The good news is that a traditional dedicated space is not needed to grow food.

Planting small crops in pots and containers makes gardening easier for people who lack yard space, have mobility issues or are new to farming.

Or try Mascotte bush beans in containers. Grow this plant in a pretty container and, if needed, elevate it on a support for easy picking.

If you are looking for a flowering perennial that blooms during fall and winter in the shade and has a clumping growth habit, consider lily turf with its violet flower spikes, writes Joshua Siskin.