As a Real Estate Agency in a densely-populated area, we know our fair share about apartment living. We also understand the sacrifices people make in terms of outdoor areas vs close proximity to the city.
With the current drive for sustainable living, people are looking to create edible gardens within city-dwellings. Not everyone has the luxury of space, so not everyone can create a veggie patch in their garden. But, there are ways and means to do it, no matter what the size of your plot.
Choose your veggies carefully
There are quite a few varieties of fruit, veg, and herbs you can grow in a little space. All that’s required is enough sunlight — something we’re definitely not short of here in Sydney. Tomatoes, herbs or salad leaves to name a few. All you need is one pot. A galvanized steel pot that has drainage holes at the bottom, some soil, seeds, water, and sunshine.
Think a little outside the box
So, you haven’t got the garden to create a floor garden, and your balcony is only so big. Expand your mind and think of alternative places to place your plants. Up in the air – hanging plant pots are a great place for lettuce, outside the window using trellises, or create a garden wall using an old wooden crate.
Use a smart plant pot
The Click and Grow smart gardens are a perfect introduction to growing food. They are smart enough to know when the plant needs water, nutrients or light and distribute it accordingly. This means you can plant your herb garden, flowers, or lettuce and let the pot do the rest. They have a variety of different sizes available from starter kits to wall gardens. The perfect tool to grow your very own urban veggie patch.
Maximise the space you have
There are some plants which give you multiple crops from the same plant such as strawberries. Or plants which can grow alongside or on top of each other. For example, carrots underground, leafy greens at the surface and a climbing bean plant moving upwards. Picking vertical plants will also maximize your use of the space.
Create your own worm farm
Waste is a huge issue in Australia, in the world really. We live in a throw-away society, where product is cheap. But, we’re starting to realise how detrimental this is to our environment. One easy fix is to turn our natural food wastage into compost for our own inner-city vegetable garden. How? By creating a worm farm all of your own. All you need is a polystyrene box, worms, and a cool dry area to store it in. Then add all of your fruit and veg peelings. The only things to avoid adding are onions, citrus fruits, meat, and twigs.
Everything else your worms will process into beautiful, nutrient-rich compost; even egg-shells.