Progressive design for small space gardeners

Urban garden design has taken off in Europe

As a balcony gardener, I like to look for aesthetically pleasing and innovative containers or mediums to grow both flowers and vegetables in that also don't take up a lot of space. Urban gardeners often don't have big yards to grow plants so it is absolutely essential that they have a means to grow food and flowers in.

I have been studying what is both chic and functional for anyone with limited space.  Consequently, I have discovered that the Europeans seem to be on the cutting edge of progressive urban garden design and I would love for the Americans to catch up with not just a trend, but a productive lifestyle.

Outside the "box" container gardening is more common than you think 

There is an unorthodox gardening trend that the "earthier type" has popularized in the last few years. For example, items that are completely unrelated to gardening are being used as plant containers with upcycling and reuse in mind, especially if that item is broken. Shoe organizers are often used to plant herbs in, colanders are used to grow strawberries, pallets work well for veggies, burlap bags can grow potatoes, tires make petunias look edgy, tin cans are cool for succulents, and pansies are cute in the tops of boots.  As you can gather, the possibilities are endless if the urban gardener has an imagination and isn't afraid of what the neighbors might think.  I have even seen items such as baby carriages, shopping carts, bath tubs, VW Beetles; and dare I mention, toilets being used as planters.

Then there is hay bale gardening, which is a great option if you aren't keen on having a lot of soil to contend with. Hay bales are fairly easy to transport and carry so these can work great; but again, this type of planting medium is not for the "traditional" city type gardener.

Sustainable wood makes for fine looking planters

If flea market gardening isn't your style, there are less unorthodox methods for small space garden design while still adhering to what's environmentally conscientious.  Reclaimed wood businesses are on the increase in the urban gardening market.  Cedar wood is particularly good for containers. I personally like http://cedarcraft.com/ products, which uses Western Red Cedar from mills that normally would toss the scrap material. Besides the benefits of recycling ceder, it also naturally resists rot, fungus, and insects too.  

There are also companies that make wood planters from sustainable tree plantation sources such as http://www.vegtrug.com/.  VegTrug is a portable raised planter with a deep V-shaped bed that allows for a range of soil depths to accommodate different plants' needs. Being that the planter is off the ground, its ergonomic design prevents the gardener from having to bend over, meanwhile safeguarding plants from pets and pests. Additionally, when weather takes a turn for the best you can move it to take advantage of a microclimate; and inversely, if the weather takes a turn for the worst, it is easily moved out of the way of frost.

Vertical gardens maximize space 

Perhaps the most modern and stylish of all urban garden design is vertical gardening.  Metropolitan areas have caught on to its appeal, while seeing its benefits.  In fact, the ParkRoyal Hotel on Pickering in Singapore won the award for best green urban design in November 2015 by the Council for Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) for its vertical gardens. The architects not only sought to replace the lost greenery in constructing the hotel, but aimed to multiply it.  To be exact, foliage cover encompasses more than 200% of the structure's total land area.

The basic concept of vertical gardening is like that of what a skyscraper does: use the upward space because ground space is limited.  Balconies, patios, and terraces tend to be small and if the the urban gardener fills up the horizontal space with pottery and hanging baskets galore, this only adds to what may look more like hoarding than lovely and functional.  

Vertical gardening can vary in its methods of supplying plants with their basic needs. Some gardeners put together living walls with soil hidden in the frame, but many designs involve either aeroponic or hydroponic design.  These methods differ from other small space gardening methods because unlike the containers that use soil to grow plants, they use water and/or air exclusively. Consequently, aeroponic and hydroponic gardening is quite clean, which can be helpful in keeping an outdoor space tidy. These methods are also more hands-off because of their automation, which works for busy urban lifestyles.

One of the pioneers in aeroponic vertical gardening is http://www.towergarden.com/.  Aeroponic design is similar to hydroponic design, but it uses a lot less water and involves oxygenation in its process.  The company sells towers made of UV stabilized, food grade plastic that work using a system that pushes a water and mineral based nutrient solution up through a central hose to the top of a tower.  The solution then drips back down over the plant roots and becomes oxygenated as it returns to the main reservoir. Their system can enable the gardener to grow up to 28 flower, vegetable or herb plants in one tower and save on water expenditure too.  Moreover, NASA research suggests that aeroponic growing takes about half the time of conventional growing methods.

Roof top gardens solve space issues for urban dwellers

Small space gardening can also include roof top gardens, and this is a great solution to obtaining space when land is sold at a premium in urban areas. Roof top gardens are basically garden beds that are set up on a roof area utilizing a protective membrane, however, it is a delicate process that should involve engineers. Some gardeners plant sedums and mosses, while others aim to grow food up high where it gets lots of sunlight.  I particularly like the design of the Mill Valley Cabins in San Francisco because their rooftop design is integrated into the surrounding environment so it doesn't look like an eyesore (http://www.designboom.com/architecture/feldman-architecture-mill-valley-cabins-in-san-francisco/).

Cityscapes should no longer be gray but green

With all these options for small space gardeners, we all can say "good-bye" to the concrete jungle.  More and more studies are finding how plants not only improve the air quality and cool temperatures of our surroundings, but our health is greatly improved when we are surrounded by nature.  So, it's time to move forward and seek a more green space and watch your plants grow along with your happiness.