From Guest-Blogger Jeanette: Gardening in the Big City is Always Possible

Gardening Woes

You’re dying to start your own garden but feel a little astounded, with little or no idea what to grow exactly. What makes it even more challenging is the fact that you are living in an area with limited space to start your garden. How then can you fulfill your dream? Wouldn’t it be a good idea for you to find out how to jumpstart your garden without confusion?

Waking up every morning to the sound of animals and the greeneries of the environment is but a typical site in rural areas. Even more amazing is the fact that there is an abundant supply of almost every vegetable in the countryside that you would probably have to purchase once you are in the city. Gardening in the rural areas goes without saying. It is a staple activity that folks there love doing simply because they enjoy growing vegetables for their own consumption or simply that they find fulfillment in being able to grow certain plants right at their very backyard. In the case of the urban areas however, gardening poses as a great challenge. With the limited space in the city, where can one find enough space to grow plants? Well, just because it is difficult doesn’t mean it is impossible.

Sustainable Living

There is always a way to see a green path despite the overwhelming assortment of noise, tall buildings, busy people and fast paced living. If you are a person who wishes to decrease your contribution to pollution and reduce the use of natural resources in order to preserve them longer then you are on your way to living a sustainable life. People who practice sustainable living often attempt to reduce their carbon trail by shifting means of energy consumption and transportation. Advocates of sustainable living try as hard as they can to conduct their living through methods that are consistent with sustainability, balance in nature and respect of symbiotic relationships.

Urban Gardening

The increasing interest in urban gardening has surprisingly bent curiosity on more people, and greater small-space gardening ideas have been bursting in the most unforeseen places. A short documentary entitled Truck Farm followed the development of a New York City urban gardener who maintains a mobile vegetable garden right at the back of his pickup truck.

But not everyone has a pickup truck so a very available option is through your household. It’s possible, even in an urban environment, as long as you follow these tips:

Vertical Gardening – With limited gardening space you may want to try vertical gardening. It’s simple, efficient, and enjoyable. Vertical gardening is a very proficient scheme of growing your own food in an inadequate space. Even if you have several acres to plant, vertical gardening is easier to manage, and friendly on your back than traditional horizontal gardening. It requires less weeding as your plants growing vertically. It also requires less water due to lack of soil you absorb such.

Box gardening – Box gardens are something that you can do yourself, with the aid of some wood and soil. Many people prefer to have box gardens since they also appear very eye-catching in a yard setting. Another reason for choosing box gardens is you can control the type of soil placed within the box garden. If you are going to make a box garden, it is best to first start making the box garden during the colder months, so that your soil will have time to settle and mix well with compost.

Container gardening – This is another great idea for having a small garden in a small space. A popular container gardening method is the one in window sill garden boxes. It’s so creative that it adds character to your house, and will definitely not require you to have bigger space. It is also fun because you can place hanging plants in your box along with other plants.

Extra tip: Create a focal point and texture for your garden – When you have limited space, it is also good to create focal points in your garden. You can achieve this by having a bunch of brightly colored flowers in different sections of the garden. More focal points create an illusion that makes your garden look bigger than it actually is.

No matter where you are in the city there is always a way for you to enjoy plants without having to worry about space. After all, it’s simply a matter of dedication and a change in lifestyle.