By Maria Paulia Belgado
Special to Relocation.com
Having a large yard can be great for any homeowner – space for kids and pets to play, room to host a barbecue or plant a garden. However, not many people can have such luxuries. Still, that doesn’t mean that you should sell yourself short and not experience the benefits of having a garden. Even in the smallest spaces, you can still have your dream garden – you just have to make smart decisions and opt for the best plants for your modest little patch of green.
Tomatoes:
Believe it or not, tomatoes are a good choice for a small garden, just make sure you plant the “bush” or determinate variety. These grown to around two-feet-tall, and even though they don’t produce as much fruit as the vine variety, they save a lot of space in your garden.
Lettuce:
Not only does lettuce save you space (it grows to about three to four inches), it also matures quickly, meaning you can harvest and replant more vegetables in the same area. Alternately, you can cut the outer leaves as they grow and keep the plants. Lettuce can also be successfully placed between larger plants (like tomatoes) thus saving you more space.
Climbing Plants:
Since you can’t grow your plants horizontally, why not grow them vertically? If you set up a trellis or grow them against the wall, vines like snapdragons, hydrangeas and morning glories can be a beautiful addition to any size garden.
Carrots:
If you can grow them up, you can grow them down. Carrots and other root crops can save you the most space, since the edible (and biggest) parts grow underground. They can be planted in rows about two to three inches apart.
Herbs:
Herbs are the perfect plants for even the smallest of gardens and can grow abundantly in the tiniest of spaces like porches or windowsills. Larger herbs, such as fennel, lavender, mint, rosemary and oregano can be placed around other plants. Herbs which are small, like basil, chives, garlic and thyme can be put in containers and stored in a sunny place.
Green Onions:
Fresh green onions are great for cooking. The main bulb is small and grows underground, while the stalks grow tall aboveground. Sets of green onion can be positioned about two inches apart and can be planted way in advanced.
Strawberries and Asparagus:
Make use of your vertical space and hang these plants in a basket. They not only provide delicious crops, but make beautiful ornamental plants to give your garden some dimension.
Blueberries:
If you want a hedge bush for your garden, but think it takes up too much space, blueberry bushes are a great alternative. The smaller varieties can be as small as two feet tall and wide, such as the Northcountry blueberry.
Limited space shouldn’t stop you from creating your own garden where you can grow plants and vegetables. It’s all about making creative choices, not just with the choice of plants, but with how you present your garden. Tricks like hanging baskets, trellises for vines, and planters can help you maximize the space in your minimal garden.