66 Things You Can Grow At Home: In Containers, Without a Garden

Growing your own food is exciting, not only because you get to see things grow from nothing into ready-to-eat fruits and veggies, but you also don't have to worry about the pesticides they might contain, and you definitely cut down on the miles they—and you—have to travel.

As it turns out, with pretty minimal effort, anyone can be a gardener. My boyfriend and I are essentially first-timers this season and so far have the beginnings of strawberries peeking out, tomatoes are on their way, the basil's about ready for a big batch of pesto, and once the last frost hits, the peppers, kale, spinach, chard, and mesclun will be on their way, too. All on a tiiiny little terrace (with the help of a little DIY carpentry).

WATCH VIDEO: World's Greenest Homes: Rooftop Garden

If you're up to the challenge—and it really isn't much of one—growing your own food can be so rewarding. And so much cheaper! Just be sure to choose the right planter or container, learn how to maintain it properly, and go find yourself some seeds! (Or starter plants.) Like this idea? Be sure to check out these 6 Crazy Concepts for Micro Gardens That Actually Work to get inspiration for designing your own garden in a small space. While you're at it, check in with our Organic Gardening feature for tons more info on making your garden grow.

Here's a starter list of all the crazy things even urban gardeners, without space for a garden, can grow at home.

Tree fruits - including apples

1. Apples can be grown in a container; you can also grow them on the balcony or other small space using a technique called espaliering.

2. Kumquats

3. Avocados (plenty of extra tips online if you search)

4. Blackberries 5. Blueberries (sometimes helpful videos are available online) 6. Pomegranate 7. Cherries 8. Figs 9. Pears Photo credit: Photodisc/Thinkstock Citrus fruits Citrus trees in particular are said to be good for beginning gardeners and are easy to grow indoors, so don't let inexperience or lack of outdoor space stop you from enjoying fresh-picked, hyper-local fruit. 10. Dwarf oranges 11. Grapefruit 12. Tangerines 13. Meyer lemons 14. Limes Tropical fruits Tropical fruits can also be surprisingly easy to grow indoors, even in non-tropical climates. Such as... 15. Bananas (look for container gardening tips online) 16. Pineapple 17. Papaya 18. Guavas (several varieties) WATCH VIDEO: Living with Ed: Grow It On Site Photo credit: © iStockphoto.com/Thinkstock The real surprises 19. Hops—yes, as in the "spice" ingredient in beer. Turns out they're easy to grow! 20. Aloe Vera 21. Strawberries 22. Tea (well, herbal tea) 23. Quinoa! Photo credit: © iStockphoto.com/Thinkstock The non-surprises 24. Tomatoes 25. Summer squash 26. Other squashes, like acorn and pumpkin 27. Hot Peppers 28. Sweet peppers 29. Cucumbers Melons 30. Small cantaloupe 31. Jenny Lind melon (an heirloom cantaloupe) 32. Golden Midget Watermelon Photo credit: Jupiterimages/Thinkstock Herbs Just about any herb grows well indoors—just be sure that if you're going to do any container-sharing, you do your research first about which herbs co-habitate well together. (Some will hog water, for example, and leave the others dried out.) 33. Basil 34. Oregano 35. Parsley 36. Rosemary 37. Chives 38. Catnip 39. Thyme 40. Sage 41. Parsley Photo credit: Comstock Images/Thinkstock Leafy Greens 42. Kale 43. Mesclun greens 44. Spinach 45. Swiss chard 46. Lettuces (plenty of options there, from micro-greens to head or loose-leaf) 47. Mustard greens 48. Collard greens 49. Arugula Root Vegetables 50. Carrots 51. Beets 52. Potatoes Photo credit: Pixland/Thinkstock Other healthy-sounding stuff 53. Sprouts 54. More sprouts: mung bean and lentil sprouts 55. Wheatgrass 56. Kohlrabi 57. Turnips 58. Rutabagas 59. Celeriac 60. Parsnips 61. Jerusalem Artichoke 62. Sugar snap peas 63. Rhubarb (not ideal in a container, but it can work) 64. Mushrooms (again, more tips online if you look) 65. Pole Beans 66. Aaaand... asparagus, although some disagree that it does well in a container. Try it if you're ok with a risk! Bonus 67: You can grow your own loofah, too, but you'd need a garden rather than a container for that.