5 Great Gardening Tips for Small Spaces
By Shawna Miller
Who needs a big yard with the hassles of mowing, weeding and fertilizing? You can enjoy the benefits of gardening on your patio or balcony, without all the headaches. Want the beauty of plants year-round? Bring your green thumb inside. Check out these five great gardening tips for small spaces.
1. Go Vertical
Most of us only look at the floor space of our homes and patios. It’s time to branch up. Vertical gardens are designed to make use of height. Consider hanging baskets to attach to hooks on a patio cover or along outdoor walls. Baskets can hold a variety of plants but are best for those that drape, such as petunias or ferns. You can create your own vertical garden using recycled materials or a trellis, or buy a vertical garden kit online.
2. Choose Plants Wisely
Plant size and production vary, depending on the kind of plants you want. Plenty of options provide delicious fruits and vegetables and are suitable for smaller areas. Melons, squash, and corn may be out of the question, but cherry tomatoes grow nicely in a small garden space. Check seed packets and make sure you’re aware of the mature size of the plants you choose. Opt for those that produce a lot of edibles per plant to maximize your production.
3. Think Outside the Box
Having limited outdoor space encourages you to get creative. Have a staircase? Use part of the steps for larger pots. Consider choosing plants native to Wisconsin. Purple coneflower and prairie blazingstar look great in large containers along stairs and walkways or in window boxes. These natives thrive with very little maintenance or water. Handrails and balcony railings are also common areas where you can attach pots and planters with clips.
4. Plant Indoors
Think outside the window box and bring your garden indoors. Kitchen herb gardens are quite popular and don’t need much room. Place a few pots of small herbs on the windowsill or hang pots in front of the window. Your bedroom and bathrooms would also benefit from house plants that purify the air. Larger plants, such as fig trees, can add natural color and height to a larger room like a dining area or family room.
5. Create an Escape
You’ll want to spend more time outdoors in your garden if you add items that make it more comfortable for daily use, such as a weather-proof container for all of your tools. Consider adding an outdoor rug that brings extra color to the patio and keeps the dirt from being tracked in. A few chairs on your balcony will allow you to spend more time soaking up some sun with your plants. The addition of wind chimes, aromatic plants, and a little shade all help to create an outdoor oasis where you can escape after a long day at work.
Gardening isn’t only for those with expansive outdoor areas. There are plenty of things that you can do to start your very own garden, even with a tiny amount of space.
Shawna Miller is a home decor and lifestyle writer who enjoys making the most of small spaces. Her patio is covered with a garden she built with upcycled materials.