How to Design an Apartment Garden

If you live in an apartment you may have a balcony, patio, window box or no space at all for growing a garden. Yet the joy of gardening shouldn't be denied to apartment dwellers. Here are some suggestions on how to design an apartment garden.

Instructions

1. If all you have is a window, then you can design a garden using as much light as your window will offer. You can set a tray on the floor or a table and fill it with gravel. Then find some pots that compliment your interior design. Fill your pots with plants that will grow well with the light from your window exposure. Use a combination of growth habits. Choose at least one plant with tall, upright growth and at least one plant that spills out of the pot to cascade down toward the floor.

2. If you have a window box, you can grow flowers and even edibles. If your box has direct sun for at least five or six hours you can grow tomatoes, herbs, even peppers and bush beans among other vegetables. To make it more decorative, mix in some colorful annual flowers like zinnias, pansies, or scented stock.

3. 

   If you are lucky enough to have a balcony or patio space, you can expand on the window box idea. Once again you will be creating a container garden. If you get high winds, choose heavy pots that won't blow over. If your patio or balcony is over a downstairs neighbor, you might want to set out trays to catch excess water so it doesn't drip down on those below. Again, light will dictate what you can grow. But with larger pots you can grow larger plants and with more room you can have more variety in your choices.

4. The trick of succeeding with a reduced space garden is to arrange your plants creatively. Also make sure you grow plants that will thrive with the available light, water your plants properly and give your potted plants excellent soil and drainage. To make your garden beautiful, design with decorative containers, plants of different sizes and contrasting shapes and colors, and enjoy throwing in some interesting décor like statues, wind chimes, pinwheels or a sundial. You can design an apartment garden of your own and enjoy the fun of gardening even in with the limitations of an apartment space.

Resources

• eHow Home and Garden Topic Guide
• Landscape design and gardening information