by Pat Merewether

Created on: July 29, 2010   Last Updated: August 18, 2010

Even a small patio or balcony has many possibilities when it comes to gardening, so take heart if you aren't blessed with a large plot of land.  Here are some ways to make the most of the space you have. 

Location:

Check out the amount of sunlight your area gets per day.  Plants that need full sun require six hours of direct sunlight a day, and is usually a southern exposure.  An eastern exposure will provide enough early-morning light or a western-exposure will give you a bit stronger afternoon sunlight.  The most challenging is a northern exposure, but there are plants such as Impatiens, Hosta and ferns that will do well in low light.

If you have a front or back yard, consider all of  the options when planning your garden.  A strip of  garden space beside your home or a wedge near a sidewalk may be the perfect place for an herb garden or shade plants.  Small spaces are great places for beginners as you won't become overwhelmed with weeds and watering issues. Small areas are also often hard to mow when planted with lawn, so filling them with plants will make your life easier and the planet happier because lawns require way too much water, energy and soil. 

Raised Beds:

If  the soil in your urban or suburban back yard is less than fertile, or in some cases hard as a rock or pure beach sand, use raised beds instead of breaking your back trying to build up poor soil.   Rocks, wood boards, plastic raised-bed kits or even wine bottles work quite nicely.  Fill the bed with compost, composted manure and good soil and you're ready to plant.   The soil in a raised bed warms up earlier in spring, so you can get a head start on the season and also plant spring bulbs, summer flowers and fall bloomers in the same fertile area and enjoy your garden for three seasons (or four if you're fortunate enough to live in a tropical zone).

There are raised-bed kits for sale that consist of wood sides and brackets to hold the sides together, as well as  plastic circle raised bed kits. .

Rocks make fantastic raised beds and can be collected from a country roadside or ask your local farmer for some, as they are always having to remove rocks from their fields. 

Green glass wine bottles are almost never recycled, no matter how often you put them out in your recycle bin. However, save them up or ask for some at your local restaurant or bar and use them to make a raised bed! Draw a circle or

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>