How To Start An Urban Garden

More and more city dwellers are turning to urban gardening as a way to get some much-needed greenery and supply themselves with fresh food. It is a powerful tool, but it can also be challenging for those who have never done it before. Fortunately, there are a few tricks that can boost an urban gardener’s chances of success.

Ready to start your own urban garden? Here are some great ideas to start-up your first urban plot.

Grow Leafy Greens

It’s best to start your garden with plants that grow easily. There are plenty of choices that a novice gardener can handle, but leafy green vegetables are the easiest. Spinach is a particularly nutritious choice, but lettuce is also a good option. If you want to maximize your nutrition, avoid iceberg lettuce in favor of any of the other varieties. Not only is it better for your health, it also tends to cost more to buy it in a store, so it allows your garden to cut a larger chunk out of your grocery budget.

Start with Containers

The more control you have over your garden, the easier it will be to find success. Growing plants in your yard makes it much harder to keep control. After all, you can’t pull a plant out of the ground to bring it inside during bad weather. It’s also much harder to control the growing conditions in an outdoor garden than an indoor one. As such, you should consider starting your first garden in containers, such as pots or window trays. Don’t hesitate to give them time outside when the weather is appropriate, but you can still bring them in when they are threatened by the elements.

Credit: Tony Lam Hoang

Get Help

The problem with a container garden is that it’s hard to grow a large supply of plants in one. If you want more, you need to go outside. Preparing a yard or vacant lot for its first garden takes a lot of work, so don’t hesitate to call for help from a landscaping service or your friends. According to a Utah landscape design service, container units can easily be installed, even in a smaller space. A professional lawn service will be able to help deal with the technical details of your soil composition and fertilization while calling in the neighborhood gives you a chance to bond with friends and costs much less. Both can be useful, so weigh your needs before deciding which, if any, you should call.

Urban gardening is challenging, but the rewards certainly justify the work. It can produce a significant amount of food, beautify the area, and provide a wonderful chance to spend time outdoors. Starting a small garden is easy, so there’s no reason not to give it a try.