Small-space gardening is as hot as it’s ever been! From downsizing to balconies, tiny backyards, front porches, windowsills, containers, and even walls – whatever you’ve got, there are opportunities to grow fresh and healthy fruits, veggies, herbs, and blooms.
We have compiled a list of the best of the best for each category for small-space gardening.
Fruits to Grow in Small Spaces
- Blueberries. Pick fresh blueberries just steps from your door when you grow dwarf varieties in containers. Look for disease-resistant and drought-tolerant varieties. Plant in an area that gets at least 6 hours of sun a day and feed with a high-acid, organic fertilizer.
- Strawberries. For small spaces, plant in a container and place in a spot that receives full sun. While February and March are peak season, strawberries can be planted in fall, winter or spring, and a mild winter will create an earlier fruiting season.
- Meyer Lemon. Hardy and sweet, dwarf Meyer lemon trees grow perfectly in containers. You’ll love the smell of the sweet citrus blooms in the spring and the bright yellow lemons are sure to brighten any gloomy day. Feed plants regularly with an all-purpose fertilizer for best results.
Small-Space Veggies
- Cherry Tomatoes. Small variety tomato plants that deliver big flavor are just right for growing in small gardens and in containers on decks, patios and balconies. Select tomato plants with strong stems, lots of flowers and even tiny, green fruit. Place in an area that gets at least 6 hours of sun a day. Water tomatoes regularly and feed bi-weekly with an organic vegetable fertilizer.
- It’s a snap to grow peas in small spaces – especially containers. They grow quickly and don’t need much attention. Try dwarf varieties, keep soil moist, and harvest this healthy snack in only two months.
- With lots of water and full sun, cucumbers grow like crazy. Don’t forget to use an organic fertilizer every other week during the growing season. For best results, choose an extra-large container to support a trellis. This exposes more leaves to the sun and deters pests.
Container Herb Combos
Basil Mash-Up. Plant up a mixed pot of various basil varieties from sweet to spicy for pizza and pasta night. Combine green-leafed ‘Genovese’ basil with a purple leafed variety such as ‘Purple Ruffles’. Add ‘Thai’ basil for spice. The more the basil is picked, the more leaves they produce.
- Rosemary, Sage and Thyme. Gardeners who love to barbecue often reach for assertive herbs like rosemary, sage and thyme, which grow nicely when planted in the same pot. Tie stems together into a small bunch and use it as a barbeque brush. Woody rosemary stems can be used as skewers, too.
- Dill and Basil. Planning to make pickles? Dwarf ‘Fernleaf’ dill will produce plenty of leaves and flowers, and you can pair it with any type of basil to make pickled cucumbers or beans, or zesty herb vinegars.
Grow Walls of Color with Annual Vines
- Black-Eyed Susan Vine. Though this flower is most commonly orange, newer varieties bloom in pale yellow, white or pink. These vigorous vines are easy to grow from seed or purchased plants, and they bloom continuously from midsummer until the first hard freeze.
- Morning Glories. Turn any fence into a masterpiece, with dramatic morning glories. Cypress vine morning glory, which produces dainty fernlike foliage and small red flowers that hummingbirds find irresistible, is the easiest to grow.
- Sweet Peas. Plant these fragrant vines near windows often opened during the day. Sweet peas stop blooming by late summer, however, so plant a few scarlet runner beans when peas are 12” tall to continue the show.
- Blossoming varieties such as scarlet runner beans and hyacinth beans have a coarse texture compared to other annual vines, but their exuberant growth makes them ideal if you want to grow a high green screen. These vines climb a 10’ trellis and keep on going, so they are the best annual vines for tall tripods or string trellises attached to the sunny side of a building.
It may be hard to know which fruits, vegetables, and herbs to choose or what will grow best in your small space garden. We’re here to help. Email us at [email protected], or visit our stores.
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