Just because your garden is small or non-existent, does not mean you can't grow your own salad. As long as you have access to the sun and a spot to place a 24-inch container, you too can have garden fresh salads all summer long!

I've designed an expandable patio salad garden. It takes one to three 24-inch containers, some planting mix, and seeds or plants of your choice. The keys to success are finding planters with enough depth for the roots and choosing vegetables that will give a continuous yield.

We'll start with a one-pot garden. Choose a whiskey barrel or similar planter with a diameter of 24 inches and a depth of at least 14 inches. Be sure the planter has adequate drainage and has not been treated with any toxic material such as wood preservatives. Fill the pot with good potting soil. Place a cherry tomato plant such as Sweet 100 or Sweet 1000 along with a 5-foot stake or ornamental support in the center of the pot. I suggest using a 1-gallon plant if possible for quicker yield, but a 4-inch pot will work just fine. Plant leaf lettuce, radishes, and green onions around the cherry tomato. All of these plants can be started from seed or purchased in six packs at the store. The secret to continuous yield is to start or buy new lettuce, radishes, and green onions every two to three weeks, then transplant them as you use your vegetables. The lettuce leaves can be cut, rather than uprooting the whole plant. However, if the lettuce bolts, pull it out and replace it.

If you have room for more than one planter, a second one could be planted with a climbing cucumber in the center on a 5 foot stake and surrounded with spinach and other salad greens such as endive and arugula. A third planter could contain that one zucchini plant, which is just enough to feed you and your entire neighborhood, or plant a beefsteak tomato for sandwiches.

Artistry can be added to your garden by growing different colors and textures of garden greens or by adding edible flowers like nasturtiums. Be sure to water regularly and feed every other week with a liquid fertilizer added to the water.