How To Create The Perfect Small Garden
Adding greenery to your urban dwelling can be done in even the smallest spaces like a balcony, patio or terrace. Using the right pots and tools you can create a low...
Adding greenery to your urban-dwelling can be done in even the smallest spaces like a balcony, rooftop, patio or terrace. You can create a low maintenance urban oasis to relax in or a sustainable urban garden to grow your own food if you use suitable pots, tools and techniques.
Either way, your small space garden will not only look fantastic, but you'll reap some tremendous health benefits from creating the garden of your dreams.
5 SURPRISING BENEFITS OF SMALL SPACE GARDENING
If you decide to create a vegetable or herb garden, growing your own food has many health benefits.
And the great news is, growing your own food is simple. It takes a little time, but basic kitchen crops such as leafy greens are pretty forgiving for even the black thumbed gardener. Anyone can learn to grow food pretty quickly.
1. Your urban vegetable garden will help you eat more fresh fruits and vegetables.
It encourages responsible consumption instead of consuming mass-produced, unhealthy foods that dominate our local supermarkets. An urban gardener can steer clear of food choices using unethical social and environmental practices. What you grow in your garden will be yours for consumption.
2. You’ll have a much better appreciation of nature.
To understand nature is to understand ourselves and the world that surrounds us. As you grow your veggie garden or all-season flower garden , you will begin to appreciate your garden's changing seasons and needs intuitively. Then, you decide what kinds of fertilisers and pesticides contact your food.
3. Reduce food waste and enjoy fresher and more nutritious food.
So much of the food we eat is pre-packaged, so we're often forced to buy more than we need. Your own urban vegetable or herb garden will give you the control to harvest only what you need. Also, many store-bought vegetables are picked early to provide them with a longer shelf life, but this reduces their nutrients. Well ripened fruit and vegetables taste better and have more nutrients in them.
4. Save money by eating from your own organic urban farm.
Organic foods become a lifestyle choice; healthy, nutritious, and ecological food is hard to come by unless it has an exorbitant price tag. However, the produce you grow at home does not need the use of chemicals, and the cost of picking your own organic veggies is entirely free.
5. Gardening for mental health, wellness, mindfulness and meditation.
Reduced stress and anxiety levels: big cities are known for a fast-paced lifestyle, where stress and anxiety are commonplace. Gardening is a great way to slow down, take hold of your feelings and reconnect with nature.
TYPES OF GARDENS – URBAN SMALL SPACES
Balcony Garden
Timber Decks
Townhouse Courtyards
Small Backyards
All these spaces require thoughtful planning of the types of containers or beds to provide the optimum growing space.
Depending on the plot you have selected, there are two types of garden you can opt for
Horizontal Gardens
This is the most common type of garden where ornamental and edible plant varieties are placed side by side to allow you to tend to the garden in comfort.
Vertical Gardens
This type of garden places plants in various heights, one on top of each other, usually supported by a wall. This new-age garden saves space and is aesthetically pleasing.
WHAT TO PLANT IN YOUR SMALL SPACE GARDEN?
Herbs and vine plants are great options for your small garden because they don't require a lot of space. In addition, vines help create height in your garden and make your garden look big.
It's essential to do some research before you start gardening to find suitable plants and seedlings for your area. There is no point trying to grow a tropical oasis if you live in a cold climate.
Consider how much wind your small garden is exposed to. If it's too windy, you may need to look into building a windbreak or choose plants that don't mind the wind.
Look to see how much sun your garden gets. If there is not a lot of sun, choose shade-loving plants. But too much sun may cause your plants to burn in the sun. Consider if you need to build some shading. Silver foliage reflects sunlight, so plants like Dichondra' Silver Falls' and Lavender are great for super sunny rooftop or balcony gardens.
If you are creating a balcony garden, find out what weight your balcony can hold. For example, potting mix and pots can be heavy. A light-weight option to heavy terracotta pots are grow bags.
Not all veggies will grow in all regions, so chat with your local garden centre or research online which vegetables you can easily grow in your climate. Our root pouches are food-safe, so they are perfect for potting your veggies.
CHECK OUT OUR ROOT POUCH SIZE AND GROWING GUIDE
If you have space for a pot or pouch on your balcony, deck or small space. Then you have room for creating a small vegetable garden, container garden or flower garden.
My passion is urban small space gardening (particularly fresh, organic edibles), and I want to help get you on your way with your garden project. I've tried and tested these products, and I believe they will save you time, money and heartache (if your plants die).
