City life is great. The hustle, the bustle and the never-ending stream of things to do, see and experience…
The only struggle we found was not having anywhere to relax, do some gardening and grow arms full of tasty food.
Which we believe is untrue, and why we plan to help you discover ways for you to garden despite having one. These are tips and tricks for those who live in apartments, townhouses, and inner city without a large backyard.
Tip #1: Balcony Gardens
Do you live in an apartment building with no access to a yard?
Don’t give up on the green-thumbed life just yet! If you have a balcony in your apartment, then you can easily build a raised garden bed (we even wrote a handy post on how to do it).
Or you can cheat and buy them online on Amazon your local Garden Center/Home Hardware.
Our point is, there’s nothing better than popping out to your balcony to grab some ingredients for dinner, or sitting among your homegrown plants as you sip your Sunday morning coffee.
If you want to build a raised bed patio planter…
If you want to get your hands busy building, you’ve got two options:
- Follow our super simple guide to building a raised bed OR
- Watch and copy this Youtube video. (We are big fans of Laura from Garden Answers Rendition here at Plantables.)
(Psssst. If you need some plants for your new raised bed, we know just the place.)
Tip #2: Community Gardens
It’s more than likely that your city has a community garden that you can use to plant your Plantables plants (or any other plants, they don’t discriminate!).
Out here in our neck of the woods (Forest, Ontario), we have a community garden that we donated stock to for people without gardens to grow and harvest their own organically grown fruits and veggies.
Community gardens are perfect for city folk need somewhere to plant. You can grow all your herbs and veggies there, and these communities are very kind and helpful.
Some may help water your plants and help them grow! But beware that since it’s a public place you’re harvest may sometimes already be reaped!
Community Program and Plots
Now, these aren’t typically free; sometimes there’s an initial cost to rent out a plot for gardening, but there are plenty of community gardens in big cities. Just have a Google around and we bet you’ll find a green space near you that you can use to grow your own tasty food.
You’ll probably have to pay a plot fee, but you’ll also get to join a community of gardeners on your journey to green-thumbed glory! (And their advice is always super valuable.)
The Different Types of Community Gardens
Confusing as it is, there are a good few types of community garden and they’re all quite different, so we’re breaking them down a bit for you…
Allotment Garden
An allotment is an individual garden where everyone has their own plot/garden bed. You’re part of the community, but have your own patch.
Communal Garden
A communal is a garden where everyone works together to garden one piece of land. It is where you can be sure someone else will help out with your plants, and you can do the same for them. It’s like a family of gardeners! We 💚communal gardens.
Paid City Garden
This garden is for those who only plan to grow in largeamounts and for their own use. It’s probably not right for your first couple of growing seasons, but hey, if you want to grow big or go home, don’t let us stop you!
Educational Garden
You can find community gardens that have programs to help teach children to grow fruits and veggies as well to help with therapy for individuals. These gardens are great and if you’ve got time to volunteer at your local one then you won’t regret it. (If you run a therapy or educational garden that’s in desperate need of plants, let us knowand we’ll see what we can do!)
There are also a few ways to help you grow your plants indoors:
There are a few plants that are ideal for growing inside your home.
These guys can sometimes be grown indoors, as long as you’ve got a prominent planter and lots of sunlight.
They will grow much faster and larger than expected. So cut off the larger leaves for harvest and leave the smaller ones for a much later harvest. They enjoy cold temperature and a medium-sized pot.
But these are the easiest herbs to grow indoors:
- Lemon balm
- Mint
- Parsley
- Oregano
- Thyme
- Rosemary
- Basil
All of these are timeless and natural herbs that are great for growing (and using) in your kitchen! All they need is a decent amount of sunlight, so make sure they’re on a windowpane or a spot that gets the most light during the day.
(If you’re looking for cool ways to display your indoor jungle, then check out our 10 DIY Herb Planters.)
That’s it! A load of easy ways to get organically grown, tasty and healthy fruits and veggies this season, even if you don’t have a garden!
