Apartment Gardening - Kansas City Apartment and Rental decorating Advice

Whether you’re a master gardener or you’d just like to try your hand at the pursuit, apartment living can present some challenges. Don’t table the idea, however, as there are ways to get around a lack of wide open spaces when it comes to gardening.

The simple fact of the matter is you don’t need acres to be a gardener. Plants will grow wherever there is ample light, soil and water. The only things effected by apartment dwelling in reality are the ways in which a person gardens and how many plants they can actually have. There are tried and tested strategies for gardening in small plots of land, such as a front walk or under a window, and even for those who have no land at all.

Here’s how to start:

• If you have a little bit of land, even if it’s only a few square feet under a window – Start by picking the plants you’d like to grow. Maybe you’re just looking for decorative plants or perhaps your own tomatoes or carrots sound just right? Either way, even with just a small strip of dirt, you should be able to exercise your green thumb. Examine your soil and decide if you need to bolster it with more nutrient rich dirt for what you want to plant and then ask at a local nursery or garden shop for plants that match the lighting available in the space you’ve picked out. Local nurseries will be able to tell you what can grow in any amount of light and what plants are best for your climate, time of year and space available.
• Should you not have any land available at all, make your own! Try container gardening on a porch or patio. For vegetables, container gardening is ideal. Some plants that grow well in containers include peppers, tomatoes and cabbage. Containers should be at least 8 inches across. There are even vegetable varieties meant specifically for growing in hanging baskets. Flowers and other plants will grow like this as well. As with any other type of gardening, if you’re not an expert, check with a garden shop or nursery for sound advice on what works in containers. The best thing about container gardening whether it’s flowers, vegetables or herbs is that you can easily move the containers to obtain maximum benefit from the sun.
• If you’re in an apartment with no land available and no balcony or patio to take advantage of, don’t give up. Window gardening is a way to go. Whether it’s outdoor window boxes with flowers, or herbs grown indoors taking advantage of light available in a window, you can still enjoy gardening no matter how confined your space. Some herbs that grow very well inside – and add a great touch to cooking, too – include bay, dill, garlic chives, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, chives, mint and parsley. You can do these inside little pots on window sills or even in long boxes on the sills. This situation is even ideal for growing some types of greens, including lettuce varieties.

Regardless of the amount of space you have, as long as you have dirt, soil and light – even if the soil is in a pot – you can garden in your apartment. One of the perks to this is the fresh vegetables and spices you’ll be able to enjoy. Imagine turning to your kitchen window to snip some fresh mint to top off a dessert!

Whether it’s outdoor gardening or inside window boxes, check with your local nursery for more in depth instructions on the plants you choose. They’re the local experts on your climate and what grows and what needs to go!

by Tiffany Lewis, Kansas City Premier Apartments, Inc.