Think about embracing small spaces this coming National Gardening Week, October 21-28, says the garden and growing specialists Yates NZ.
An organised little garden can yield a variety of fresh vegetables, flowers and fruit trees, maximising productivity, even in limited areas.
Container gardening is a popular solution, allowing for cultivation of plants in pots, raised beds, or hanging baskets.
Vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, and herbs thrive in containers, as do strawberries, and many dwarf varieties of fruit trees, like citrus or apple trees, can be grown in large pots on a balcony or patio.
Vertical gardening is another space-saving method, utilising trellises, wall planters, or stacked pots to grow climbing plants like beans, cucumbers, or flowering vines, transforming a small wall or fence into a lush, productive garden.
Ten Yates’ ideas for small garden success:
Go potty – big pots, small pots – vegetables such as lettuce, cherry tomatoes, capsicum; leafy greens such as spinach, silverbeet and choy sum and root vegetables like carrots, radishes, beetroot and shallots all grow happily in containers.
Think vertical – trellis, wire or mesh fixed against walls makes an ideal frame for climbers such as beans, tomatoes, grapes or roses.
Espalier fruit trees on fences. Apple and pear are suitable for espalier (branches are trained to grow flat against a wall) as they have more flexible branches and fruit repeatedly on the same spurs.
Window-sill garden: The perfect place to grow herbs in pots and some herbs are happy to share. Basil and oregano get on well together; thyme and rosemary are a winning combination and parsley, coriander and chives will happily cohabitate.
Hanging baskets: If you’re running out of space down low for your vegies, move them up into hanging baskets. Try lettuce, herbs, dwarf beans, rocket, chillies, leafy greens, tumbling tomatoes and strawberries.
Berries are a great choice for pots – blueberries, dwarf raspberries, blackberries and strawberries.
Fruit trees in pots are a brilliant addition to a tiny garden. Not just pretty but productive too. Citrus, apple, nectarine or fig trees are all excellent choices.
Go for no-fuss flowers that provide bursts of colour and attract bees – marigolds, pansies, petunias, lobelia and alyssum. Don’t forget spring bulbs.
Fragrant plants like lavender, freesias, daphne or night-scented stock and star jasmine will simply transport you.
A water feature in a tiny space has a big impact. A small bubbler, water bowl or fountain really breathes life and a sense of calm into your little oasis and can even help mask traffic noise.
