Urban homes increasingly don’t have gardens, but many do have a small outside space such as a balcony, patio, or concrete front yard with space for some containers. The exciting thing that people all over the world are discovering is that it’s possible to create meaningful gardens in these spaces – and to use them to produce a surprising amount of food. I grew £900 worth of fruit, veg and herbs on a small balcony and windowsills in just my second year of growing.
Once you have a green oasis on your doorstep, you can enjoy the beauty of plants every day, watch the bees and birds that visit, and pick fresh ingredients such as herbs to add flavour to most of your meals. It can feel like a miracle.
The key thing that determines what you can grow in your space are the hours of sun it receives each day. Fruiting vegetables such as tomatoes and chillies grow very happily in containers but they do need at least six hours of sun.
However, if your space is shady, and you only get three or four hours of sun a day, there is still lots you can grow – including salads, leafy vegetables, woodland fruits such as blackberries and blueberries, and most herbs (even the supposedly sun-loving ones). A full guide on how much sun different crops need can be found in my book (see below or visit my website).
Success in gardening is never guaranteed – so don’t worry if everything doesn’t work out first time. However, if you follow my advice – particularly about good quality compost, sun and daily attention – your chances of success will be high. Once you’ve made a start, there are literally hundreds of wonderful edible plants you can grow in containers.
Excellent choices include heritage tomatoes, chillies, all the herbs (chives, oregano and Scots lovage are among our favourites), French and runner beans, kale and chard, and fruits including apples, blueberries and even Chilean guavas.
It’s easy to feel you should go out and buy a lot of new kit before you can start growing. But you don’t need much to get started and the best way to learn is simply to give it a go with an enquiring and open mind.
Many people find much joy and fulfilment in growing in a small space at home. I hope you will too.
