I want a garden!

[2ndGenGranola]

We have horrible soil here (backfill) and I want a garden. I was thinking about using my kids old wading pool, filling it with nice soil then placing some kind of decorative pavers or something around it to make it look a little nicer.

1. What kind of soil should I get? It will have to be from the store. Ours is not fit for anything.

2. Would the basic veggies do OK in there? I'm thinking tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, cantelope, some herbs...that kind of stuff

3. It is hot and dry here so we will be hand watering it daily. I will probably place it on the east fence so it will only get the minimum of sun here.

4. What else should I keep in mind?

[thefrug]

We have horrible soil here (backfill) and I want a garden. I was thinking about using my kids old wading pool, filling it with nice soil then placing some kind of decorative pavers or something around it to make it look a little nicer.

1. What kind of soil should I get? It will have to be from the store. Ours is not fit for anything.
Top soil. and throw in a bag of manure of some kind and mix it in good
2. Would the basic veggies do OK in there? I'm thinking tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, cantelope, some herbs...that kind of stuff
cantalopes need lots of room, so you may want to give it ,it's own space. cukes too
3. It is hot and dry here so we will be hand watering it daily. I will probably place it on the east fence so it will only get the minimum of sun here.
Tomatoes and peppers need at LEAST 6 hrs of sun a day to grow right.
4. What else should I keep in mind?

you're going to have to put drainage holes in the bottom of that plastic pool so the water doesn't rot the plants roots.

[Missy]

give it drainage holes, I would give it more sun, fertilize with a slow release fertilizer...

[The Muse]

I use raised beds made out of wood and grow in a combination of peat moss, vermiculite, and compost. This works very well for me and I barely have any weeds.