For some, working with soil evokes nostalgia for childhood summers, smelling thorny roses in bloom and plucking ripe tomatoes off the vine. For others, it might recall memories of a specific person. Aloe vera, for example, will always remind me of my grandmother, who grew the the medicinal plant to sooth my sunburns and scratches. Gardening is the sort of activity everyone—green thumb or not—can have a relationship with. (It’s also a hobby worth picking up if you need a mood boost: Numerous studies have shown that those who garden are happier, healthier, and live a whole lot longer.)
This is all well and good, but if you’re like me and live in an urban environment with no traditional garden to speak of, you might be stuck on a few logistics—most urgently, where to put it all. “Smaller spaces can actually be a gift,” explains Gardenheir co-founder Alan Calpe, “because you can truly transform any space quite quickly.” Whether you’re working with a fire escape or a humble stoop, Calpe argues that gardening is about working creatively through your own unique parameters. “You can always start small,” Teresa Kao agrees. (She’s the farm manager at The French Laundry Culinary Garden.) “Begin with just one planter and build from there.” It takes a little creativity, but small garden ideas can crop up from anywhere.
Vogue’s Guide to Small Space Gardening Essentials
With the weather warming up and spring blooms beginning to reveal themselves, now is the perfect time to scheme a garden—whatever size you’re working with. Read on for small garden design tips for the city dweller, based on advice from the pros and our favorite essential tools on the market.
Read Your Space and Make a Game Plan
“Successful small urban gardens start with a simple plan: measuring the space, mapping sun exposure, and deciding what the garden’s primary purpose is (herbs, vegetables, ornamentals, or a combination),” says Kao. Before anything is planted, track your sunlight and understand the shade conditions you’re working with. “Full sun is six or more hours of direct sunlight per day; part-sun-part-shade is four to six hours of direct sun; and shade is two to four hours of direct sun,” she explains.
Observing how much sunlight your potential gardening area receives and changes throughout the day, Calpe says, will fundamentally inform what plants can flourish in your conditions. “In city gardens, you might be contending with other buildings that drastically affect the light and exposure to wind, so it can be an interesting challenge,” he says. "Slowing down will also allow you to imagine how you want the space to feel, to better understand if you’re after something pragmatic or more emotional.”
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Secure Your Soil and Seeds
A good all-purpose potting mix is usually sufficient, and you can add compost to boost nutrients. “Most vegetables thrive in full sun, but some are more shade-tolerant,” Kao continues. “Lettuce and arugula are great beginner vegetables that can tolerate partial shade.” If all you’ve got is a windowsill and you’re looking to plant a culinary herb garden, she notes that cilantro, parsley, dill, mint and even basil also work well with partial shade. (For further guidance, she recommends referencing the Farmers’ Almanac.)
Choose Planters With Drainage—and Size Up
When choosing containers for your city garden, experts emphasize one key design feature as the most important. “It’s essential that containers have drainage,” Kao says. It’s also important to consider size. “Err on the side of the larger containers that your space will allow,” Calpe explains, “because potted plants will dry out quicker than those in the ground.” Decorative pots without drainage holes can lead to waterlogged soil and root rot.
In a similar vein, avoid overcrowding because most plants, Kao adds, need adequate spacing from one another in order to thrive. “Overcrowding reduces airflow and causes plants to compete for water and nutrients,” she says. “Giving plants proper spacing is one of the most important (and most ignored) design principles in urban gardens.” On a balcony, this looks like breaking up the lineup by alternating hanging planters with those on the ground.
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Invest in Essential Tools
As with all hobbies, picking out the tools is often the most fun part. But before you start splashing out on unnecessary shovels or holsters, take a cue from our experts. “A watering can (or hose setup if you’re lucky) is a great place to start,” Calpe says, noting that it can double as a beautiful object that doesn’t need to be hidden in between uses—important, if you have little to no extra storage space to speak of. A good pair of gardening gloves are essential, as well as secateurs. “I also use a small garden tarp to catch extra dirt and debris and make cleanup easy,” says Kao.
Be Creative With Your Approach
Planting a garden when your space is limited has its own set of challenges, but can also present unique opportunities. “Containers and planters are crucial to most city gardens and can really add so much character to your space,” Calpe says. “We love a container garden because the ability to move pots can help you discover surprising plant combinations and rearrange the composition with relative ease.” There’s also vertical space to consider, using a trellis or tall planter system. “You can grow against almost any wall or fence,” Kao says.
And if you’re truly unable to plant outside, Kao points to innovations in indoor countertop gardening as a great option for beginners—the windowsill herb garden will never steer you wrong.
