Don’t let cramped apartments, downsized yards, or rented homes keep you from growing the garden of your dreams! There are an abundant amount of ways that you can achieve being an urban gardener without a vast amount of planting space.
From small fruit/vegetable gardens to growing your favored flowers in compact spaces, we have you covered. Let's get started!
Start Using Hanging Plants
There is no going wrong with adding hanging plants to your mini garden! Saves space? Check. Grows beautiful flowers? Check. A fun DIY project? Check!
There are endless possibilities with starting a hanging garden and it is the perfect way to use your creativity.
When choosing the type of plant you will be growing, keep in mind that different types have different needs. Be sure that you properly mount the hanging baskets or pots to avoid any risk of your plants falling or spilling.
Do research on the plants you will be growing in your hanging garden. Give them the perfect growing conditions, so they can grow beautifully just for you.
Flowers are known for being potted in hanging baskets and they prove to grow the best. Low-maintenance flowers and plants make it easy to provide care.
Create a unique hanging basket out of almost anything. Just add a drainage hole or two, potting soil, and the plant.
Use potting soil that helps retain water, and add a drip irrigation system to automate care altogether.
You will love the small space that hanging plants change into marvelous urban gardens.
Put Your Patios To Work
Having access to outdoor patios or balconies can actually be a prime spot for planting. Limited space won’t hold you back when you implement raised beds on patios or window boxes on balconies.
Both raised beds and window boxes are great ideas to maximize the gardening space you’ve got! They also let you beautify your outdoor area in an easy way.
Raised beds are ideal for patios as they allow for flowers, fruit, and veggies to be grown in them. Not only will they supply you with beautiful flowers or delicious fruits, but these beds can also be the perfect patio accent!
The Sky Pencil Holly is a vertical shrub that makes a great ‘strategic’ screen behind your raised bed or outdoor seating area. It will thrive in large pots too!
Add in Ornamental Grasses for a quick fix to fill empty space that lies a little higher than what most plants can reach. You'll be thrilled with the lush look, and speedy growth rate of these wonderful plants.
Place a raised bed on the ground or add legs to raise it up even more! It’s up to you and either way adds fantastic texture. You could easily add paint or designs to your bed to match its surroundings too.
Flowering shrubs or perennials can either be carefully color coordinated or orchestrated in a carefree rainbow of radiance. Let your creativity shine, and have fun shopping our site!
Or make your growing spaces productive with dwarf fruit trees in large containers. Try lemons, limes and orange trees for great-tasting fresh citrus fruit.
Window boxes are one of the best ways to bring the garden onto balconies and decks. These balcony gardens take up limited space and add charming accents at the same time. Flowers andsucculent plants are ideal for growing in window boxes.
For extra character, let a Vine or two grow along your metal rails! All you have to do is add soil, maintain its water, and give it plenty of sunlight. Simple!
The Boston Ivy will not disappoint with its ability to grow upon just about anything. Its glossy green leaves will transform into deep scarlet nearing Winter for an added accent in your home!
Maximize Vertical Gardening
When you can’t grow plants out, why not grow plants up? Vertical gardening is a lifesaver when it comes to spicing up walls and saving space.
You can create a vertical planter out of literally anything! Hang pots, grow vines up a traditional trellis, create a cloth frame, plant in recycled bottles, and even grow in a shoe organizer.
Just about anything that your imagination can conjure up, will work. Vertical gardening is all about creativity!
When choosing plants for your vertical garden, make sure to take into account your atmosphere. Daisies might not appreciate being hung in a shady alcove as much as a fern would.
A Climbing Hydrangea is a much loved vertical perennial that will blossom ivory white fragrant flowers just for you. And Succulents are the rockstars of low maintenance plants! They’ll thrive in any vertical experiment you have in your mind!
You will be a pro vertical planter in no time!
Step Gardening Up
Any space with steps, ladders, or walkways is practically begging for plants to be grown on them. Using these for your small space urban gardening is super simple and has the same effects of an actual garden too!
Place any type of potted plants on your doorsteps to use up the side space and create a visual interest for your front entrance. Giant, petite, long, or short clay pots will do the trick.
You can even color coordinate the pots to make your area look organized and pop out to the neighbors. Feel free to add any pattern designs, polka dots, and more.
There is no holding back on the type of plants that can be grown in pots on a couple of steps. Any plant can thrive in a pot if it is taken care of correctly.
Even start growing your very own edible plants with a citrus tree or fruit tree for fresh produce right on your doorstep. Check out how to care for a citrus tree in our recent blog!
Just because you may not have a large yard doesn’t mean you can’t grow a tree! Plant your very own patio tree in a pot to add an accent to the front door and never worry about it not having room to grow large.
Don’t have front steps? No problem! Ladders will work just as well and can be placed just about anywhere in a house or outdoors. It’ll become a focal point for a bare wall or corner.
You can also stack pots on top of one another to save space too. Your creative mind will be used to the max on this one!
Popular Small Space Plants
Flowers For Small Spaces
The Bonfire Euphorbia is a perennial succulent that will never fail you with its growth. Its red foliage last year round and then flower blossoms begin to sprout in Spring. It's perfect for small spaces too.
A Sweet Black-Eyed Susan is sure to put a smile on your face and bring butterflies to your home! Its sunshine petals are contrasted by a dark shaded center that makes this flower pop anywhere it's planted.
The Summer Crush Hydrangea makes an absolute gorgeous accent in a container with its tidy, compact shape! Its Spring purple blossoms fade into a vibrant fuschia pink that are sure to fill your outdoor space easily.
Small Plant Favorites
The Green Gem Boxwood is a perfect small size and carries a green shade all year round to make it superior. Create a formal look to your small garden with the Green Gem as it maintains an impeccable shape.
You can never go wrong with growing Houseplants! Use these favorites for any indoor project you have in mind that will fill up limited space. They even work well for hanging outdoors or being planted within garden beds.
Growing Small Fruit Bushes in Containers
The Brightwell Blueberry is ideal for home gardens and allows you to enjoy a sweet blueberry taste! Enjoy making homemade blueberry muffins, blueberry pancakes, blueberry pies, blueberry anything with this small fruit.
A Top Hat Blueberry is a splendid fruit bearing plant for a container that brings flavor to your home and ornamental quality to your garden. Its sweet taste goes well in home baked recipes or simply right off the bush itself!
Growing a Wild Strawberry in a small space is not a problem! There is no hassle to it and you get to enjoy one of the sweetest strawberries around. Homegrown strawberries are delicious for eating, baking, and more.
Plant a Shortcake Raspberry within a container on your own balcony or porch! This plant doubles as an ornamental and fruit bearing shrub. Its petite flowers will transform into sweet tasting berries right before your eyes when it's rewarded with a sunny area.
Remember, a small yard or balcony can’t hold back your inner gardener and it shouldn’t! By implementing a few of these garden design tips and putting your innovative mind to work, you will soon find yourself growing an impeccable garden in a tiny space. Enjoy it!
Nature Hills is really proud of our pretty plants. We work with landscape designers every day, all across the country. Start with great looking, expertly grown plants and you will have a big head start on creating the small space garden of your dreams.
