Urban Gardening Tricks to Make the Most of Small Spaces
You don’t have to live on a farm in the country in order to enjoy the pleasure and benefits of home-grown produce this summer. You can “reap” the many benefits of healthy, home-grown produce even if you live in a forest of high rise buildings. The city landscape can accommodate your desire to plant and grow with urban gardening.
Using Balcony Space
Many upper story apartments and lofts boast a small balcony. You may not feel like you’re ready to sacrifice the few square feet of outdoor space you have, but that doesn’t mean you can’t grow some delicious goodness. You’d be surprised what can be accomplished in small pots hung from the railing. Garbanzo beans and lentils do quite well in compact containers. Herbs like mint and rosemary also thrive in smaller pots – plus you be enjoying their lovely fragrance.
Another trick for making the most of a small patio or balcony is to choose vining vegetables which you can train along a trellis on your outside wall or even along the fence railing. Peas and beans work particularly well in this way. Urban gardening makes the most of even small spaces.
Using Rooftop Space
If you have access to a rooftop and can use larger containers (or are willing to give up your own balcony floor-space) why not go for popular veggies like tomatoes and squash? Believe it or not you can even grow pumpkins with minimal space so long as you are prudent with the pruning shears. Rooftops offer the benefit of the full sun which most summer vegetables crave.
Using Your Indoor Space
Maybe you don’t have a balcony and don’t have access to your rooftop. You can still grow summer produce. Herbs are attractive as potted plants. Try placing several near a sunny window and have fun snipping dill, parsley and basil for months. You could also hang pots from a ceiling cup hook in front of windows. Trailing vegetables such as peppers will do fine when grown this way.
Use Your Garbage to Make Soil
Urban gardening is all about reclaiming the little space and sunshine you do have. You can find more space and grow more goodness than you might imagine. You can even make your own soil when you know how. Composting can happen on a small scale too. Experts suggest using a dark colored coffee can punched with holes. Place your non-protein refuse in the can and leave it on your balcony in the sun. Then, offer an earthworm or two a new home and let them help you make rich soil for your urban garden.
Use Plant Markers
Just because your garden isn’t planted in tidy rows doesn’t make it less of a garden. You’ll still want to identify each plant in each pot. When you do, be sure to use our Kincaid Plant Markers. Urban gardening requires some extra creativity and dedication. Urban gardeners deserve quality tools to match their quality effort and with Kincaid that is exactly what you’ll get.
