How to Garden With Limited Space?

Answer 1

Space can seem like a big obstacle when trying to start a garden, but you don’t have to have a huge suburban yard to begin growing your favorite vegetables, fruits or flowers. Whether you have a small yard or no yard at all, here are six creative ways to get the garden you’ve always wanted.

Container Gardening

Planting in containers makes it easy to have a garden in a spot where it wouldn’t be possible otherwise, like on a balcony, fire escape or a deck. Growing plants in containers is also a great option for renters because your garden won’t have to stay behind if you move. Many herbs and vegetables, including tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers, can easily be grown in containers.

Window Boxes

Window boxes are small, rectangular containers that hook onto a windowsill and hang outside of the house. Growing plants in a window box is a form of container gardening better suited for those who don’t have a patio or fire escape that a normal container could sit on. Since most window boxes are not very big, smaller plants such as herbs and flowers are ideal for this type of container.

Vertical Gardening

Vertical gardening is another way to garden with limited space, though it does require more maintenance than a small container garden. This type of garden requires a fence or trellis so plants can grow upright instead of out into a wide space. Plants suited for this type of gardening include tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, beans, melons or any plant that grows on a vine.

Hanging Gardens

If you have a small balcony or porch, a hanging garden is a great use of the space right above your head. With a hanging garden, you can have both a garden and keep the already-limited space you have, instead of keeping a container garden that sits on the ground. Flowers, herbs and smaller vegetables — such as tomatoes, peas, strawberries and different greens — are ideal for a hanging garden. Certain vegetables can also be grown upside down in a container garden, including tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers.

Plant Dwarf Varieties

Plant breeders have developed vegetable varieties that are smaller and require less space when growing. These varieties are ideal for container gardening, or if you only have a small garden bed. Tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, pumpkins, melons, summer squash and eggplant are just a few of the fruits and vegetables that have dwarf varieties.

Succession Planting

This technique is a way to get continued use of a small gardening space. With succession planting, a new crop is planted immediately after another crop is harvested. It is best to use this method for growing seasonal produce because you can replace early-season crops with late-season crops. With this method, you can plant peas in the spring, tomatoes in the summer and turnips in the fall, all in the same space.