National Gardening Week 21 to 28 October
Container gardening is a popular solution to gardening in small spaces, allowing for cultivation of plants in pots, raised beds, or hanging baskets. Vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, and herbs thrive in containers, as do strawberries, and many dwarf varieties of fruit trees, like citrus or apple trees, can be grown in large pots on a balcony or patio.
Vertical gardening is another space-saving method, utilising trellises, wall planters, or stacked pots to grow climbing plants like beans, cucumbers, or flowering vines, transforming a small wall or fence into a lush, productive garden.
10 hacks for small garden success
| 1 | Go potty – big pots, small pots – vegetables such as lettuce, cherry tomatoes, capsicum; leafy greens such as spinach, silverbeet and choy sum and root vegetables like carrots, radishes, beetroot and shallots all grow happily in containers. |
| 2 | Think vertical – trellis, wire or mesh fixed against walls makes an ideal frame for climbers such as beans, tomatoes, grapes or roses. |
| 3 | Espalier fruit trees on fences. Apple and pear are suitable for espalier (branches are trained to grow flat against a wall) as they have more flexible branches and fruit repeatedly on the same spurs. |
| 4 | Windowsill garden – the perfect place to grow herbs in pots and some herbs are happy to share. Basil and oregano get on well together; thyme and rosemary are a winning combination and parsley, coriander and chives will happily cohabitate. |
| 5 | Hanging baskets – if you’re running out of space down low for your veges, move them up into hanging baskets. Try lettuce, herbs, dwarf beans, rocket, chillies, leafy greens, tumbling tomatoes and strawberries. |
| 6 | Berries are a great choice for pots – blueberries, dwarf raspberries, blackberries and of course strawberries. |
| 7 | Fruit trees in pots are a brilliant addition to a tiny garden. Not just pretty but productive too. Citrus, apple, nectarine or fig trees are all excellent choices. |
| 8 | Go for no-fuss flowers that provide bursts of colour and attract bees– marigolds, pansies, petunias, lobelia and alyssum. Don’t forget spring bulbs. |
| 9 | Fragrant plants like lavender, freesias, daphne or night-scented stock and star jasmine will simply transport you. |
| 10 | A water feature in a tiny space has a big impact. A small bubbler, water bowl or fountain really breathes life and a sense of calm into your little oasis – and can even help mask traffic noise. |
Yates spokesperson, Fiona Yates, says everyone can master the art of compact gardening.
“With careful planning, companion planting, and the right choice of plants, you can create a diverse and productive garden that not only provides fresh produce and beautiful blooms but also enhances your living environment, regardless of space limitations,” says Arthur.
Established in 2015, National Gardening Week aims to foster a love of gardening with a focus on growing not only plants but friendships, good health, strong communities and closer connections with nature. Whether it’s a few pots on the balcony, a small patch or an extensive garden, everyone can experience the joy of gardening.
Read more about National Gardening Week 2024.
Read the special edition of the online NGW Go Gardening magazine.
WIN with Yates National Gardening Week
To celebrate National Gardening Week Yates is giving away hampers containing everything you need to get your small garden underway.
Fill your pots, hanging baskets or windowsill with a selection of Yates vege seeds including choy sum, tomato, lettuce, dwarf beans, beetroot, radish, coriander and onion. Bring in the bees with a delightful burst of colour from marigold, pansy, petunia and lobelia. Add to that, Yates Thrive range of fertilisers in granular and liquid - citrus and fruit, tomato, vege and herb, rose and flower, strawberry and berry fruit and camellia, gardenia and blueberry -and you’ve got the perfect start to a bountiful summer.
17-Sep-2024
Embrace small spaces with lots of pots
Yates have hampers to give away of vege and flower seeds specially selected for small gardens together with a selection of fertilisers. Prize value is $220.
In the Garden
