Small Space Recession Garden

 

With the threat of more people loosing their jobs and the economy suffering, interest in gardening has more than doubled. Even the Obamas will have a kitchen garden or victory garden on the White House lawn this summer. And for those of you who feel you cannot have a garden because of a small space garden area, it is amazing what you can grow in a 4-foot garden area or eight to 10 potting containers. Many of you will be having a backyard garden for the first time and there is much to learn and items will need to be purchased.

With this in mind I decided to try and start a garden for Twenty dollars this year. Many gardens will cost $50 to $150 to start but with thought and planning I know it can be done for less. I have been gardening for many years but decided to treat this year as my first garden
 
First you need to decide how much space you have available for a garden and what your favorite or most used vegetables and fruits will be. Beans, beets, corn, cabbage, cucumbers, lettuce, onions, peppers, potatoes and tomatoes are a few of the most popular vegetables. Melons, strawberries and blueberries are favorite garden fruits. You should plant what your family will use.

For the urban gardener or apartment gardener extra planning and the use of succession planting will help with your small space garden area.

Next look for deals. To stay at $20 dollars for your garden you will need to shop wisely. I read that out local garden center have seeds on sale for $20 a packet, so this is where I bought my seeds this year. There are a few more seeds I want but I will wait to see what my friends are buying and trade a few seeds with them.

Seeds can be one of your most expensive costs in a garden along with buying plants and tools for the garden. You may also need to have your garden tilled or buy gardening tools. ( I suggest raised bed gardening or lasagna gardening methods for small space gardening) I find most of my gardening tools at garage sales or at auctions for one to two dollars apiece. If you have not gardened before you will want a hoe or spade and a rake and a small hand spade.

Additional supplies you may need:

String, boards, stakes, plant markers, soil, compost, fertilizer, mulch, insect control spray –organic of course! Water hose rain barrel, plastic jugs, plant ties, pantyhose and a quality fence.

As you go along you may find you want something more but the goal is to keep your garden around twenty dollars in cost. And check out the auctions and garage sales for items you need.

During the summer I will be sharing this project and its results and I offer you the challenge of following me and sending in tips and photos.

Small Space Recession Garden tips:

Grow at least one thing for fun. A garden should be fun so experiment. And grow a few flowers. It just adds to the fun, a few are edible and other help control insects.

For newer gardeners: If this is your first or second gardening experience buy your tomato and pepper plants. They are a little harder to start than some seeds. I would buy the larger individual plants for about 50 cents a piece.

If possible garden with a family member or friend and share the produce. And if you have too much of one crop, share or trade with friends or give it to a food bank if you have one in your community. You don’t have a lot of space? You can still have a garden. Just use containers, windowsills, hanging baskets and any extra space available. it is truly amazing what you can grow in a small area in your backyard oasis.

How to Design an Outdoor Room

 

While walking the waterfront of the Chautauqua Lake I stumbled upon an outdoor room. It was set up a lot like an outdoor kitchen room and was surround by a small rock wall. With its beautiful cooking area, stone floor and terraced garden the image remained with me and I knew one day I wanted an outdoor room in my backyard.

So what exactly is an outdoor room? It’s any area of your yard that has been set up in such a way to have a feel of its own space. It can be influenced by what is around it but it has a feel of being separate from the rest of the backyard area. Although there are no walls you have the advantage of being outdoors but the comforts of being indoors.

When planning an outdoor room you need to decide what the purpose of the room will be and plan a design. Will the room be for cooking and entertaining? The children would enjoy an area set up as a separate backyard children’s play area. A room could also take on an atmosphere as an oasis for relaxation and escape from the world. There are many different styles of outdoor rooms and their design depends on you and your families needs.

The ideas for outdoor rooms are only limited by space, cost and your ideas.

Other considerations for your outdoor room are how close to the house you will want it. Outdoor rooms placed in back corners of the yard lend to privacy. Rooms attached to the house help extend the indoor space to outdoor space. And attached outdoor room is also convenient for kitchen rooms so that you don’t have to carry supplies as far. A children’s play area room is also nice close to the house so that the children can have supervision.

A patio can easily be converted into an outdoor room with little time or expense. The addition of a trellis or latticework for privacy, a grill or chiminea for cooking and outdoor furniture and plants will quickly create a backyard oasis for entertaining. And by adding a carpet and lighting you will create the feeling of indoor space. You might possibly want to add a roof for protection from rain.

Many outdoor rooms will require a few added features such as plants, shrubs and small trees. A small stone wall, trellis or pathway will also add to such a backyard design. This will be enough to set the space apart from the rest of the yard. Other rooms will need more design and supplies. This will add to the cost and time required to set the room up.

An example of such a room would be an outdoor kitchen that is set up to entertain many people. These rooms often have cemented floors. If you are adding cement to your project or walls you may want to contact a contractor to make sure the job is up to your local codes. And check for any permits you may need.

The outdoor room will add comfort and more uses to your backyard oasis paradise. And with proper planning it will make added use of the space you have available. Your backyard may even take on a bigger more comfortable look and feel.

Small Space Balcony Garden

 

Balcony gardens can be as lush and as colorful as any backyard garden. They also have the added benefit of having a secret hideaway feel nestled on the side of an apartment or tucked along a city street. And having your own garden paradise right outside you sliding doors is so convenient.

You may want to add a mini garden to your balcony this year. It’s really quite simple to do and can be set up and planted in a few hours. By adding planter boxes and a few hanging basket you can change the atmosphere of the balcony, add new color and supply fresh vegetables to your table.

Supplies for your small space balcony garden:

• Several long, rectangular planter boxes
• Plastic bottoms or trays for the planter boxes
• Wired planter-holders and the attachments they come with (screws, etc)
• Hanging baskets
• Two to three bags of soil
• Trowel, for moving soil
• Watering can or large empty plastic bottles
• Plant food or liquid fertilizer
• Flowers or vegetable plants or seed packets

First prepare the planter boxes. Make sure they are clean. I usually rinse them with vinegar to make sure they are disinfected. Make sure there are holes in the planters for drainage and if there are not, carefully make three or four holes.

Place soil mix in planters up to one inch from the top. Dig holes for the plants and plant according to space needed for the plants. Usually the planting marker will give you this information. If you are planting seeds lightly pat the soil and place seeds on top, then cover with ¼ to ½ inch soil depending on the seeds you planted. The seed packet will give you planting depth and seed spacing.

Attach the wired planter holders to the sides of your balcony then place your boxes in them once they are secure. Double-check this step. Planters weigh more when full so make sure the planters will stay in place. The planter holders usually come with screws or an illustration for attaching the planters securely. Make sure to place plastic bottoms or trays under the planters to catch excess water. You may also decide you want to set them on the balcony floor instead.

Fill and plant the hanging baskets in the same manner. The advantage of hanging baskets is that they can make use of corner space and space not being used higher on the balcony.

Now it’s time to water your new garden. A good rule of thumb is to water plants when you feel the soil is beginning to dry. Usually that will be about three days. If you have direct sunlight you may have to water more often.

You can easily grow cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, and strawberries in the hanging baskets. You may want to add a few flowers for color and variety. Lettuce, radishes, beans, and herbs will grow nicely in the planters. If you have room for a corner container you may want to grow climbing beans, squash, or something fun like miniature pumpkins. Almost any vegetable can be grown in a container. You just need sunlight and room.

My one friend grew corn, gourds, cotton and malabar spinach on her balcony and it was beautiful. She easily grew enough for two people and had fresh cut flowers all summer.

You may want to add potted small trees or vines against the wall of the balcony for more of a backyard oasis feel. Just make sure they will receive enough sun. You can also put up a trellis for plants to grow up. The trellis would have an added benefit of giving you balcony oasis more privacy.