Urban gardens are like a ray of sunshine on dark days. They bring life and color to the grayest blocks and remind us that we don’t have to live in the concrete jungle. It’s time to get out of your windowless office and breathe some fresh air again. It’s time to turn the city into your garden.
There are many ways to do it: grab a shovel and start in on a big backyard plot, slap some seeds in a pot on the balcony, or just find a patch of sun-drenched concrete and start planting. All you need is some soil, seeds, and water. We’ll show you how to use them all, plus 30 other gardening secrets that will help you create an urban sanctuary in any part of town.
Grab Your Shovel and Start Digging
As soon as the ground thaws out in spring (or whenever the first hard frost thaws out of your neighborhood), it’s prime time for planting. You don’t need a big backyard or tools like a shovel. All you need is some soil and seeds, and you can plant them anywhere there’s sun and water.
Make it Easy on Yourself
Plant quick-growing veggies like lettuce, radishes, spinach, and carrots in short 6-inch towers in containers left on the sidewalk or patio. These planters are easy to move around so you can follow the sun as it travels across the sky during the day. Plus, they only take up about a foot of space each.
Soil and Water
Most people think urban gardens have to be simple because they’re from city concrete. But who says you need soil? Start with a handkerchief or scrap of white cloth and some seeds, then place them in the middle of your sunny patio. Water with tap water until the seeds sprout, then once plants are up, give them a flake of fish food or liquid seaweed every week.
Grow What You Love
A lot of people who start urban gardens have dreams of tomatoes inspiring them to cook gourmet meals, or herbs growing long enough to dry out and make a batch of sweet-smelling potpourri. But most urban gardeners don’t have a lot of room (or patience) for that kind of hobby. Start a miniature flower garden that you can see every morning. A colorful table in an empty corner of your apartment or on the back patio is all the reminder you’ll need to cook up a batch of zucchini bread.
Pick Your Own Style
If you want to grow more than just the basics (like carrots, tomatoes, and lettuce), there are ways to share your bounty with others in the neighborhood. Pick your own strawberries and raspberries. Join up with a farmer’s market and make homemade jams, jellies, and even breads from your homegrown fruits. Grow as much as you can, then freeze what you don’t want until winter.
Seek and Find the Best Sun
Finding that ideal spot in the middle of concrete can be tricky, especially if you’re not sure what sun-loving plants will do best where. So why not experiment with other options? For example, instead of growing carrots on a windowsill, why not try a sunny wall? Start your seeds in pots (like SunLily and Snapdragons) in window boxes or on walls. You can also set up a trellis for climbing fruits like peaches or apples. If you have a patio or balcony, plant some tomatoes there as well.
Bottom line
Besides talent and chore, the only things an urban garden lacks is land and money. However, if you know the right tricks, you can be a master gardener in a city with a lot of concrete.