Want to grow your own food but don't have any land to do it on? Renting doesn’t have to mean forgoing garden-to-table produce or that delightful feeling of soil between your fingers. You might have thought having a little garden in your apartment was impossible. Think again!
I’m not talking about common houseplants either - try a veritable Eden of home-grown fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers. Plus, you can bid adieu to intrusive weeds. Transform your balcony, window sill or just about any space into your very own urban garden.
Consider how much room and light you have to determine which kinds of containers can house your mini garden. This will also help you figure out what you’d like to plant.
Cheers to those of you with a little more outdoor room to get creative with. For the rest of us? Here are a few creative suggestions for saving space - and your wallet.
MASON JAR GARDEN
Looking for a no-muss, no fuss solution? A mason jar is your answer. These inexpensive rustic delights will add a bit of flair whether you’re planting indoors or outdoors. But since you can’t exactly poke a hole in a mason jar, you’ll need to make your own type of drainage system by placing tiny rocks at the bottom to provide a bit of separation between the water and the soil.
VEGETABLE GARDEN PALLET
Think upcycling! You can grow an amazing quantity of lettuce and other vegetables with shipping pallets. Nail ‘em up, wheel ‘em out; you can do whatever you want with pallets. The Garden Answer tells you exactly what you’ll need to start growing your vertical vegetable farm.'
WINDOWSILL GARDEN
If you are really tight on space, consider starting as basic and as small as growing some strawberries on your windowsill! You can hang window boxes on balcony railings too. The more affordable ready-made boxes are made of wood, composite materials or metal. Just give it a custom look by painting the boxes according to the exterior trim of your apartment to tie them into your home’s colour scheme. Wall sticker design by Nina Larkina
CONTAINER GARDENING
Another version of a raised garden is to grow vegetables in a container, or in wine crates! Fit the corners with protective seal, a liner and brackets. You can change your garden’s look by moving them around as and when you like, if you have enough room to play with. Or stack ‘em up! These are great if you’re looking to grow tomatoes or root vegetables.
Tomato Tip! Pick a sunny spot for tomatoes to thrive in. Also, keep in mind that you’ll want the determinate variety, more commonly known as bush tomatoes. This breed grow to a compact height of approximately 4 ft which is perfect for container gardening.
Have your thumbs gone green?You can start planning your urban garden now but just ask yourself when deciding what fruits or vegetables you want to nurture: Where do I want to start my garden? How much sun-light does that space get? Which produce will I use most in the kitchen? What season is it? Happy Gardening!