CREATE SPACE FOR PLANTS
No matter how compact your living space or outdoor area, there is always room to add a little green to your life. Even the tiniest courtyard can accommodate garden pots or planters overflowing with greenery.
Reconnecting with nature has a raft of benefits for body and mind, but you needn’t think great outdoors to reap the rewards. Even a small addition such as growing the tasty herbs you reach for most in the warmth of the kitchen window is enormously satisfying – and saves you money. Options abound for stacking succulents or hanging baskets planted with trailing or flowering varieties amongst the bookshelves or clustered on windowsills.
When working within small spaces outside, structure creates an opportunity to add planting without taking up much-needed seating room. Growing climbers up walls, balconies or balustrades work brilliantly to create private tranquil zones. Try ficus or trachyspermum jasminoides for impressive results. Raised garden planters are another excellent option for courtyards and balconies or roof terraces, but be mindful of the weight restrictions!
When planning the design of a small courtyard garden, you’ll get the best results from layering species and textures to add depth. Water features, sculpture or pots, can add a highlight or focal point. Keep the design simple, go for built-in seating over bulky outdoor furniture and avoid lawns to maximise usable planting space.
If you plan to join the the urban food movement and grow your own vegetables and fruit, many delicious varieties thrive in containers. Select smaller plants, use a well- draining potting mix (garden soil is too heavy), add nutrients and regularly change the soil. Tomatoes and lettuces will love living in pots so long as they are well watered. A watering can that’s kept on hand (and full) is a great way to remind yourself to top up plants that are starting to look a little world-weary. Taking a sustainable approach to your small-space garden can be more economical and easier on the environment. Ideas to consider are compost bins, bokashi bins, or adding a high-tech worm farm to dispose of natural waste and feed your containers and gardens with delicious nutrients.
Whether it’s a wall of climbers or a feature tree in a pot on your balcony, surrounding yourself with plant life adds a new dimension to space and helps turn a house or apartment into a home.