A great many people do not have yards to frolic in, let alone a place to make their own garden. This is quite common in the cities where apartment complexes overrule the need for houses and yards in order to pack as many people in as possible. You’d think this would be the bane of urban farmers. Keep heart, as there are options even if you suffer from having a tiny balcony that you barely have the ability to turn around on.
You just have to think vertical.
1.) Trellis
The humble trellis is a standard go-to for vining plants such as cucumbers, sweat peas, and a large number of flowers. Trellises can be made to fit in tight spaces, yet reach as tall as you can go with it. You can make them so that they fit in various size containers, which is ideal for both ground patios and balconies. You can DIY with sticks and poles for your cross braces and sturdy yarn or twine for a seasonal fix to tie it all together, all the way to artistic trellises that can grace a wall both on and off season.
Take a look at the samples below of how you can use a trellis (click on the images to see the larger image). Where can you see using a trellis in your garden?
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- You can make a wooden trellis out of any wood, in nearly any configuration. DIY with a broken up pallet or buy one pre-made like this container and trellis set from Natural Yards.
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- Secure a trellis like these from Quality Arbors to the wall for a variety of looks. These types of trellises are best anchored into the ground or in a deeper pot as well as to the wall for stability.
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- PVC pipes, glue, and netting make for a great weather resistant trellis that is nearly limitless for space configurations. (Found on Survival Punk)
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- For some plants you can forgo staking the trellis into the ground and combine art with trellising like this one from Arizona Trellis. These trellises need to be anchored to a very sturdy wall, so make sure you have more than just lamination to drill into (and permission if you’re renting.)
2.) Hanging baskets
If you have room to hang baskets, you can do a lot of things beyond just the hanging basket of pansies gracing a doorstep. You can hang them from window sills, walls, trees, trellises, and more to use the space. And, you don’t even have to use just flowers — branch out with edibles or flowers and edibles mixed for a look that’s truly new. Steal some of the ideas below for hanging baskets of different sizes, shapes, varieties, and where you can hang them.
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- Hanging baskets on a wall in Thornbury, England during the annual summer floral displays.
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- Mix greens with flowers for a bright, edible, and whimsy touch. (Basket by Maureen Gilmer)
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- Get creative with succulents and cacti in hanging basket containers for a little variety. (Found on Crafty Jenny.)
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- Hanging baskets can be hung from a tree’s sturdier lower branches, or nails, as Lowe’s shows.
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- Think beyond patio tomatoes and peppers for hanging edibles. Strawberries, lettuces, and herbs also grow wonderfully in hanging baskets. (Image found on The Enduring Gardner)
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- Think small and vertical if you need to. This spice rack from Everyday Gardener‘s is an ingenious way to grow herbs and lettuces or small flowers.
3.) Garden walls
When you just need to break out of your shell and do something totally insane, totally different, and totally awe-inspiring, think about turning your wall into a garden. This is a special technique that is called vertical garden walls, and it uses aquaponics and small baskets, such as a shoe organisation bag, or other such ways of holding the roots while you go straight up in the air to create a literal wall of vegetation.
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- Wooden slats in a frame form the foundation of this free-standing garden wall. (From Home Envy)If you have an old fence, you could probably turn it into a similar statement piece.
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- This unique product from Urb Garden combines composting with herb gardening and to-go containers. (Found on Studio G.)
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- Would you believe this wall is in a restaurant? Go Spain for thinking outside the box.
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- An orchid show utilised the vertical wall methods to display gorgeous orchids, so what’s stopping you? (From Toby Garden on Flickr.)
4.) Stacking it the ceiling
Stackable containers open up a realm of possibility for herbs, peppers, and more. You can use the stackable hanging basket ideas from above, or any of these below for a little more variation to use the space you have.
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- Tipsy pots are taking the garden art world by storm for it’s form and function. You can pack a lot in them and go vertical with your garden in a very small area. Plus, you can decorate the pots any way you want for your own touch of whimsy. Find the directions on D&G’s Garden and Crafts.
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- This creative solution combines trellising with stacking. From Red Envelope.
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- Nancy Jane’s stacking system is a great for creative towers or hanging tiers. You can find a variety of styles from different vendors to create your own vision.
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- If using a shoe organiser worries you for the mess it makes, then consider the tiny pocketed plastic version for smaller pops of colour or little herbs. This particular one is from Earth Box.
5.) Grow lamps inside
And, finally, if you can’t get enough of those greens, consider grow lights inside. Grow lamps are easy to obtain, and you likely already have a reasonably high quality one in your lamp. While the best quality ones are the horticulture lamps, the next best thing is your CFL bulbs that you can use in every standard lamp in the house. So, if nothing else, you can always take all these ideas inside and grow your plants that way.
We’d love to see what you came up with!
Let your creativity flow and show us what you came up with in the comments!
