Urban Gardening Ideas
Let us talk about the Urban gardening ideas in India, Techniques of the Urban garden. Urban gardening can be described as a process of growing different types and varieties of plants in an urban environment. This type of gardening can also be termed as urban horticulture. Several concepts of gardening come under urban gardening like container gardening, community gardening, etc.
There is a lot of food produced across the world and we still see people dying out of hunger. Due to the growing population, there is a reduction in the growth space which gave human beings an opportunity to grow their food for themselves. Urban gardening will be of great help to many people to grow their own food which helps them to be healthy as well as social. In the future, we mostly see urban gardening as a primary source of gardening and this is also a good thing. One must have proper urban gardening ideas to establish a beautiful garden.
Benefits of Urban gardening:
- Urban gardening will provide a source of food locally.
- This will also bring together several families or communities.
- This will educate the children living in urban areas to know about the origins of food.
- This type of gardening will add green spaces across urban areas.
- This plays a major role in the prevention of soil erosion.
- This will reduce the severity of stormwater runoff.
- This will help in the filtration of air and rainwater.
- This will also decrease the severity of heat in urban areas.
- Urban gardening will help in the creation of leisure and helps build up recreational places for human beings.
Urban gardening ideas for beginner:
Urban gardening is not a new thing. It has been here for centuries. The things which are new to this urban gardening is that irrespective of the size of the home, people can grow food for themselves using urban gardening.
Backyard permaculture:
This backyard permaculture is very famous in the suburbs. This is a very good idea for the creation of an ecosystem which is sustainable within your backyard. In this type of gardening, a combination of animals, plants and the micro-climate is done. The gardeners will try to create an ecosystem which is sustainable which will, in turn, provide space for relaxation, enjoyment and even harvest food.
Raising Chickens backyard:
By producing chicken on your own, you can decrease the dependency on industrial agriculture which is mostly done in inhumane conditions. This method of raising chicken in backyards will make you quickly enter into urban gardening without even spending much money. Adding to this, there is no need for much space to so such type of gardening. The chickens will need little space for the eggs and meat which they produce and these are even easy to maintain.
Read: A Guide for Vegetable Gardening On the Terrace.
Container gardening:
In this type of gardening, different types of containers are used such as old tires, buckets, window boxes, barrels, raised beds, watering cans, shoes, etc. These are all used to grow different varieties of plants for the sake of attraction or food.
Indoor gardening:
When there is no availability of decks, patios, balconies or yards for your home, indoor gardening comes into the picture. In this type of gardening, growth of plants can be done in a container as in the container gardening method including the sun houses and indoor greenhouses.
Community gardening:
This method of gardening mostly uses private or public spaces which are located outdoor for the cultivation of gardens wither for the sake of food or relaxation. This will be a great idea for people who have no outdoor spaces.
Guerilla gardening:
This is a somewhat more subversive form of urban gardening. This is a method of addition of plants to the public spaces which do not belong to the gardener such as median, beside a road or highway, etc.
Green roofs:
The roofs which are designed with a medium of growth for the sake of plant cultivation are also a type of urban gardening and this can be used for growing food, trees and other varieties of plants.
Composting:
Composting can be done irrespective of the place and most of the kitchens will save almost 35% of the trash by implementing the method of composting. The traditional bins of compost which are kept outdoor will help in maintaining the garden with soil which is nutritious. Even the gardens which are maintained indoors can make use of composting with the help of worms. There are several options for this and composting is considered to be the best natural and organic way in order to build soil irrespective of the garden type.
Tips and urban gardening ideas:
Plants will need affection and care for the purpose of growth. The main requirements of a plant to grow are sunlight, water, and light. There is no requirement for the plants to be planted only in the ground. They can also be grown in several ways like containers, tires, etc.
Read: Tools for Home Gardening.
- Sunlight is very important for the plants to grow in an urban garden. Always ensure that you select a place where the plant will have access to sunlight for at least 8 hours a day.
- The growth of plants can also be done on a roof, patios, window boxes, and even in the balconies with the help of window baskets.
- The depth of soil is a very important factor. The plants which are shallowly rooted will need a minimum depth of 6 inches if their height is 1 foot, whereas the plants which are deep-rooted will need a soil depth of 1 foot.
- Drainage is also an important factor as the plants which are potted should also have a way for the water to escape. Always ensure that the pot which you have selected has holes of drainage to it.
- Content of soil is very important. It is always better to go with the potting soil rather than the ground soil as potting soil will be lighter and also helps in draining excess water in a better way.
- Watering the garden on a regular basis is also very important. The containers must be soaked in water completely whenever you water, but make sure that you are not over watering the plant. Also, remember to dump out any sort of excess water in the saucer which is kept under the plant for the prevention of root rot.
- Always remember to choose the right plants for gardening.
Vertical gardening:
The urban gardeners will not have very big balconies to grow large varieties of plants. But there is a way to make your garden look beautiful. If you have a small balcony, you can go for vertical gardening where you can make use of stack planters, vertical wall planters and hanging baskets for creating an excellent balcony garden.
Wall pocket:
This is another idea for urban gardening. Here, you can include different sizes of plants from filler, thrillers, and spillers without any big commitment. You also have an option of moving it to your desired location.
Railing:
For the people who love to sit in the balcony and have a private space, the incorporation of plants can be done to hide the wall which will not only make it more pleasing to look but also to sit and relax. This will also avoid your neighbors to peep in into your balcony as it will all be covered. The best way for the railing is to grow climbers like jasmine, honeysuckle, vines like passionflower or edible plants like beans, gourds, etc in your balcony garden.
- If your balcony is so small that you only have space for a table to put, then you can create a succulent bowl. This will look stylish and the cost of maintenance is also less. This can include several plants in very less space and also needs little watering. In order to create a succulent bowl, you will be required to fill a bowl with the potting medium which has been specifically formulated for succulents. After that, pick the centerpiece which is a generally large and colorful plant. After putting that in its place, plantation of edges of the bowl should be done by making use of succulents mix which will complement each other in terms of color and texture. If you find any gaps, you can fill it with aquarium stone or gravel.
Herb garden:
This is another best option for urban gardening in a balcony which does not have a good amount of space. The herbs can provide you with food and also with attraction. Rosemary, basil, Thyme, and sage are the best options for a herb garden. Make sure that the balcony in which you are growing herbs will receive sunlight for a minimum of 8 hours. Most of the herbs and vegetables will need less sunlight for survival.
Hanging baskets:
When you are planning for hanging baskets in your balcony, first make out a way to water them.
Shelving the plants:
When you have a small balcony but you want to make use of it to the maximum, you can install shelves across the walls so that you can let additional green space into it. The plants’ height will lead the eye to the upward direction which will, in turn, create the illusion of a balcony which is more spacious.
Balcony with shade:
Do not get disappointed if your balcony has shades. You can make your balcony face north or east for the plant growth which will tolerate shade or can even grow in less sunlight. The plants which can grow in less sunlight should be chosen like an amethyst flower, begonia, fancy-leafed caladium, etc. Ferns can also survive in shady balconies.
- Irrespective of the container you select, make sure that it is sufficiently big so that your plants will have more room to grow. You can contact your local nursery to know the amount of soil your plant requires.
- Always go with potting soil medium for your containers instead of ground soil. As potting soil medium is lighter, it will drain in a better way. This also has the capability to kill weed seeds and also diseases which will cause damage to your plants.
- When coming to fertilizers, always make use of a slow-release fertilizer which is in the form of a pellet. As you need to water the plants in the container on a regular basis, a regular fertilizer will completely wash out the soil. But when the fertilizer is in the form of a pellet, once applied, it will release the food in a slow manner and can even last for many months.
- Always prefer to use plastic pots instead of clay pots. Plants which are in the plastic pots will dry out slowly as the pots are not porous like the clay pots. You need to put organic mulch up to 5 centimeters on the soil top in the container in order to decrease the evaporation of water from the soil.
That’s all for urban gardening ideas! happy gardening.
Read: Types of Seed Sowing Methods.