Make the most of your space!

Apartment living can be a tight squeeze, but it doesn’t mean giving up hope for having a garden. With some creativity, you can turn your small space into a miniature garden and enjoy gorgeous flowers and fresh fruits and veggies.

Utilize your available space efficiently by growing vertical.

Many flowers, such as morning glory and mandevilla, and vegetables, like tomatoes and peppers, come in vine varieties. Use trellises to control their growth and keep them upright. Trellises will also increase airflow to plants by allowing them to stretch, reduce the risk of fungal diseases, and put harvests within arms’ reach.

Using pallets will help maximize your growing options and take up little space. If you have a balcony, railing planters and pot hangers will come in handy as well.

Since space is limited, grow in containers.

Use a potting mix that’s specific for containers; it’ll hold the right amount of water, nutrients, and allow appropriate air flow to ensure your plants are at their healthiest. Make sure to use an appropriately-sized container. A bit of overcrowding is okay, but too much will cause water stress, reduce airflow, and increase competition for nutrients and light.

Containers in very sunny and windy places, as well as those that are really full or small, will need water more often. Try to water in the morning to prevent stress during the day.

Fertilize every two weeks with a water-soluble fertilizer or add in slow-release fertilizer to your container when you begin planting.

Good Varieties for Container Gardening

1. Pansies & Violas

In early spring and fall, pansies and violas are perfect for a quick pop of color. Plant them en masse in one color, or mix in with Spring Magic perennials or fall annuals for an assortment of textures and colors.

2. Calibrachoa

Calibrachoa, or super/million bells, perform very well in containers. Coming in a variety of patterns and colors, calibrachoa are perfect either on their own or with other plants.

3. Coleus

Available in a variety of hues, coleus is a perfect part-sun/part-shade container plant. It fills out and has an upright habit, making it a great container choice on its own or in mixed combinations.

4. Euphorbia

Euphorbia is anything but dainty! Heat- and drought-tolerant, euphorbia will give you pretty white flowers all season long.

5. Heuchera

Some varieties of heuchera, or coral bells, are perfect for container gardening! They offer both eye-catching color and texture that’ll stick around through the fall.

6. Mandevilla

If you’re looking for a vigorous climber that can beat the summer heat, mandevilla is your annual. Large, gorgeous flowers pepper lush, leafy vines. Arrange around a trellis to give it something to latch onto and climb.

7. Geraniums

A summer classic, geraniums will give you summer-long color and heat tolerance.

8. Cannas

Canna lilies love the heat, and their vivid, variegated foliage and large flowers are perfect for containers or in garden beds.

9. Lantana

Available in a variety of colors, lantana is an excellent container plant that can take the heat. Deadhead periodically to keep them full and blooming.

10. Salvia

Attract birds and butterflies with the vivid blooms of annual salvia. Plant after the chance of frost has passed, since these annuals prefer the warm weather.