Tips on Urban Gardening
Just because you live in the city does not mean that you have to stop your passion for gardening. There are many ways in which a city dweller can enjoy fresh flowers or vegetables from their own gardens. The following tips on urban gardening may give you a few ideas on how to incorporate a garden into your city lifestyle.
- Use containers to create a garden on balconies, small patios, yards and fire escapes. The most common containers are flower pots, window boxes and hanging baskets. For the unusual, try using containers such as tires, baby pools and buckets. Herbs, vegetables and flowers grow very well in these containers with proper watering, soil and fertilizer.
- If there is no space outside to place your containers, or if the weather is too cold, consider an indoor window garden. Flowers and herbs grow well in pots placed on a windowsill or in baskets hanging in front of the window. With at least six to eight hours of sunlight, one can also grow vegetables such as lettuce and peppers.
- If you desire a little more than what can be produced in a container garden, consider a community garden. This type of garden permits you to either rent garden space to plant your own little garden or to be a part of the sharing of the entire garden. All participants share in maintaining and managing the garden.
- Some of the drawbacks of urban gardening include pollution, lack of sun and no privacy. When planning your garden, consider planting some pollution tolerant plants such as the Morning Glory vine, petunias, zinnias and marigolds. Living in the city means that tall buildings may block out the sunlight. Find gardening space that allows for a few hours a day of sunlight. If this is not possible, choose plants that thrive in the shade. Privacy may also be an issue. This can be solved by the use of fencing or privacy screens.