Many people these days have very limited garden space. Living in cities, flats or terraces often means that there is simply no space for a large garden. But no matter how small your gardening space, you can still find opportunities for gardening, growing flowers, and even fruits and vegetables successfully. It’s all about how effectively you use your space. There are some really inventive ways for the urban gardener to grow plants which use minimal space and don’t cost the earth.
Sack Gardening
This idea was developed to help poverty and famine-stricken lands to grow food to live on. Using a simple woven sack filled with soil, cut holes at regular intervals and plant seedlings. The sack can be watered as needed and produces little water waste. Chicken wire may be added to help the sack maintain its shape and also allows climbing plants braces on which to adhere. As the vegetables, fruits or herbs grow they can be cultivated and once used can be replaced with new seedlings. This is a great solution for growing herbs like basil and coriander, fruits like strawberries and vegetables such as runner beans. Not only does it save on valuable space, but leaves a very minor carbon footprint since everything, including the sack, eventually decomposes.
Hydroponic Window Gardens
Hydroponic window gardens are quite the rage at the moment because of their ingenious simplicity and space saving benefits. They create growing space for people with no garden whatsoever, as they can happily hang by the window and take in light. The basic system uses old water bottles as containers for soil and small plants which can be attached together with fishing wire to form layers that allow nutrient-rich water to trickle down each level. The system not only provides a great way to recycle old plastic bottles and grow herbs, but it also creates living art in window spaces.
Vertical Backyard Solutions
Even spacious backyards could benefit from vertical gardening. Gardens more often than not become home to backyard sports, children’s outdoor toys, backyard sports or else soil and lawns are replaced by patios or decking for convenience. Garden furniture makes use of areas where fruits or vegetables might otherwise grow. Rather than looking towards the ground as the only way to grow your own food, branch outwards – and upwards. Hanging baskets are not reserved solely for flowers, in fact, they are a perfect place to grow many fruits and vegetables, as they are safely out of the way of garden pests like slugs and snails. Climbing plants like runner beans, cucumbers and blackberries will be at home climbing trellises in sheltered areas and can be grown in plant pots as they have relatively small root systems. The trellises can also be used to hang small clay pots or even plastic water bottles to grow herbs.
