Put big pots for tall veggies in back, step down to combinations of herbs and flowers, and finish with a shallow bowl for salad greens. Mix a soil that holds moisture, drains well and gives your plants the nutrients they need. Start with a good potting soil, cut it with compost and bark shavings, and add some sharp sand, lime and a balanced fertilizer. Salad greens and basil both need lots of water, grow fast and make excellent pot mates. Let perennial transplants grow together over a season.
Plant starts of golden thyme together with sage and chives for a handsome, compatible combination.
Use your taste buds to design your container vegetable garden. Choose plants you like to eat and position their pots to show off leaf textures and colors. Fill pots with soil and plant seeds or starts, then water well. Fertilize every other week and harvest while veggies are small and greens are tender. Sprinkle organic blood meal on the surfaces of pots to deter cats from digging up your plants.