Here's the Scoop on Gardening In Small Spaces!

When most of us picture a garden, we imagine a sprawling suburban yard with billowing perennial borders and large, prominent trees. However, with the majority of America’s population now living in urban areas, most people do not have access to those big, sprawling lots. As such, we need to add the verdant small space garden to amend our mental picture.

Homeowners, apartment dwellers, condo residents, and building managers can all be small space gardeners on patios, balconies, urban lots, terraces, rooftops, community plots, and any other area where space is limited. There are no definitive dimensions but small spaces are easy to distinguish compared to large yards.

Small space gardening actually has some advantages. A small garden is simpler to begin and results are easier to achieve. A couple of containers combining Gaillardia ‘Frenzy’ and Petunia ‘Sunray’ that are lost in a large garden make a statement in a small space. The difference is like painting on an easel versus a cathedral ceiling. Even the slightest improvements make a big impact. Other advantages include reduced maintenance, lower input costs, and easier weeding.

Smaller spaces, like urban lots, are typically surrounded by fencing, buildings, or other structures. This protective enclosure creates a microclimate where temperatures are warmer and conditions are less severe than those usually found in your zone. Microclimates expand a gardener’s plant choices to those just outside of their hardiness zone. For instance, gardeners in downtown Chicago with a microclimate can grow the stunning Crepe Myrtle ‘Cherry Dazzle’ that would perish in the colder suburbs if planted in a larger garden with no microclimate.

Also, in a small garden, fragrance is concentrated and stronger, especially in a microclimate where the air is still. A dwarf Korean lilac in a container or a small patch of lily-of-the-valley near a patio can perfume the whole space.

Because of the scale there is more planning involved for smaller gardens. One should be more discerning with one’s plant selection than those planting in big yards. Instead of a large hydrangea, which would dominate a small lot, choose the Hydrangea ‘Mini Penny’, which fits the scale of a small garden and has the extra benefit of providing continuous bloom.

Small space gardeners need top-performing plants that are aesthetically pleasing (or at least not conspicuously ugly) over multiple seasons, that dazzle with flowers over a long bloom period, and that aren't too fussy. We don't have the acreage for expansive, flowery mixed borders or large swaths of perennials where each plant can bloom and fade at its leisure. Instead, we need workhorses, like impatiens, lobelia, pineapple lily, coreopsis, and hibiscus.

For those without any ground space, large containers (18” diameter and greater) work better than smaller ones. These larger containers are heavy enough to withstand wind gusts and provide increased soil volume that gives more moisture-holding capacity which means less water stress for the plants. In large containers, combine bulbs, annuals, perennials, and even woodies, for seasonal displays and continual interest. A decorative container with Rosa ‘Tropicana’ under planted with Million Bells ‘Carnival Red’ makes a dynamic focal point.

Patios, terraces, balconies, and small lots can provide as much joy to gardeners as suburban backyards. It is like comparing the Sistine Chapel to the Last Supper - both are beautiful, creative, and inspirational.

Happy Gardening!

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Thought for the week!

~ The Power of Place, Winifred Gallagher ~