We love living in the city for the vibrant culture, community gatherings, and amazing food. For all the things city living brings, one thing it doesn’t make easy is gardening. Don’t despair though because in any concrete jungle you have options for building the perfect garden for your needs – you just need to know where to start.
Let’s begin with the basics of what you should be growing for best results in the city.
Herbs
Who doesn’t wish they could be surrounded by the smell of fresh herbs every day? Well, let’s make those wishes a reality. Herbs are some of the easiest things to grow in city centres. They often last all summer and you can trim them weekly for constant access to fresh herbs. Some of the best options to start with are basil, mint, and cilantro. Make sure to trim your herbs consistently from the top of the plant to get the best results.
Greens
Maybe you thrive on the crunch of fresh greens. Then kale and lettuce could be the perfect fit for you. Kale is great as it is nutrient dense, super durable and is able to handle any challenges city gardening may bring. We recommend planting a mix of kales to enjoy the benefit of being able to grow kale that you can’t get at the grocery store. Some of our favourites are dinosaur kale, purple kale, and blue scotch kale.
Okay, you’re hooked on the idea of growing your fresh greens but now the question remains of how to grow them.
First off, if you have a backyard in the city with access to a traditional garden count yourself lucky! Even if you do have a backyard or a condo, we recommend going with either a raised bed setup or using pots.
Both options do a great job of containing the mess that soil can make while ensuring that your plants have plenty of room to grow. If you are growing with a raised bed, make sure to have at least 6” of soil depth to allow the roots to grow properly.
Potted plants can be a great fit for balcony living. When planting lettuce and kale, opt for wider spread, smaller plants. This will actually produce a larger yield. For herbs, you have a few different options, but it can be very cute to plant multiple herbs into one larger pot and produce a single herb garden.
Want to take your gardening to the next level? Try indoor growing.
Living in Canada growing outdoors is just out of the question for 8 months of the year. Lucky for us, technology has allowed us to grow indoors all year round in sleek new ways. Our favourite method is using the AEVA by Just Vertical. This comes with a built-in grow light and water tank so there is no need to worry about natural light.This is also a great fit for those of us without balconies or enough light to grow.
Whatever option you choose this year we wish you a happy and bountiful harvest.
Article courtesy of GreenLivingShow.ca
