Thanks to current events gardening has seen a surge in popularity in households across the UK. However, because of the space constraints of properties in London, many people find it difficult to grow their own vegetables.
Luckily, there are a number of ways you can live in the concrete jungle and still have a bountiful harvest come autumn. Let’s take a look at four tips for making the most of a small garden space.
Use Vertical Spaces
While you may think that all plants need to be planted in the ground to be successful, the truth is that there are many plants that don’t require a huge amount of soil space to be productive and these plants are perfect to grow on the vertical spaces in your garden. You could attach planters to walls or fences or if you do have some soil space, plant climbing plants like peas, tomatoes, and squashes near a wall or vertical surface and watch them take over.
Choose the Right Plants
Due to your space limitations, choosing the right plants to grow becomes more important than ever. When it comes to vegetables and crops, choose plants that have a high yield in a small area in order to maximise your growing potential. Instead of planting one cabbage, why not use that same space for a group of carrots or some compact herbs that could use that space more efficiently?
Build Your Own Raised Garden Beds
For those living in the city, the reality is that many garden spaces are dominated by concrete. London gardeners can overcome this issue by building raised garden beds on pretty much any surface they like, as long as the area can support the weight of the garden. These beds can be bought ready-made or you can build them yourself out of fairly easy to find materials, with the most popular being wood and concrete. If you’re looking at the DIY option, you can visit MixIt for a quick and easy quotation for ready mix concrete. London gardeners may be familiar with this concrete supplier as they have supplied domestic and commercial clients for over 30 years, having started their first plant in Bow.
Interplant Compatible Crops
While we’re on the topic of choosing the right plants, why not look into the option of interplanting? One of the most popular combinations of plants is referred to by gardeners as “the three sisters”, which is a trio of plants commonly planted together because they thrive together. These three plants are corn, beans, and squash, all plants that are found in most vegetable gardens, and each of these plants contribute to the planting and together can provide a well-balanced diet. Explore other options to see what plants you could cultivate together for more efficient use of your space.
No matter how big or small your garden is, it has the potential to be productive. By following some of these tips, you could take your first steps to self-sufficiency in just a few months.
