Simple Salad-Garden Containers

Grow a movable feast! Try your spring greens in an old wagon. It looks great anywhere in the yard. And, it's easy to move to shady spots as summer heats up, allowing you to extend your lettuce season.
Tip: Drill a few holes the bottom of the wagon so excess water can escape. Otherwise, too much moisture could build up and could make your lettuce rot.

Be creative when choosing containers. Even an old toy, such as this model shopping cart, can be perfect. Just line the cart with moss and fill in with a high-quality potting mix. Then plant away.
Tip: Tuck in small annuals, such as sweet alyssum, along the sides of the cart for extra appeal.

Use colorful containers. A single lettuce plant can be beautiful on its own, but downright stunning when grown in a bright container. Here, simple painted buckets hold a variety of lettuces -- so you can create salads that taste as good as they look.
Tip: Hang buckets like this in a cool, sunny window for an extra-early start on the season.

Fill a simple galvanized bucket with fresh spring greens and colorful edible flowers for a simple but tasty work of art. Here, purple violas add to the picture, but you can also use cool-season selections such as calendula or pansy.

Select colorful varieties. Though they're called greens, spring salad plants can be anything but. This galvanized tub holds a variety of beautiful lettuces, including stunning red-leaf lettuce.

Grow a whole salad in one tight spot. This big red basket holds a plethora of spring greens -- and looks great to boot. It's a perfect place for a healthy, tasty treat.
Tip: Add interest by mix varieties for different leaf colors and textures.

Use an old mug or soup bowl to grow an extra lettuce plant or two. If you have a cool, bright spot indoors, you can start the salad season extra early.
Tip: It's best to drill a hole in the bottom or use a cracked bowl or mug so excess water can escape.

Make the perfect spring hostess gift or a fun centerpiece, or display your salad garden by growing plants in offbeat containers. Here, two copper gelatin molds make a dazzling impact.

Have fun with your salads! It's hard not to smile at the sight of these two tiny stuffed rabbits tucked in the middle of a salad garden.