One of the biggest obstacles to growing your own fruits and veggies is having the right space – and enough of it. If you’re lucky enough to have that big, wide-open stretch of sunny back yard, no problem. But most of us aren’t so blessed.
A home vegetable garden requires little space to yield big rewards!
Photo Credit: ©Dolezal Publishing/John Rickard
Add vegetables anywhere you’ve got full sun – between two garages, along a driveway or even on your neighbor’s property, – as long as you promise to keep it well-tended…and share!
Photo Credit: Inner Shadows
Grow vertical veggies like
pole beans on supports to make the most of limited space. Plus, the higher up they grow, the more likely they are to get enough sun.
Photo Credit: Hazel Proudlove
We space-strapped home gardeners often struggle with finding a spot that gets enough sun. (Veggies need lots of it – at least 6 hours [preferably 8] of direct sun a day). We also need to work at creating the perfect soil to grow the healthiest plants and biggest harvests from what little space we’ve got.
If you’re interested in a bigger bounty of fruits and veggies despite your limitations, maybe it’s time to start growing outside your normal gardening space. Consider some of these ideas:
- Use your front yard. Yes, one of the most overlooked spaces for growing edibles is in the front of the house. Most people believe that front yards need to be all show, no production. But as long as you keep your garden meticulously tended, it’ll look good all season through. Just put a little extra effort into the design. Lay out, say, a series of formal raised beds with attractive paths. Use nice materials for supports – ones that keep your front yard looking classy rather than junky.
- Go vertical. Just 1 square foot of soil can yield an enormous harvest if you train a plant to grow upward. Give your plant a trellis to climb, or train it along an existing fence, the railing of your deck, a porch, alongside the house or garage, or even help it up the kids’ play structure. Pole beans, cucumbers, small squash, peas and tomatoes are all excellent for training up a pole or trellis.
- Use containers. If you invest in a grouping of large containers or build a few planters, you can grow big, beautiful, bountiful vegetables – even in very urban settings. Put them by a sunny back door, a front step or side entry, a balcony, patio, rooftop, out by the garage or even on a fire escape (just make sure the location can hold the weight). Lettuces, herbs, sweet peppers and hot peppers are excellent choices for container. For larger plants (like tomatoes), choose “patio” types especially bred for growing in the confines of a pot. (The tags will identify the plants as such.)
- Talk with your landlord about gardening options. He or she may be very open to the idea of growing edibles around your apartment building, condo or townhouse, or near any outlying spot on the property grounds – especially if you promise to tuck in some flowers in your planting beds (and maybe even share the harvest). When you talk with your landlord, be sure to mention an exit plan: Put it in writing that you’ll clear and reseed the garden area (assuming it’s in grass) when your lease expires.
- Borrow a garden. If you just don’t have the right space for any type of veggie garden, talk with a neighbor, friend or relative. Many people will be happy to let you tend a plot of veggies on their land…as long as you share the bounty!
- Consider community or rental garden plots (often available for a small fee). Check with your town or city offices, your county Extension agent, local garden centers or local food cooperatives – they often know where local garden plots are located, as well as how to secure a space.
- Check with your church, school or community center. Talk with administrators there about creating a community garden space that others can share in to help strengthen the community and enrich lives.
Just because you’ve got a small back yard, it doesn’t mean you can’t have a vegetable garden. Get creative about where you grow your own food, and the rewards will be bountiful!
