Gardening isn’t just for those with a spacious yard; it’s for everybody. Even if you’re confined to a small paved area, you could reap the rewards as much as anybody else. All it takes is a little bit of creativity.
Most plants are not overly fussy about where they’re planted, with pots and containers often just as effective as growing in the ground. If you choose the perfect plants for your climate and use suitable compost, you can make a paradise on your patch. If you’re looking for inspiration, here are 8 unique ways to plant in a small yard.
1. What About Welly Boots?
With a bit of forethought, welly boots and redundant shoes make excellent planters. What’s more, you’re doing a little bit to help the environment but not tossing them into the trash heap.
Whatever shoes you decide, the first step is to add drainage, if there isn’t already, and make sure that, when watered, any excess moisture can escape. A layer of gravel at the bottom will also help and keep your chosen plants happy and healthy.
For shoes, you can simply add some compost and purchase some shallow rooting flowers, such as petunias, marigolds, pansies, or any other’s that you have your eye on. You could also consider growing simple crops such as lettuce.
Wellies allow a little more creativity. They give a perfect opportunity for draping plants such as Verbena or Lobelia. You also can punch more holes in the welly and add a variety of small flowering plants down the sides.
2. Utilize Cracks in the Walls
Some may see cracks and fissures in walls as unsightly and something that needs fixing back up, although others see it as an opportunity; another place to pop some flowering plants to add even more color and texture.
It takes a particular type of plant to survive in these conditions, but that’s not to say there isn’t a choice. You may think about adding flowers such as Erigeron, which has the appearance of lawn daisies, or Lewisia Cotyledon, which will add a sublime splash of pink.
Alternatively, you may choose plants with other purposes, such as herbs steeped in micronutrients, great for cooking, and with medicinal properties. Creeping Thyme is more than happy in a wall, along with Marjoram and Chamomile.
If this idea suits your small space, begin by removing existing weeds from the wall, fill it with a bit of compost, and pop your seeds or plants in.
3. Invest In A Vertical Shoe Hanger
Perfect for a hanging herb garden or simply filling it with plants that make you happy, vertical shoe hangers are the ideal space-saving solution. Easy to attach to a sunny wall or fence, and with the option to add multiple hangers, you can create endless opportunities for plants.
Another appealing aspect of hanging shoe planters is that little nibblers will find it more challenging to reach, including those hungry slugs and snails!
Don’t forget to add some drainage holes if needed, and depending on the depth of each compartment, find compatible shrubs and then simply plant to your heart’s desire.
4. Consider Epiphyte Plants
If you’re not sure, an epiphyte is a plant that grows on another plant. It is not parasitic and takes nothing from the existing plant but uses it as support or a perch. Epiphytes survive by finding nutrition in the environment, such as air and rain.
Epiphytes include types of ferns, orchids, and bromeliads. To consider epiphyte plants, you’d need to have an existing tree that could support another species. Naturally, epiphytes grow in tropical conditions and need plenty of moisture, and so will need a similar climate to thrive.
If you can, introducing epiphytes will add another layer of texture, color, and interest to your garden that might not otherwise be possible.
5. Repurpose Old Teapots
Unused teapots and pottery could be the perfect home for your plants. Not only will you be recycling, but teapots are usually colorful in themselves, adding even more sights to delight. Coordinating color schemes between pots and plants can be great fun, and you can let your inner designer shine through.
Teapots are also incredibly versatile, and so much can be done with them, depending on their shape and size. You could let them free stand on your patio or decking, or if you’ve already crammed your deck full of pots, you can make a display by mounting them to walls, fences, or trees.
6. Prop Up Disused Ladders
There is something rather quaint and authentic about an old, unused wooden ladder. Full of history and possibly a family heirloom, you’ll feel so satisfied giving it a new lease of life, and utilizing it for plants is the perfect option.
The ladder’s side and rungs are perfect supports, so planting sweet pea, clematis, jasmine, or any other climber that you love will work well. Alternatively, depending on the design of the ladder, you could use the wooden steps to display your stunning summer shrubs.
7. Try Vertical Plastic Piping
Although you may be thinking that plastic piping would be unsightly in your yard, used practically, it can be useful and utilized carefully; you can camouflage it well.
The main idea is to add more vertical growing space to your pots, which would otherwise be quite limited. Begin by making sizeable holes and spaces around the tubes. Then push the pipe into the center of the container and fill to the top with compost, and there you have an excellent support structure for strawberries, tomatoes, herbs, and anything else that you can squeeze in.
8. Invest In Guttering
Adding gutting to your walls or fencing can seriously increase your planting space, especially if you add several shelves. Guttering can look a little unattractive; however, giving it a lick of an oil-based paint that works with your color scheme will work wonders.
The possibilities of what you can plant go on and on. You can decide whether you choose to grow shallow-rooted crops, like radishes and nasturtiums, or whether you want to make your display delightfully decorative with an array of cheerful blooms.