Urban Gardening for Beginners

When we moved into our townhome last year, I knew I wanted to start a garden! I fell in love with plants, both inside and outside my house. There’s just something that the natural, lush green brings to an environment. Because we live in a townhome with no backyard, the only space we have for a garden is the small L-shaped edge of the inside of our front fence space. We love it this way! It’s so manageable and has been precisely what I can take care of with us both working full time and all my travel – also, for someone who has always had a black thumb, small is an excellent place to start.

This is my second year having a garden, and the biggest thing I’ve learned is – trial and error. Every year, there will be things that do well and things that don’t. You learn from it, and each year you get better. So don’t beat yourself up if something dies or doesn’t flourish. Last year, basically everything I did failed. My basil leaves were tiny, my kale leaves were laughable, and I killed our raspberry bush. This year, I was determined to redeem myself! I started by buying these orange self-watering beds from Home Depot. They are perfect for our space, and all you have to do is pour water into the black tube in the corner, and it keeps the soil moist. They would even be great for an apartment with a balcony! It’s also nice that you can move them to find the best spot for whatever you are planting, and to protect them, if there’s a storm, you can take them inside or under some cover.

It’s essential to learn the details of your space – most specifically, what kind of sunlight do you have? Our front yard faces south, so we’ve got spots that get sun ALL day, and it stays HOT. So because of that, I only buy plants that love the sun! We have a few spots with more shade, so if they like partial shade and need it to be a little cooler, I can keep them there. I also learned that keeping things a little away from the house is good because your home reflects a lot of heat and can burn the plants. This year I did two of the orange raised beds – one with herbs (basil, rosemary and oregano), and the other with spinach. I got all my herbs in May at Home Depot. They usually do a 4 for $12 deal. The spinach is from a packet of seeds. I look for plants that continue to produce throughout the summer. Last year I planted cilantro, which you cut down and use once and thats it, so I decided that wasn’t worth it (besides its like 20 cents at the store for a huge bunch). So this year, I found plants like spinach that grow leaves even after you’ve picked some! It makes the work and the wait much more worth it!

I also did a cherry tomato plant, which LOVES the heat! Unfortunately, you can see some damaged leaves on it from a brutal wind storm that stunted its growth (it should be three times this size). I also think I haven’t been watering it enough with how much sun it gets. It needs to be watered every day, and next year, I’ll put some more support around it cause it can get heavy and bend over. But it’s still producing, and I’ve learned for next year! We also have a raspberry and a blackberry bush. We planted these directly into the ground because last year, my raspberry plant died of root rot when I had it in a pot, so we changed things up, and we’re trying again! That’s what it’s all about. It’s so fun having something to take care of that produces something in return for you to enjoy! There are so many days I pop outside to grab a handful of spinach for a smoothie or some herbs for a recipe. And each year, it’ll just get better!