Just because you live in a city flat, doesn’t mean you can’t have a garden. There are many innovative ways in which you can bring gardening into the city, and these are just a few of them.
Firstly, if you have a balcony, then you have a massive advantage, you have the opportunity to make a vertical garden leading up the wall. Similar to the one in the picture to the right. This means attaching plant pots to the wall on your balcony and therefore giving you a lot more space to bring greenery into your apartment.
To create a simple vertical garden, try using a shoe organizer that can hang on a wall or garden bags that can be bought from many online retailers. Even the opportunity to grow a vegetable garden if it interests you. Remember for all outside wall fixings you should use coach bolts or stainless steel screws as these wont rust in damp conditions. If a vertical garden seems too adventurous and time consuming then even putting a few basic plant pots on the balcony could spruce up any city flat.
Another idea for making your home greener could be using any spare small plastic containers you have lying around or just head to any garden shop and purchase some plant pots. These don’t involve having a balcony and could be stored on your windowsill where they will get enough light to grow and brighten up your home.
This is the perfect idea for growing shallow rooted herbs or vegetables without having a large garden. If you are feeling more creative, then you could try making a mini greenhouse to keep on your windowsill like the one in the image to the left.
If you are a construction or DIY enthusiast, then you could try building an expandable step garden. This involves building a step like structure with spaces within the steps to grow plants. This again would involve having a balcony as otherwise the plants would not get enough light to grow. This could be a remarkable way to grow enough plants to fill a garden in just a small space.
A simple yet imaginative idea is using old eggshells as small plant pots for herbs or similar plants. This would be ideal to make with children to show them a fun type of gardening that can be done in minutes. This would involve washing out the eggshells and filling them to about three quarters of the way up with soil, then planting a shallow rooted plant into them.
To make the eggshells more decorative, you could try painting them to match your home. This would be simple, cheap and effective way to spruce up a dull windowsill or bedroom.
Lastly, a large glass vase could be a sleek and sophisticated way to bring greenery into your home. Instead of a glass vase you could use an old fishbowl or glass jar you have lying around.
These can be used to make a small indoor terrarium to grow and display beautiful plants. This would add an artistic touch to any city apartment in need of a liven up. When choosing the type of plant you would like to grow, consider the amount of light the terrarium will be able to receive, the speed at which they grow and also check that when fully grown they are remain small.