If you are long on ambition and short on space, container gardening is the perfect way to sate your appetite for gardening without the need for invasive tilling and landscaping.  Container gardening is ideal for apartment dwellers and renters, because you will not have to worry about permanently changing the property.  Break away from traditional containers and use recycled items instead for a cost effective, creative way to grow a garden.Pet food bags – the kind with a plastic liner inside – are perfect containers for one or two plants.  They are easy to transport, so you can move them to follow the sun on an apartment balcony or change your mind about the location in your yard with no trouble.  They are extremely lightweight, and best of all, they can be tossed in the garbage at the end of the growing season.  This is a big plus because you don’t have to find space to store large pots when they are not in use.

To use a pet food bag, open it up and fold it in half lengthwise if it is a larger bag.  Snip or poke a few small holes about one inch from the ground to allow for drainage, and then fill with your favorite potting soil.  You can plant one or two tomatoes, peppers or small squash plants in a pet food bag.  One zucchini plant will fit in a larger bag, and some people even plant a stalk or two of corn in containers like this.

At the end of the season, you can compost your potting soil or save it for next year, and simply toss the bag when you are done with it.  Container gardening with pet food bags is so cost effective and easy, just about anyone can do it.