloween a few years back. After all, curdled soybean “milk,” aka tofu, doesn't excite the palate quite the way a milk chocolate bar does.

Ultimately, you can fret over every facet of your diet from too little protein and calcium to too much fat. Or, you can do something saner and simpler: Reach for the tofu!

I enjoy falafel, but have in the past often avoided it because it is deep-fried. Here is a burger prepared in the manner of falafel, but cooked by grilling or broiling rather than deep-frying. Makes 7 to 8 patties, 3 to 4 servings

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 cup diced onion

1 Tbsp minced garlic

1 jalapeno pepper, or other green chile, cored, seeded and minced

1 1/2 cups cooked chick-peas

1 cup cooked white basmati rice

1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice

1 3/4 cups bread crumbs

salt and freshly ground black pepper

ground pasilla or red (or cayenne) pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a small skillet until sizzling. Cook the onion and garlic until the onion is wilted and the garlic is golden. Add the jalapeno and stir several times. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Place the onion mixture, drained chick-peas and rice in the container of a food processor. Pulse on and off several times until the mixture becomes a smooth puree. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the lime juice and 1 cup of the bread crumbs. Season to taste. Mix with a large spoon or with your hands, until all ingredients are thoroughly combined.

Shape into 3-inch patties 1/2 inch thick, adding extra bread crumbs if the patties don't hold their shape. They will be slightly sticky.

Prepare a grill or preheat the broiler. Grill or broil 3 to 5 inches from the heat, 4 to 7 minutes per side or until lightly browned.

Serving suggestions: Tuck these falafels into warmed pita pockets along with shredded lettuce, tomato slices, onion slices, alfalfa sprouts, and a dollop of cucumber-basil raita and/or tahini mustard. Garnish with lemon wedges. A glass of minted ice tea is just right with this meal.