Tips for Making an Urban Garden

Do thoughts of an urban garden bring about barren scenes of concrete slabs with one or two dying plants from the smog-filled air? Unfortunately, this is what many people believe an urban garden to be. On the contrary, this is far from the truth. In fact, an urban garden can be every bit as beautiful and intoxicating as any other garden. Sure, urban gardeners may have to be a little more imaginative with their design, plant selection, and landscaping materials in order to achieve the same effects as other gardeners, but the end result makes them all the better for it.

Now days it seems more and more people are opting for an urban garden as cities keep growing and open spaces for gardening keep shrinking. Gardening in the city is not any different from gardening in the country. The gardens are only smaller. Urban gardeners make use of small space, oftentimes with big results. With an urban garden, every little detail within its small space counts. Therefore, urban gardeners must be more cautious when it comes to plant selection and placement, especially focal points. The same can be said about ornamental objects. In small spaces, less is more. Too many objects or plants for that matter in such a small area can make the urban garden look cluttered.

As with any garden, it is always a good idea to sketch out a garden plan before jumping into anything. Since urban gardeners must take advantage of all available space, this is especially important. A physical sketch will help the urban gardener to visualize their garden design more easily, allowing them to know exactly what they're working with so they can use the space accordingly. One good way for urban gardeners to enhance their space is through illusion tricks. This can be easily accomplished by using mirrors. Maintaining lighter colors on walls or other outside surroundings can also give the illusion of more openness. Since unpleasant views or privacy issues are often a natural part of the urban life, these must be taken into consideration as well. For instance, is there an unsightly area that requires sprucing up? Is there a wall between you and your neighbor? Either one of these can be easily remedied with a small trellis or an architectural container plant to create an attractive view or wall.

Creating an urban garden isn't something that can be accomplished right away. Play around with ideas and designs. An urban garden may be designed purely for visual pleasure or for growing food. Either of these options can be easily implemented using window boxes, raised beds, or even containers. What you put in the urban garden and how you design it also depends on where you live as well. For instance, some urban gardeners are equipped with a balcony, patio, or rooftop for their urban gardens while others may be limited to gardening indoors. After an acceptable garden design has been mapped out on paper, it's time for plant selection and other materials. Plants should always fit in with not only the garden design itself but also with the urban gardener's lifestyle. For instance, those who stay relatively busy, with less time to spend in the garden, then low-maintenance plants are the way to go.

So whether you desire a small flower garden on your patio, an herb garden in your windowsill, or even a vegetable garden in containers, gardening in the city is not only possible but also fun. As more and more cities grow, urban gardens become more commonplace, and as urban gardens keep growing, the gardener's creativity does as well.