https://www.hopesgrovenurseries.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/urban-garden-jpeg-750x500.jpeg Urban Garden Small Plants in Soil

Gardening provides a sense of tranquillity and rewarding hard work. Making use of your green fingers can be great for those who have access to great wide open spaces, or even for those who have an average-sized garden, flower patch, or front patio hedging. However, the joys of gardening can be lost on those who live in built-up town or city areas. With the lack of greenery available in the ever increasing populated areas, the need for urban gardening also grows. If you’re an avid experienced horticulturist or just an enthusiastic budding grower, here’s how to bring a bit of green to your neck of the woods.

What is Urban Gardening?

Urban gardening is the practice of growing plants, flowers, herbs, fruit or vegetables in towns and cities where outdoor space may be limited. Urban gardens can take many forms, including balcony gardens, rooftop gardens, courtyard gardens, community gardens, vertical gardens and container gardening.

Whether you have a small balcony, a paved patio or simply a sunny windowsill, urban gardening allows people to create green spaces, support wildlife and grow their own plants within built-up environments and small spaces.

Benefits of Urban Gardening

Improved wellbeing

Research consistently shows that spending time around plants can reduce stress and improve mental wellbeing. Urban gardening creates opportunities to connect with nature, even in densely populated areas.

Supports biodiversity

Urban gardens can provide valuable habitats for bees, butterflies and other pollinators. Adding wildlife-friendly plants helps support local ecosystems.

Grow your own food

Many urban gardeners grow herbs, vegetables and fruit in containers, helping reduce food miles while providing fresh produce at home.

Improves air quality

Plants can help absorb pollutants and contribute to healthier urban environments.

Urban Garden Ideas for Small Spaces

When living in the city, the most popular type of accommodation is a flat or apartment. Of course, with having a smaller building it also means that your space is limited. This means that you need to look into all types of opportunities to bring that bit of greenery that you’re after. Below are a couple of urban gardening ideas to get you started.

Window Gardens

Windowsill boxes are good for growing shallow-rooted plants. When considering a windowsill plant box, determine whether or not you have enough sunlight reaching your window. If you don’t have a reliable amount of sunlight from all of the windows in your building, it is worth thinking about plant lighting options. Windowsill boxes are ideal for both brightening up your home and adding greenery to the city outside your window.

Vertical Gardens

Another great way to enjoy your own urban garden is to have a vertical garden. For those who don’t have lots of space, attaching plant pots to your wall is a great way to grow some plants, bring some greenery to your home and even upcycle. Instead of buying new plant pots and fixing them to your walls, practice sustainable urban gardening and find ways to upcycle – such as cutting 2-litre plastic bottles in half and using them as plant pots. You can even use old shoe hangers to hold up the variety of plant pots you have, without damaging your walls. The key thing to remember is that plants need light to grow successfully.

Urban Gardening Design Tips

Designing an urban garden often means making the most of limited space. Whether you have a small courtyard, balcony, terrace or compact city garden, thoughtful planning can help you create a beautiful and functional outdoor space. Here are some tips for urban gardening to help maximise your garden’s potential.

• Use vertical space – walls, fences and railing can be transformed into growing areas with things like hanging baskets and wall-mounted planters.
• Choose multi-functional planting – consider choosing plants that provide multiple benefits to maximise the value of your space while creating a more diverse and interesting garden.
• Incorporate mirrors to create space – when positioned carefully, mirrors can reflect light and planting, helping to create the illusion of a larger and brighter space.
• Select compact varieties – choosing smaller, more compact plant varieties that are suited to containers can help provide a more balanced and manageable garden that is proportionate to your space.
• Use raised planters – raised beds not only add visual interest to your garden but also improve drainage and make gardening more accessible.
• Create wildlife zones – including pollinator-friendly, native plants, bird feeders, insect hotels or a small water source can support local wildlife while you enjoy a more vibrant outdoor space.

Planting an Urban Garden

Best Plants for Urban Gardens

Some of the best urban garden plants to grow in both your windowsill plant box and vertical garden are herbs, fruits and vegetables; particularly ones that don’t grow too tall or wide such as basil, lavender, parsley, rosemary, thyme, strawberries, tomatoes and mushrooms. These plants require well-drained soil, so it is worth having containers that have drainage holes – but make sure you have something to catch the excess water.

Best Trees for Small Urban Gardens​

• Amelanchier
• Crab Apple
• Olive Tree
• Rowan

Sustainable Urban Gardening Tips

If you’re looking to be more sustainable while working on creating your urban garden, here are some things you can do to help the environment and reduce wastage:

• Collect rainwater and use it to water plants
• Peat-free compost as it is better for the environment
• Native and pollinator-friendly plants to support the local ecosystem
• Creating compost from your food waste
• Reusing containers to reduce plastic waste

Start Planting An Urban Garden Today

There are plenty of ways to bring your garden to life even if you don’t have a lot of space, or even if you’re just starting with your new green fingers. Not only do urban gardens provide a sense of achievement and handiwork, they also produce plenty of edible plants that you can use.

Explore your gardening side, and browse our range of hedging plants, wildlife-friendly shrubs and compact trees suitable for balconies, patios and small urban gardens to start your urban garden today!

About the Author

Morris Hankinson is the founder and MD of Hopes Grove Nurseries, the largest grower-retailer of hedging plants in the country. He started the business in July 1992, the day after completing his last exam of a BSc. Horticulture course at Writtle College in Essex. Morris has had a fascination and love of growing things since childhood when he was a keen exhibitor at his local Horticultural Society. Over the years the nursery has developed from a one person operation to an employer of 25 staff and so his interest is put to very good use, keeping an experienced eye on all operations across the 125 acres of nursery production.

Read more articles by Morris