[Ed89]

Hi All,

I did herbs and salads in my one large and one medium Belfast sinks last year.

This year I'm going to make a pallet planter herb and salad garden.

But what perennials could I put in my sinks, I was thinking asparagus, rhubarb or raspberry, but I am very aware of the depth issue in Belfast sinks.

Help and advise very much appreciated.

Thanks 

[sunshineband]

Rhubarb would be too large a root fairly quickly imho, raspberries would be fine and don't mind damp soil, but I would choose a clump forming sort rather than a runner making sort as these last need a fair bit of space. I have seen some rather nice dark purple clump ones.

Asparagus would grow alright, but each plants needs a good 15-18 in square space so you may only get one, or at the most two plants in a large sink.

Hope that helps.

I might use the smaller one to confine mint 

[JayG]

I think this could be one of those "ask 10 gardeners and get 12 different answers" questions!

Of your preferred choices I'd say that raspberries have the best chance, but I wouldn't think you'd get more than one or possibly two plants in a Belfast sink, so possibly not the best use of precious space.

[Ed89]

Hey Jay,

What would you put in a Belfast sink then?

[JayG]

Trouble is, I think they're ideally suited to growing many of the herbs and also salad stuff, which of course is of no help to you.

As Sunny suggested, they make good containers for growing mint, strawberries would also do well but you would need to plant them closer than recommended, and preferably go for an everbearing variety to maximise the yield.

You could also go upwards - climbing French or runner beans, or sideways (trailing plants such as ridge cucumbers or squashes,) either of which would make the most of the growing area available in a sink.

[diospyros]

What about blueberries?

[Chrysalis]

Mine's a pond! 

[Ed89]

That's a good idea Chrysalis,

Do you have fish in it?

Could keep fish in one and grow potatoes in the other, dinner sorted!  jokes

[sunshineband]

You could probably get one decent sized blueberry bush in each sink --- you could give them ericaceous soil easily then

[Chrysalis]

That's a good idea Chrysalis,

Do you have fish in it?

Could keep fish in one and grow potatoes in the other, dinner sorted!  jokes

Frogs!, weed, sludge etc. and a lovely kingcup.  Wondered about watercress, but the water needs to flow a bit, rather than stagnate 

[Totty]

If it's a big deep sink you could fill it with good rich compost/manure/soil and plant four or five Jerusalem artichokes. You would have a sink full by the end of the season, then just replant another four or five of those for the next year. They are known for being quite invasive, so a sink would be perfect to contain them, and the 7ft+ flower stems with sunflower like flowers would look good growing out of a sink.

Totty