You can grow potatoes in small garden areas, even on patios, balconies or in cities. With planning the backyard oasis will be a perfect place for a crop of potatoes.

One of the easiest ways to grow potatoes in a small area is in  a garden basket or wire cage, Using this method you actually grow the potato above ground.

This you tube will give you ideas on how to plant potatoes using this method.

One advantage of growing potatoes or other ground crops using a method like this it that harvesting is much easier. And for a more festive look add vines near the container or flowers and create a mini garden area.

There are many root crops that can be grown in baskets or wire cages. And depending on how the growing area is set up you can extend your growing season or even move the crop indoors.

Just because you live in a city or don’t own a lot of land does not mean you can not have a successful garden. You will have to learn how to plant in small spaces and make the most of the soil you have.

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These tips are used in all my gardens but for small space gardening they seem to work very well. When making a small space garden you need to make sure each plant compliments the others and really does the work of two plants.

photo credit: normanack

I am redoing my entire front yard due to severe flood damage and many of the garden area will be small. Although the hillside terrace garden will be about 35 foot long by 5 to 15 foot wide I will be creating small space garden areas, many with different uses.

So here are a few tips or garden practices I will be using in all my garden areas, especially my new small gardens.

Edging.

Any garden bed or border will be easier to maintain if they are edged. This will help keep the surround grass and weeds from invading your garden beds. You can select brick, metal plastic or stone and an edging. Your chose will be influenced by cost, materials on hand or prior landscaping.

I usually go for what I have on hand or what I can use at the best price. For me that is free. Recently I used old round metal hoops I found. And in my current project most of my edgings will be rock.

And if you have lawn around your bed you may want to add a 6 to 12 inch edging of stone or masonry, which you will set even with the surrounding soil. This will give you a wide mowing strip around your garden making lawn care easier. And this also looks nice.

Mulch

Using a mulch in your gardens will help control weeds, cut down on watering, help prevent erosion and water runoff (a problem in my yard) and will give you garden areas a common look and flow if they are scattered on your property. Once I mulched a garden I was hooked. It just simplifies lawn work.

I use mainly organic mulches as I find them for free in my area. Organic mulches include leaves, leaf mold, shredded bark and aged sawdust. You could also use compost. These materials have to be topped with a fresh layer every couple of years as they tend to decay and settle.

Mulches that are more permanent are crushed stone, masonry or brick. These hold up well over time but do not improve the soil like organic mulch will. To find free rock or brick you may want to contact a local construction company.

Garden plan

A garden plan is beneficial to any garden but in a small space garden is almost a necessity. With a plan you can make the best use out of you space. It’s also a great way to make plans for any seasonal changes what you may have in your growing climate.

With a little planning you can tuck a small space garden into any corner or unused space in your yard or patio areas. Even urban dwellers will be able to have fresh flowers and vegetables in their home.

My first new small space gardens will be a mailbox garden and a barrier end garden.

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Small spaces work perfectly for mini perennial gardens. I spent today moving some of my perennials and planning out my small space terraced gardens on graft paper, then on the computer.

photo credit: echoforsberg

My front yard is going to be small terraced gardens, seven mini gardens in all. One will only be two foot by 3 foot and the largest, a rose garden; will be 4 foot by 8 foot.

As I spent most of the day moving a perennial garden, my two areas for perennials will be the first areas I work on.

The one small space garden will have rock cress and a moss ground cover in the front. Behind that I will plant a few varieties of herbs and small variety hosta plants. The last section in the back will be red sedum on the sides, bee balm in the center and one other taller perennial flower. I haven’t decided which one yet.

The other perennial garden is located near a tree so I will need to set up a shade garden in this area.

I dug up close to 150 perennials today. I put them in my transplant garden area overnight until I fix their new home or repot them for sale or trading for other new plant varieties.

You don’t want your plants you moved to have the opportunity to get dry roots so you need to make sure the roots are wet and that they are placed in soil as fast as possible.  That’s were a transplant garden can come in handy if you cannot plant them on the same day.

My terraces areas are set up on a hillside with a 30-degree slope. The area is being terraced to help redirect and prevent any runoff flooding from across the road. The road drains are all clogged and they said they would not replace them for 15 years so prevention is the best step to take. I say this after the downstairs of the house was ruined last year.

I am also place a mini mound garden area with shrubs and very hard perennials up by the road to help redirect any water if I have this problem again.

I am planning hardscape stairs in two places and laying them out in such a way that if I have any rain problems the rain will be carried away from the house and any gardens areas.  I think think the look of stairways curving through gardens will also add interest to the gardens and landscape.

The other small space gardens will be an herb garden, a flower garden and two veggie/flower garden mixes. The vegetable gardens are being planned for near the patio area and near the kitchen area. This will be a perfect location to run outdoors and select a few fresh vegetables to add to a meal.

These garden areas should be easy to maintain. They will make a problem yard less work and they will also help control any future water problems.  And above all they will add color and interest to a rather ordinary yard.

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Here is a fun and easy way to add fresh color and a spring like feel to your indoor plants and gardening. Try coaxing or forcing spring flowering bulbs into blooming in the mid-winter months.

photo credit: robynejay

There are dozens of bulbs that will add beautiful spring color to your home in the winter. Some bulbs will require minimal effort, while others require planning. So when selecting your bulbs to force take effort and time into consideration.

Many bulbs require a cold period to stimulate growth and flower production. If you have such bulbs place them in the refrigerator for a few weeks.

Not all bulbs will require a cold period. Amaryllis, freesia, and tropical narcissus are a few that do fine without chilling the bulbs.

How to force spring bulbs into winter bloom without pre-chilling the bulbs.

• To force spring bulbs into winter bloom, pot the bulbs in either potting soil or water. Potting soil gives you the garden look and you can create more indoor decor with the selection of the container or garden pot.
• You will keep both growing styles indoors. The bulbs will not survive outdoors in cold weather.
• If you are potting in the bulbs in water, squeeze as many bulbs as you can fit into a shallow pot so they are secured. Pour enough water over the bulbs to cover the bottom half of the bulb. You can also anchor the bulbs with pebbles if you are unable to hold them down by squeezing them together in the pot.
• By planting bulbs in pots or vases you get a modern look that emphasizes the container, bulb and flower. I think planting done in this style have a delicate look.
• The spring bulbs should sprout within a week or two of potting them. This pertains to both growing methods.
• Once the plants have sprouted, keep them in indirect light and in a cool place where the temperature is about 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
• You will want to keep the sprouted plants in the cool room with indirect light for two weeks. This gives the bulbs a feel of cooler outdoor climates.
• After two weeks in the cool room with indirect light, move the pot into bright, direct light where there will be warmer temperatures.

photo credit: robynejay

The plants should flower within 4 weeks. Flowering bulbs in the winter add such color and life to indoor living. It seems to speed up the arrival of spring.

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When working with small spaces in your backyard, patio or balcony design every item counts and should serve two purposes. Another concern to keep in mind with garden design is time savers. After all, you have created an oasis to relax in, why add work?

photo credit: slideshow bob

Keep it simple.

Simple easy to work with designs and ideas will cut your time in half. You might want to mix artificial plants in the back and fresh live plants in front. Window boxes on a top window that is hard to water will do better with artificial plants, and no one will know the difference. I know I have been doing this for years.

Place any gardens near water or add a rain barrel. Lugging buckets of water or winding and unwinding water hoses takes time and energy.

Storage space

Having adequate storage space for tools, kitchen utensils and children’s toys will stop the running back and forth to get these items. A bench that serves as a storage space will add space and shelves on patio wall also add extra storage room. Pegs on the wall will get larger toys off the patio floor. If placed properly they can also decorate the wall space

Use all available space

When you space is limited it doesn’t take much to get a cluttered look that will make your space look smaller. Use trellises to give you extra space going up. Why place plants in containers on the floor when you can continue a lush green wall being the plants. And if these plants are vegetable you will have a mini garden within arms reach from the kitchen.

Hanging baskets will free up floor space and if you have an open rafter that can be used for storage.

Make you gardens work overtime.

• Combine vegetables with flowers. It’s a great look and will save space.
• Use more mulch in your gardens and backyard. You will save time mowing and watering the lawn.
• Drought resistant plants take less time and water. They also seem to have less insect problems.
• Consider using square foot gardening methods. You use less space and water. And with less space you will have less weeding.
• Hardscaping takes less time to maintain and will add interest to the backyard.

Each year I find I want more time to enjoy my backyard and take the time in the spring to look around a see how I can simplify my garden and backyard tasks.

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