Container gardens are a super-simple way to cut your grocery bills. This garden features cherry tomatoes, chives, strawberries and jalapeño peppers.

If you have three empty gardening containers you can start a vegetable garden on your back patio, balcony or deck. Not only will you save money at the grocery store, you’ll be having fun while growing your own nutritious and delicious produce.

Even if you’ve never planted anything before or if you’ve tried in the past without success, you can plant and grow a three-container garden with greens, tomatoes and peppers.

For your patio garden you’ll need the following materials:

3 containers for planting with holes in the bottom for drainage. Use plastic or ceramic flower pots, wooden barrels, or food-grade plastic buckets. For best results, use 2-5 gallon containers that have an opening about 12” wide.
3 drainage saucers for the containers to sit on.
Potting mix to fill the containers.
Fertilizer, either dry or liquid.
1 packet of baby greens seeds, like mesclun (a blend of lettuces, radicchio, endive and mustards).
1 pepper plant, such as Anaheim or jalapeño.
1 or 2 cherry tomato plants (depending on the size of the container.)
1 tomato cage or other support to keep the tomato vines off the ground.