Gardening in Small Spaces

It’s time to discuss a practical issue that many of us are puzzled with with respect to our garden – Space! Read more to learn about this.

While you have a fantastic vision which if translated into reality can make your garden the cynosure of everyone’s attention but what will you do if you just don’t have the required space? Does it mean that you stall your desire and go green at your neighbor’s garden?

While people with their own houses are generally endowed with at least a small plot of land if not a large one but it is not so for families or individuals living in apartments. You might not be entitled to use the rooftop so terrace gardening is a strict prohibition. However as they say when there is a will there is way.

Let us begin with those zones in your house that has the potential to translate your dreams. Majority of the apartments come with a balcony. Why not make a balcony your mini garden? It’s judicious to opt for bonsai and small flowering plants as it is appropriate for the environment. Have you imagined embellishing the grill of the balcony with hanging vines? You can place a globular aquarium with a goldfish or have a rectangular aquarium with a variety of fishes. Using garden urns or statues can magnify a small space creating an illusion of a wide space.

But be careful not clutter your micro-garden with too many accessories. Also make sure that there is adequate spacing between the accessories that will contribute to similar illusory effect of a larger area. You can have a pergola (arbour) which can be a great medium for runners of flowers or hanging or wall planters. A pergola big or small can add character and comfort to your mini garden and be the perfect way to grow grape vines or climbing flowers. A combination of verdant green and berry shades of flowers creates a relaxing and fresh color palette for your garden. Decorating your balcony garden with smaller and delicate flowers around the aquarium can direct attention away from the small space.

You can attach a wrought-iron stand to the wall in your balcony and place a geranium or a bonsai in a Grecian design planter. The Grecian planter can be accompanied by similar looking smaller vessels to fill up the vacuum.

If you don’t want to reserve your balcony for gardening then that need be a source of concern. The corners of your living-room can be an excellent site to nurture your passion. However growing bonsai would be the best idea. If the corner is in diagonal position to the window then turn it into your creative canvas with your ingenuity.  If you decide to place your bonsai on an intricately done small wooden table, then beneath the table encircle with pebbles for a minimalistic yet sophisticated texture. If you have box shaped windows you can utilize that tiny space for growing some of your favorite flowers. However I would suggest that color coordination of your flowers are important. Avoid growing creepers as it will impede sunlight from reaching the flowers.

However, there is an array of accessories that can upgrade the facade of your otherwise bland box windows. You can use a bird house in your window, dressed up with LED lights . A tea-light holder can also accelerate your creative space. The funkier the garden accessories the greater is the opportunity to distract from the space limitation.

Here are some quick tips that should be remembered

• Playing hide-and-seek with the onlookers is the trick to magnify the image of your micro garden.
• Container gardening is a viable option when space poses a constraint.
• In case you have small yard install water features so that the focus remains on the pond, stream or waterfall.
• Paint your balcony walls in bright happy hues and avoid pastel shades as it lends a minimized view to the space.
• Go for fragrant flowers so that its perfume diffuse in your room and acts as a natural room freshener.
• Small size is just a state of mind. Think big and see how small wonders happen.

Now that you have been inundated with ideas, then what are you waiting for? Happy gardening!