Living in a city is a life full of enjoyment, energy, and endless chances. But within all of this, nature is lacking in a certain way. Green areas are often rare; hence, it can be difficult to find a spot fit for leisure that is calm. Having an urban garden has become a growing trend among those who live in cities as a way to include natural elements into their daily existence.
Consider an urban garden to be a comfortable green space created anywhere, even in small apartments or in crowded districts. Growing plants on a windowsill, a rooftop vegetable garden, or a balcony bursting with flowers is just a few of the many ways one may raise them in the city. The benefits of urban gardening include fresh food, better air quality, and a closer connection to nature. Whether the area you own is small or big, this article will explain what you need to make your house a private haven.
Why do you need to create an urban garden?
Urban gardening will allow you to connect with nature, improve your health, and make your community a better place. Many believe gardening is just for people with massive yards or plenty of outside space. However, an urban garden shows that anyone is capable of growing plants regardless of the space. Urban gardening has a long tradition in many cities around the world. A great way to get exercise while connecting with the natural surroundings.
Not only that, you can reduce carbon footprint, contribute to fighting against climate change, and horrible air pollution. It’s a powerful movement that’s changing concrete jungles into sustainable ecosystems. Urban gardening is worth trying for multiple reasons and it has so many benefits, such as:
Helps to strengthen your mental health
Stress and anxiety are common results of noise, traffic, and fast-paced living in the middle of a packed city. An urban garden provides a naturally-appearing sanctuary free from the stress of daily life and manages your mental health level. Studies show that time spent among plants may minimise stress, boost mood, and improve the ability to concentrate. Another kind of therapy that encourages people to be collected and mindful is planting flowers.
For those suffering from anxiety or desperation, maintaining plants can be fairly enjoyable. Simple acts of watering, pruning, and observing plants flourish bring peace and accomplishment. Mental health can be improved by even a little indoor garden.
Creates your own fresh and healthy food
The potential of an urban garden to let you grow your food is just one of its main advantages. Before they arrive on your plate, supermarket veggies are usually wrapped in plastic, treated with chemicals, and then driven great distances. Thus, growing your herbs, fruits, and veggies guarantees organic food is free of harmful pesticides.
The leafy plant greens, bell peppers, tomatoes, herbs, and more can all be grown inside your sustainable house. A few pots on a balcony or a well-placed indoor planter may provide a consistent supply of nutrition for meals. Making the wise and sustainable decision to grow your food also helps you cut waste and save money.
Contributes to saving the environment
Even in the heart of the city, this activity can make a big difference for both the earth and the people who live in it. Despite the pollution and dangerous toxins, plants are here to heal and restore the environment. Green areas offer to improve air quality as well as the environment for all by absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and releasing oxygen.
Urban gardens also control temperature. Asphalt and concrete absorb heat, which makes summertime cities far hotter. Natural cooling from plants lowers the temperature and increases the comfort of outdoor environments. The combined effect on the surroundings can be noteworthy if more people design an urban garden.
The important process of building an urban garden
Urban gardening has gained popularity in recent years. Creating a green space not only contributes to environmental awareness, but also improves quality of life. However, it’s crucial to choose the right location for your mini garden. If you have enough space, a rooftop garden can be a great option. Otherwise, you might consider container gardening, which can be planted on patios or balconies.
While starting an urban garden may seem challenging at first, it's actually simpler than you would expect if you approached it correctly. You can find a way to cultivate plants on your balcony, rooftop, windowsills or even just a little nook indoors. Here are steps you need to follow before organising your plants in a small space:
Decide the appropriate site
Choosing where to put an urban garden starts the process of design. Cities have limited space; hence every inch should be used carefully. The following is what a typical urban garden is like:
- Balconies: This space has a decent area for vertical gardens, hanging plants, and container gardening.
- Rooftops: Rooftops provide lots of sunshine and can support bigger plants.
- Windowsills: It’s perfect for little herbs, flowers, and succulents depending on sunlight.
- Indoor Environments: Since you can create synthetic lighting, some plants can survive indoors. When you've chosen a place, you want to plant your herbs, consider the sunlight it obtains.
Choose the appropriate plants
Since not all plants flourish with an urban garden system, it's important to pick those fit for tiny areas. These are some of the best urban gardening plants:
- Vegetables fit nicely in containers, such as tomatoes, peppers, carrots, lettuce, and radishes.
- Easy to maintain inside your greenhouse, and best for cooking are herbs like oregano, basil, mint, and basil.
- Three flowers that draw pollinators are lavender, petunias, and marigolds.
- Plants that can grow with minimal care, such as snake plants, pathos, and succulents.
Apply smart planting methods
Maximising your gardening space is important when you only have a limited space. Several methods enable small urban areas to be most used:
- Hanging Pots: Grow plants upward utilising shelves, wall planters, or hanging pots rather than laying them in vertical gardens.
- Stackable Planters: Two stacked containers can help you to cultivate several plants in a small area.
- Window Boxes: Without using extra space, these let you flourish plants on windowsills.
- Hydroponic Methods: Small homes would find hydroponics, a soil-free technique where plants can thrive in water containing nutrients.
Main keys to maintaining an urban garden
Maintaining the good health of your plants is crucial once your garden is set up. Although one of the most crucial elements of plant care, many beginners overwater or submerge their plants. Touching the earth is the easiest approach to find out whether your plant requires water. When you spot it seems dry, water it. Wait for a day if it is still damp before watering once again.
While not all city homes have access to sun, most plants need a reasonable level of it for growth. If your area is shaded, you can consider adding low-light plants like pothos, snake plants, and ferns. Use LED grow lights to provide your plants with additional lighting. An urban garden can also work with home-made lamps to provide their lighting. Nonetheless, you still need to calculate the energy used inside your home.
Use a homemade soap spray or natural pest control product like neem oil. Your urban garden will flourish and keep adding beauty and freshness to your house with the correct care. If you're new, start with herbs or leafy greens. They're low-maintenance and easy to grow. You can play with different kinds of plants once you start to feel confident.
Conclusion
One simple and satisfying way to include natural elements into urban life is by urban gardening. Whether you want to cultivate fresh herbs for your food stock, spice up your balcony, or create a peaceful indoor garden. There are many ways to make it work, regardless of how little your area is. You can reach all of these objectives in several ways. If you build your urban garden, you will be able to enjoy better air quality, the food you have grown yourself, and stress-free surroundings. Starting the procedure now will help your city house to become a haven.
However, managing a successful building process also requires an understanding of important concepts such as contracts and project management. This prevents you from overspending at any step and makes sure you are always on track with the budget. If you want to improve these skills make sure you are ready to build your next house. You have to consider joining a course with the College of Contract Management which will help you gain all the entire skills and knowledge.
