We live in suburbia. We have a 1/3 acre lot, which is big compared to others. We also have a lot of tall trees because we live in an older subdivision. But that doesn't allow a lot of direct sun to grow vegetables. So I've learned a few tricks that I want to pass along for gardening in small spaces, which could be suburbia or even an apartment or condo.
1. You can grow a huge variety of flowers and vegetables in containers. Here I have spinach & radishes in the front container, and pansies in the back container.
2. Watch the movement of the sun and make sure your plants will get plenty of sunshine. Most vegetable plants need at least 6 hours of direct sunlight.3. Work with the space that you have. I have planted a few veggies in among the plants in my "flower" bed in the front yard. The daffodils in the background will be done by the time the zucchini in the foreground are vining out.
4. Don't be afraid to work amendments into the existing soil. That is, add compost, organic fertilizer, and even additional soil into your gardening area. Here, I worked up two areas with soil amendments. I've planted green onions, beets, lettuce, and swiss chard in these two areas.
5. Water but don't over water. Containers dry out quickly so they need frequent, often daily, watering. But make sure the containers have good drainage so the extra water has someplace to go.
6. If you are brand new to gardening, start with plants not seeds. And don't be afraid to talk with someone where you buy plants about any special tips for growing in your area.
7. If you have existing beds with established plants, place containers amongst your plants. These are my herbs nestled among the border of lariope.
8. Start small. Just one or two containers or types of plants are a great way to start. I have this large container on the driveway pad (it gets more sun), planted with carrots and more radishes.
9. If you have the space, the sun, and are pretty confident in your green thumb, build raised beds. Or instead of building raised beds, you can use plastic swimming pools as in this tutorial.
10. Most importantly, have fun! I love digging in the dirt, watching the seedlings grow, and harvest my own produce. Even if you are planting flowers, it's still rewarding to see them flourish under your watchful eye.
Have fun gardening! For more Top Ten lists, don't forget to visit ohamanda.com
Oooh, thanks for this post! My husband and I are getting into gardening veggies/etc. right now. I am so interested in planting w/FOOD instead of with just landscaping plants. SO COOL.
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I just started growing herbs - dill, mint, chives etc and am having a blast. I started them inside though and now have to move them outside but we have such a small backyard I wasn't sure what to do. Guess I can do this right? I eventually want to start growing veggies too. Thanks for the tips!
ReplyDeleteThese are great tips! We have a huge sunny backyard, but as we discovered last year, it's completely full of grubs. Yep, grubs. It was yucky and we got no edible tomatoes :( But this year we picked shady plants and planted them in our mostly shaded front yard raised bed.
ReplyDeleteYou've inspired me to get some big pots so I can actually have tomatoes this year! Thanks.
I really want to start growing more things, but we are hampered by the dang dear in our neighborhood. Is there anything (food) plant that a deer won't eat?! I need to get my husband to build a big fenced-in area to do anything. And, by the time I remember, it seems gardening season is well underway. Love your advice--thank you!
ReplyDeleteLove your container gardening! So cute. We've got some strawberries, parsley and cilantro in containers. I'm hoping to find some chocolate mint to put in a container too...wouldn't that be divine?!
ReplyDeleteThanks for this! I live in a townhome with a yard I could cut with a pair of scissors! So this is perfect! I've always wanted to try growing veggies but am just too nervous.
ReplyDeleteI'm so interested in gardening. I just do NOT have a green thumb! I never know the balance on watering. When is too much? When is not enough?
ReplyDeleteOh I so do NOT have a green thumb, but you have me super interested!! Maybe I can pull this off, or at least if I can't it won't be near as much work as a full garden
ReplyDeleteGreat tips! Like I've said before I want to start growing some of my own veggies. I think the container idea is great!
ReplyDeletehuh. I never thought of putting containers in the garden - that's a really good idea!
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