Urban gardening ideas – 7 creative ways to grow in small spaces, balconies, containers, indoors, and more

Living in a city setting, apartment, or simply a smaller yard doesn't have to stop you from gardening. There are plenty of innovative urban gardening ideas that allow anyone to grow ornamental and edible plants in the space they have available.

Whether you're looking for a backyard idea that works in a balcony setting, need a way to maximize the space in your courtyard garden, or only have the option to garden indoors, there are plenty of different ways to grow plants. Even if you have a yard without soil, you can grow in containers and raised beds.

Here, garden experts share their favorite urban gardening ideas to make the most of all types of spaces.

7 urban gardening ideas

These ideas work for urban rooftop gardens and indoor gardens alike, it's just about maximizing the space you have with creative ways to grow. Plus, they all result in a beautiful, thriving garden.

1. Grow potatoes in a cardboard box

There are endless numbers of ways to grow potatoes, so they're one of the easiest vegetables to grow in an urban setting. All you need is a cardboard box (from Walmart).

'This resulted in quite a good crop for me,' says urban gardening expert Annette Hird. 'This could easily be done on a balcony as long as there's a rack under the box and a tray to catch the water overflow,' she explains.

It works in the same way as growing potatoes in containers, but without the need to have large pots to hand. You could even reuse cardboard boxes from packages to save you from having to buy new ones.

Alternative options include growing potatoes in a vertical tower or growing potatoes in a bag.

Annette Hird

Annette Hird has an Associate Diploma in Horticulture and is an urban gardening expert. She has worked as a professional propagator and managed, maintained and improved many urban and rural gardens. She also enjoys growing her own fruit, vegetables, herbs and flowers as well as many different types of ornamental plants.

2. Make a vertical pallet planter

Another eco-friendly garden idea for an urban setting is repurposing old pallets to create a vertical garden. This is a great space-saving solution for gardeners in a balcony or narrow garden.

'A few years ago, I made a vertical planter from a pallet by using landscaping cloth to line the back and the planting pockets,' says Annette. 'This is a great use of vertical space. You just have to be conscious of watering because the planting spaces are quite small,' she adds.

To aid the watering of your vertical garden, you can install a drip irrigation system (from Amazon).

This urban gardening idea can work well for herbs and flowers alike. You could even use it as a structure to house the best plants for a flowering living wall.

3. Use grow bags on balconies

Using grow bags for urban settings is a great way to have an abundant kitchen garden in a small space. They're lightweight and create an ideal environment for plenty of vegetables to grow.

You can find grow bags online at Amazon. They're essentially bags made from porous materials that allow for airflow and healthy growth. For a non-toxic gardening swap, opt for grow bags made from jute rather than plastic materials.

You can grow plants in grow bags as you would in a container. They're particularly popular for growing tomatoes and growing bell peppers. Plus, they usually have handles and are easy to move around as needed.

4. Create a herb window box

If you have no outdoor space, you can still garden outside with window boxes. An idea for a summer or spring window box is planting up herbs right outside your kitchen window.

A herb garden is a good choice for a window box because many herbs are annuals. 'This means you can switch up your plantings each year,' says garden and landscape design expert Joe Raboine.

What's more, there are so many styles of window boxes to choose from. This resin window box from Wayfair is perfect for a modern touch, while these coco liner window boxes from Amazon lean into more cottage garden ideas.

Joe Raboine

Joe oversees the Belgard Residential Program. Joe strives to promote the idea that outdoor living is not only a good investment for homeowners but can also fundamentally change lives for the better by bringing people together. Joe started his career as a contractor over 25 years ago.

5. Set up a hydroponic indoor garden

One of the best indoor garden ideas is hydroponic gardening - growing plants and vegetables in water.

It doesn't take up a lot of space, and you can even adopt DIY hydroponic garden ideas to save some money on a hydroponic system.

Hydroponic systems, however, are also extremely effective. This hydroponic system from Amazon has features like grow lights and a water pump to support healthy growth.

No matter what set-up you have, make sure to avoid these hydroponic gardening mistakes which could hinder the growth of your plants.

6. Make a raised bed garden border

If you have a courtyard garden and long for garden borders, try creating one from raised garden beds. This can equally work well for long gardens, making use of straight edges with plenty of planting.

'You can build raised beds using traditional wood or concrete panel systems. These are great for growing small vegetable or fruit gardens,' Joe recommends.

Or, you can find a raised garden bed that works for your space online. These galvanised steel raised beds from Amazon are a popular choice, for example.

7. Use a mini greenhouse

Just because your urban garden space might be small doesn't mean you can't enjoy the benefits of having a greenhouse. There are plenty of mini greenhouses that would fit different spaces, including some DIY greenhouse ideas.

This mini greenhouse from Amazon has four tiers to maximize space. You can even get indoor greenhouses for indoor gardeners, like this indoor greenhouse from Amazon.

Alternatively, opt for a cold frame which tends to be smaller than a greenhouse but offers the same environment, or use cloches (from Amazon).

FAQs

What are the easiest vegetables to grow in small spaces?

There are plenty of small vegetable garden ideas that allow you to grow a wide range of crops. Some of the best vegetables for small spaces include radishes, tomatoes, lettuce, and potatoes. It's best to always research the spacing requirements of specific vegetables before deciding to plant them in the space you have available.

All of these urban gardening ideas can be adopted by those with a small backyard and those looking to save some space in their yard. It can also be useful to simplify your garden if you feel like your urban garden space is becoming unmanageable and overcrowded.