Gardening season is officially in swing. For those lucky enough to have a yard (though that type of living isn’t for everybody), the joy of “hands in the soil” is right outside of their door. But the largest population of America lives in urban environments where a yard is an uncommon luxury. That doesn’t mean that you can’t find ways to embrace gardening even if there’s a busy intersection right outside of your window, though. Today, we’ve got our favorite list of ways to enjoy the joys of gardening even if you’re an unapologetic urban dweller.
Keep It Simple and Easy: Start a Pot Garden
Don’t read that the wrong way (though what you do in your leisure time is your business)! You don’t need a huge outdoor space to grow flowers or even vegetables and herbs. You just need some larger pots and an area of your apartment or home that gets a meaningful amount of sunlight. Not every vegetable is good for growing in a pot. Obviously something large like corn or potatoes will present a problem. But tomatoes work excellently when grown in pots, as do smaller berry bushes and many herbs. If you want to grow some of your own plants and food but have limited space, never forget that potted plants can be more than decorative.
Invest in a Hydroponic Home Garden System
Maybe you don’t want to deal with soil inside of your home – and that’s legitimate. But you can still grow your own plants using a hydroponic home gardening system. In hydroponic systems, no soil is used and instead plant roots are suspended in clay pellets that are bathed in liquid nutrients. There are a number of benefits of hydroponic gardening for urban dwellers. Firstly, because the root systems are so compacted, you can actually grow many plants in the same window. Secondly, hydroponic gardening isn’t seasonal so you can be growing fresh greens all year round.
Get Involved In Your Community Garden
Most cities of any significant size these days have a shared community garden that you can participate in. In most cases, you donate both time and money for garden supplies and maintenance and in return are granted a certain amount of garden take-home each month. In other cases, you’re simply able to “rent out” a plot in a green space within your city that has been converted to a community garden. Community gardens don’t just allow you to grow your own food, they also add green spaces to concrete cities and even bring community members together. If you have access to a community garden and the time to devote to one, it’s a great option.
Decorate with a Green Wall
Green walls on the outside of buildings in urban environments have been all the rage for some time now, but green walls don’t need to be an outdoor-only way to grow things. A few hours of internet research and you can create a green wall too (you need to be a little bit handy though). You’ll need a moderately sunny area and a desire to grow plants that either vine or that aren’t heavy like many herbs. Not only will you be able to pluck and eat from your wall, you’ll have an amazing decorative and peaceful section of your home.
Convert Your Bathroom to a Farm
One of our favorite tiny house projects is Bathroom Farmer. It’s true that your bathroom will no longer be a boudoir of girlie items (if it ever was), but your bathroom has everything that you need to turn it into a functional indoor garden. Another option, if you don’t want to overhaul your bathroom, is to put up lights in a closet and turn it into a green space.
No matter what your living situation is, there are ways to make it green and grow some of your own food at the same time. It may require a little effort and a little research on your part, but the first time you’re eating a fresh tomato that you pulled off the vine after a hard day at work, you’ll know it was worth it.
Did we miss an urban gardening tip that you really, really feel that we should have shared? Tell us about it on the social media channels below.
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Tumblr | Pinterest | Google+
Related Information
Best Medicinal Plants for Your Bathroom
Best Plants to Give as Holiday Gifts
Photo Credit: Bathroom Farmer
