Tips for Gardening in a Small Space: Creative Garden Ideas

Last Updated on April 12, 2024 by Real Men Sow

In the midst of moving, I realized that the most creative gardening tip I could give right now is growing vegetables in a small space. My growing space was effectively reduced by two-thirds, but I found learning to produce good yields and tasty crops from a small area an interesting and invigorating challenge. Gardening in a small space could be challenging if you do not know how to make the best out of your space.

Tips in Gardening in a Small Space

Begin with planting vegetables in the right order

In my first year of growing in the garden, I went all in. I dug over one single bed and filled it with plants. At first, the space looked lovely and neat until all the plants began growing and overlapping with each other. Not only did this help spread pests and diseases such as blackflies and blight, but the plot became difficult to manage and very untidy. Plants fought for space and harvests were down, and getting around became more like an advanced yoga class than a potter on the patch.

So in my second year, I made some raised beds, which helped with the order loads. The beds were much easier to work and everything was more organised and thus more productive too.

Grow Dwarf Vegetables Varieties

Growing in small areas is a lot about crop choice and efficient use of space, especially when compared to the free and easy, chuck it anywhere option on my roomy allotment plot.

The next year, my plot plan was very different. One change I made was increased use of smaller, dwarf vegetable varieties. These littler but equally productive plants are great if you’re growing in a small space. Dwarf French beans are incredibly productive, but kale, runner beans, and broad beans are also excellent smaller alternatives.

How do you start gardening in a small space?

With limited space to grow in my back garden beds, you have to make a decision about what to grow and what to leave out. In the past, I’ve used a prioritization matrix to help choose which veg to grow. Some of the criteria, like the cost in shops, were generic, but others were personal to me. Not all veg are equal to my palate. Tomatoes tickle my tastebuds, but turnips… well, turn me off.

And some vegetables , I just need a break from. We’ve all got those problematic ones that leave you scratching your head because you can never quite perfect them. Limited space has focused my mind on my veggie growing. The troublemakers are out, as are some of the lower value veg and those that just don’t get cooked with much.

What vegetables can you garden in a small space?

Despite many a pretty plot plan, there was always something I forgot, or some stray seeds I couldn’t resist sowing, and come planting out time Id’ be anxious as to where everything was going to go. Somehow though, everything always works out okay and you actually surprise yourself with how many plants you can get into a small space.

And if you fill every inch of space in your beds, there are always containers. When I’m at the limit, I’ve used pots and containers to grow lots of different crops including lettuce, tomatoes, chard, radishes, and mangetout.

Become Creative & Resourceful Gardening in a Small Space

I’d only dabbled with intercropping before, having been fairly blessed with space on the allotment. At the outset of my garden growing adventure, I’d often be found frowning and head-scratching at where the next crop will go, so the idea of growing two crops together in a space where I’d normally grow one became interesting to me. I’ve grown a number of different intercropping duos since, such as beetroot and kale, radishes and sprouts, and dwarf French beans under sweetcorn.

I’ve also enjoyed growing upwards too. I now use wigwams for peas and mangetout, which I’ve found to be an incredibly productive way of growing these vegetables. The taller the pea variety the better. I used 8 6ft bamboo canes to make my structure, occupying an area of 3ft squared and joined at the top with a cable tie to make the wigwam shape.

It’s Easier to Manage than Allotment

One thing I learned quickly from starting a garden in a small space is smaller is always much easier to manage. A small space garden will also give you more time to focus on what’s important, and I’m a great believer that 10 good harvests are better than 20 average ones. Allotments can be hard work, and take up a lot of your time. If you can’t keep on top of things, it can get you down, especially if harvests suffer as a result. This is a message I’ve taken now I’m growing in the garden. I now concentrate on the bits I enjoy, like melons in the greenhouse, different varieties of squash; and not trying to grow so much that I can’t maintain a neat and tidy plot.

So, if you’re thinking of taking on a plot, keeping things small and manageable is the best possible tip I can offer. Make sure you enjoy yourself and grow some veg you’ll love.

 

We got an offer accepted on a house in Somerset, complete with a smart greenhouse and a similar-sized space to cultivate some veg as my current garden plot. There are also some ridiculously cheap allotments for rent just up the road, priced at a fiver a year for a full-size plot, so whilst I decided on whether to start growing exclusively in the garden or rent myself an allotment too, here are 6 things I’ve learnt from growing in small spaces.

Real Men Sow
Real Men Sow

Hello, I’m Pete and I’m currently based in the west of Scotland, in a small place called Rosneath, where I’m exploring my garden adventures. I personally started gardening around 6 years ago and initially, I started out by growing my favorite fruits and berries, such as strawberries, Raspberries & Gooseberries. Since then I’ve added a lot of vegetables and working closely with my neighbor, it’s been a lot of fun.

3 thoughts on “Tips for Gardening in a Small Space: Creative Garden Ideas”

  1. It’s amazing how much can be done in small garden spaces, so much can be grown whatever size your garden, balcony, or terrace even.The numbers of people having a go at producing some of there own fresh produce is on the increase every year. Home vegetable growing has become fashionable with many people with gardens or those lucky enough to have an allotment giving it a try.I always advise beginners to start with herbs and salad as they’re fun and easy to grow. You can include other small container plants like Spring Onions, Radishes or Baby Beets in your salad list so don’t think you’ll only be growing leaves.

  2. Fascinating – I’ve always found the more limitations you have then the more you are forced to innovate. Thus the smallest of gardens often end up being the most productive. Larry

  3. This species grows an unheard of 10 feet in a single year. In just a few years, you could be enjoying a tree that’s at least 30 feet tall. Just always remember that the Willow Hybrid loses its leaves in the winter.

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