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Urban gardening has really taken off in popularity. Blogs and social media are full of inspiring pictures of urban gardens of all sizes as people take a closer look at the food they consume and the prices they pay for it. Eating organic food has also risen in popularity.
I was used to growing a large garden at my parents’ house. When I moved, I was unhappy with the idea of living in a small apartment with nowhere to garden. I managed to find an affordable place with lots of windows and a large porch.
It wasn’t perfect. The apartment had its issues. But I all I needed to start an urban garden.
My first urban garden
If there was a spot with space and light, it had a plant.
I started seed trays on coffee tables by windows. Little greenhouses (out of the picture) were set on the porch. I filled the sunny floor space and used hanging baskets and boxes mounted on the porch railing to maximize vertical space. The baskets contained morning glories and strawberries.
Herbs, peppers, tomatoes and several other veggies filled an odd variety of containers scattered along the porch and down the steps.
My husband said we practically lived in a greenhouse.
He wasn’t exactly wrong.
Creating an urban garden
I collect pots from clearance sales, the dollar store, and thrift stores. Some pots are plain, but others, especially from thrift stores or as gifts, are beautiful. I also collect seed trays (affiliate link) when they go on sale. They often sell for $5 regularly at some stores but go down to $1 or less at the end of the season.
When it was time, I’d put the tray with seeds in a bright sunny area and, when the seedlings were ready, put them in pots on the porch or in the window. I also ordered a small blueberry plant from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, one of my favorite seed companies.
To successfully urban garden, you have to have sufficient light. If you don’t have a good sunny window, you may be able to find an inexpensive grow light to mount over your plants.
You could also check with your landlord to see if you can put window boxes in, or add plants to a shared porch or front steps,. Just be sure that the steps are wide enough and won’t cause a hazard having pots on them.
I had some losses (once from people removing my plants from the porch, once or twice when I was on vacation, and one when I was so sick from pregnancy that I couldn’t properly care for them) but overall my plants thrived in containers. Overall, urban gardening was a success!
Have you ever grown an urban garden? What did you put in it?
