Growing your own food doesn’t mean that you need a huge garden. People everywhere are finding fun ways to use the space they have to grow the herbs and vegetables they want. Container gardening is a great option when you want to grow food for your table, especially if you live in a tight urban space. They’re compact, and can fit just about any patio or balcony. Gardening in raised beds gives you another easy way to efficiently use a small space. You can build them to fit the area you have, and plant them with a variety of herbs and vegetables.
These days, people are really beginning to incorporate edibles into all kinds of unique spaces. You may see tomatoes or basil grown alongside flowers like marigolds or black-eyed Susans in a front yard. There are places where community gardens are a solution for apartment dwellers and rooftop gardens supply restaurants with some of the freshest ingredients. The thing is these plants can be grown just about anywhere there is enough sun. So look around. Chances are that you can grow some fresh vegetables or herbs wherever you live.
Dwarf and patio varieties are great for containers.
Raised beds are perfect for small spaces. Think color and texture and design your vegetable plantings just as you would a flower bed. Terra cotta pots placed in the center of the beds add a focal point.
If you have the space, design a kitchen garden with raised beds. This garden even has a small coop for a few chickens.
In situations where there isn’t any place to put even a container community gardens are the answer. The Peterson Garden Project in Chicago is a great example.
Gardener Shawna Coronado transformed her front lawn into a mix of edibles and ornamentals. You can too! There are many herbs and veggies that will tolerate light shade.