More people are returning to gardening and urban gardens are popping up anywhere a small unused space with adequate lighting can be found. Many suburbs and apartments have limited land or space, but urban gardens can be successfully planted using creative gardening techniques.
photo credit: briannaorg

First determine what plants you want to grow. Many flowers are edible and herbs also have culinary uses and add beauty to a garden. In small space gardening, a fundamental idea in urban gardening, it’s best to choose plants with multiple uses.

Herbs add color to the home but also have medicinal, crafting and culinary uses. And many flowers are edible.

Next decide on whether you will plants seeds or transplants. Seeds germinate quickly, will be a cheaper alternative in the long run and offer you a larger selection of varieties. Transplants will get your garden area going quicker and add a lush garden look to your living space instantly. And if you live in a shorter growing climate transplants will help you achieve a crop of produce quicker. But transplants are more expensive.

After selecting your crops you want to grow its time to tackle the urban gardeners biggest problem, space. Hanging planters, window boxes, container gardening and vertical gardening ideas will help with limited space issues. These topics should help with limited growing space.

Small Garden Design

Container Gardens and Hanging Baskets

A Very Berry Theme Garden
Vegetables can easily be grown in the urban garden. Tomato plants grow well in hanging baskets, as do strawberries. When selecting seeds or transplants for vegetables look for the small vegetable varieties, Mini pumpkins, baby carrots, cherry tomatoes are a few ideas.

And vining plants grown up a trellis will add more vegetables, flowers and privacy to your small urban garden setting. I like to mix vegetables and vining flowers on the same trellis for color and use. For example the scarlet runner bean has a beautiful flower and an excellent taste.

Fruits such as raspberries, blueberries, vine peach, miniature melons and even potted fruit trees will also grow in containers. A small space fruit garden will add an oasis feel to your home.

One other consideration for the urban gardener is adequate light or shade. Research your plant and garden selections to determine the light they need.

Plants that need more shade may do well on a porch area or balcony. Containers gardens have the option of being moved if the plants are receiving too much light and can be moved on a porch or behind a trellis or screen.

For plants that need abundant light, like tomatoes and peppers, locations with 8 hours of light are a look choice; porches, sun rooms and window boxes will also work well.

Urban gardens that get the right amount of light, proper soil and water will produce large crops and add color and fragrance to you small space garden area. You will also get a feel of more space with the lush rich look these plants will add to your home.

Technorati Tags: small space gardening, Urban gardening

Boxed gardens are neat, clean and easy to handle.  Depending on where you placer them and how wide they are will depend if you can easily walk around them or reach across them.
photo credit: MoToMo

You can have one or two box gardens and place them side-by-side or scatter them around the backyard or even place them on the patio or a balcony. Wherever you place them, just remember to have an easy access to water and adequate sunshine.

A boxed garden is really a frame. To make one, all you have to do is look around your yard, chose a location with six to eight hours of sunlight, prepare the soil, and then frame the space with standard 2-by-4 sections of wood board. I like to make my boxes gardens two to three foot wide.  Any wider and I have trouble reaching the center for garden maintenance.  The length depends on my gardening needs. Nail the corners together for support.

Many gardeners using the boxed gardens use a four foot by four foot size. It’s the size that most square foot gardens use and this method is perfect for square foot gardening

The advantages of these boxed gardens are that they are fast and easy to set up and can be sued in areas that have poor soil. Just add compost and soil or use a lasagna gardening method for building soil.

You can also build a section of the garden one at a time when you need it instead of rushing to put a garden in a few days.

The boxed garden method of gardening is great for small backyard designs, patios and balcony gardens. It is so versatile that it can fit any garden space or family style

Technorati Tags: backyard design, backyard oasis, backyard projects, lasagna gardening, small backyard design, small space gardening, small space gardens

With the increased interest in gardening, gardening space has become an issue. You may have a large backyard but other areas also need space or you may have a balcony and only a few feet of gardening space available. But with small backyard designs and creativity you can make the best use out the space you have.
photo credit: ginnerobot

Another issue with gardening and backyard maintenance is time. Everyone wants a lush backyard with shrubs, trees, fruit and vegetables and room for family activities but backyard gardening can take time so setting up a small garden or Postage stamp garden as they are often referred to makes sense.

A postage stamp garden is considered a small area that can produce abundant herbs, flowers and vegetables. It can also be an ornamental garden of annuals, perennials and shrubs planted in the ground or in containers making full use of a very small space. How is a postage stamp garden possible? With careful planning, using intensive gardening practices and careful selection of the plants you grow.

In the last few years’ small growing shrubs and fruit trees have been developed. Fruit tree can also be espaliers and grown on a wall. Grapes and other fruit can be trained for arbors and trellises.

Many vegetables are available in a mini size that will be perfect for the small garden and saving space. And even with larger plants if you grow them vertically you will save an amazing amount of space and I find it helps with insect control too. There are fewer places for the insects to hide. My one word of advice with vertical growing is to make sure your trellised, posts or way you fix for the produce to grow on a wall is firm. Theses plants can get heavy when laden with produce so take extra care to ensure they are sturdy.

There are flowers that also stay compact and if you chose carefully many flowers are edible and serve two purposes, beauty and use. And don’t forget potted shrubs, which can be placed outdoors in the summer months and if the right shrub is chosen brought indoors in the colder months for more enjoyment. Shrubs left outdoors may need to be winterized depending on your climate.

Container gardening and vertical growing are two perfect solutions for the balcony gardener or apartment renter with very limited space. Between hanging baskets and containers you should be able to grow flower and produce and create a nice secret garden oasis. And by trying to combine the style of the indoor space with outdoor space you can create a large feel of space in both areas.

If you feel you don’t have a lot of space for a garden look into postage stamp gardening and intensive gardening for ideas on how to grow in a smaller space and how to save time working in your garden area.

Technorati Tags: backyard oasis, backyard oasis paradise, small backyard design, small backyard design ideas, small backyard designs, small space gardening

With the gardening season almost here, but not quite, I am in a creating mood. I found a few you tubes that have wonderful ideas for you backyard. The first is a Terrestrial Water Bowl.  It’s perfect for that small space backyard, patio or balcony. They say its a 5 minute project.

The next you tube video is all about planting in planters or containers and making the best use out of small space. This is perfect for apartment dwellers and balconies. The ideas they have for planters and containers are quite creative. Use of window boxes, driveways space and other overlooked areas are discussed.

It’s amazing how bowls, containers and planters will make use of those small spaces and unused areas in your backyard or on the patio. The addition of flowers and herbs, trees and vegetables will help create your own oasis for relaxing and enjoying friends and family.

Technorati Tags: backyard design, backyard oasis, backyard projects, small space gardening

Backyards are a place to relax and spend time with family and friends. It’s your escape from the world and your backyard oasis should be a haven for the entire family. If you live in town or a city your backyard may be very small so you will need to plan to get the most use out of your limited small space.
photo credit: tristanf

Small Backyard Design

In a backyard that is small you need to make each area count. First decide what is important to you.

• Entertaining?
• Small space children’s play area?
• Work Area?
• Gardens?

Depending on the size of you backyard you could select 3 to 6 different areas and make them work together.

After you have decided what is important to make your backyard fit your families needs, its time to look at your space available. For a backyard plan to work well you need to choose sections of the yard for different uses. This makes the backyard flow and gives you a feeling of more space. I have found that combining the uses of different areas of the yard will give you more options.

A small patio table and chairs will make a quick entertainment center for one person or more. You can add a few plants and night-lights and you have an instant place to relax. This could be a focal point in a small backyard that the rest of your design revolves around. And you can move the tables and chairs to the side if you need a workspace or want to bring out toys for small children to play with. I have seen these areas use an indoor or outdoor rug to set them apart or patio rock has been installed.

Your entertainment area can serve as a breakfast nook, outdoor work area, crafting area or potting area.
photo credit: Cyproject

If you have additional space to the side or on a patio you can add a small fishpond or barrel pond: they look great tucked in corners and take very little space but add atmosphere. Another  idea that adds to the look of a backyard is combining the patio area or deck area in a way that makes them look like one. If the house flows from a deck or patio to the backyard you get a larger feel to your outdoor space. 

Small outdoor furniture will add to the artistic feel of the backyard and create another area to relax. Chairs tucked under tree on in a small garden create a feeling of a secret garden or hideaway retreat. Add a trellis or portable screen and you have a small outdoor room that would great for reading or listening to music.

Add a garden by making use of unused space available by the house or a fence. With small space gardening it’s important to make use of your vertical space. You can easily do this by using trellises and raised beds. It’s amazing what will grow in a one-foot by one-foot area. Also, add hanging baskets to your patio, porch or even your fence will give you more room for plants and create a feeling of a larger yard.

You could even use an area of the backyard for camping or as a mini gym area. And a basketball hoop could easily be attached to a garage or tree. With planning the possibilities are endless.

There is only one concern you need to be aware of. Its great to combine space and use it for several uses, but you need to keep furniture small and not crowd your backyard space or you may get a cluttered look.

With small backyard design techniques you can turn your backyard into a backyard oasis that fits everyone’s needs. And with a few tweaks you can easily update your yard when needed.

Technorati Tags: backyard oasis, small backyard design, small space gardening