How To Garden in an Apartment for Fresh Produce Anywhere

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Some of my earliest memories are set in a garden. I remember riding in the wheelbarrow out to my grandpa’s garden and eating tomatoes fresh-off-the-vine like apples, and stuffing my little 5T overalls full of dirt-caked sweet potatoes. We had a garden in the backyard of the house I lived in growing up. When I first moved out on my own, I had a townhouse with a backyard the size of a postage stamp, and I used my tiny plot of dirt to built and plant a garden. Once I moved into our current apartment on the second floor, I planted a little urban farm on my deck that has morphed over the last almost 6 years.

I love growing food, cooking it, and eating it. There is something grounding and calming about working the soil with your hands, biting into a fruit still warm from the sunshine, and eating a meal you created literally from start to finish.

If you are in a small space too, but still want to grow your own food, here are some ways you can bring this magic to your own plate:

How to Garden in an Apartment

Even if you don’t have a backyard with space for your dream fenced-in, raised bed household garden, you can achieve a prolific garden using containers, vertical planting, and portable raised beds.

How to Garden in Containers

Container gardening is one of the most popular methods, because it’s completely customizable. Whether you have space for big tubs and potato bags or you only have a few flower pots, there is a way to have a garden in your space. The most important part of choosing containers is to make sure the pots are big enough to accommodate the needs of each plant (this can be found on the seed packets).

There are many different plants that thrive in containers, including but not limited to:

• Lettuce
• Tomatoes
• Peppers
• Radishes
• Spinach
• Strawberries
• Most herbs
• Columnar apple trees
• Potatoes

How to Garden Vertically

Growing vertically allows you to fit more plants into a smaller space by growing “up.” Vertical gardening is great for vining plants like beans and squashes. This makes harvest easier, as well as freeing up floor space. You can grow vertically using a trellis, strings, or even fencing. In my community garden plot, I have T-stakes, cattle fencing, and zip ties to create an arch for my squashes and melons to grow up and off the ground.

Plants to grow vertically:

• Beans (multiple varieties)
• Squash (acorn, butternut, spaghetti, etc)
• Cucumbers
• Melons (honeydew, cantaloupe, etc)

How to Garden in Raised Beds

Did you know you can plant in raised beds on a deck? I found a raised bed on Facebook Marketplace and lugged it upstairs to my deck. It’s deep enough that I can use plants that have deeper root structures, and I love the feeling of digging deep into the soil. With raised beds, I can use a square foot gardening technique, which maximizes space by planting varieties that grow well together.

Learning How to Maximize Your Garden in Small Spaces

I bought a book called The Edible Balcony by Alex Mitchell, and I highly recommend it! There are so many ideas for fitting a garden into the area that works for your space to create an edible oasis that’s unique to your needs and limitations. Loaded with beautiful pictures and tons of very specific ideas and DIY projects, this book lays out everything you need to start creating the urban farm of your dreams.

A Note on Community Gardens

If you want a big harvest and truly do not have the space in your living situation, look into community gardens in your area! I am in my second year with my community garden, and it’s been such a fun experience. I’ve made new friends, donated excess produce to the local food pantry, and spent more time outside.

Of course, I still have my urban farm on my deck, but it’s nice to have the community garden plot as a third space where I can spend my time doing something I enjoy, and to grow the bigger produce I do not have the space or sunshine to grow on my deck.

I hope these ideas spark some creativity for your own little garden oasis!