Urban Gardening – A Beginners Guide by Samantha Rose Hunt

The Minigarden Kitchen Garden is one of the most preferred Minigarden products by our customers. Every month we receive or we find testimonials from people telling about their experiences with our vertical gardens. This time, we would like to share with you the personal experience of Samantha Rose Hunt and her Kitchen Garden.

Samantha is a canadian blogger and a secondhand fashion lover, creator of My Ethical Edit, a blog with tips and tricks about how to live a more ethical and sustainable lifestyle. She decided to install a Kitchen Garden on her balcony in Berlin to have a small oasis. Here’s her honest experience as a beginner urban gardener:

“I am no pro gardener, in fact every plant I’ve ever owned has either died or needed serious help. Nonetheless I want to share my urban gardening experience as a beginner. I’ve learned loads so far and think this could benefit those of you who aren’t exactly the greatest plant mamas. They say that gardening is therapeutic and I could not agree more. There’s nothing better than taking care of something and watching it bloom and grow!

What is urban gardening?

Urban gardening is the process of growing plants of all varieties in an urban space such as on a balcony, patio or yard. This also includes community gardens, green roofs and guerilla gardens (planting in public spaces that don’t belong to specific gardeners like the side of roads for example).

Why should you create your own urban garden?

There are many health, societal and environmental benefits that come from urban gardening. For one, you are creating a local source of whole foods. If you have kids, or garden in a community garden then the plants are a form of education for children. Lastly urban gardening helps filter air and rain water.

Where to set up?

I got super lucky with my apartment, fortunately I have two balconies, plenty of room. I decided to put my Minigarden Kitchen Garden off the bedroom balcony because we keep our bikes on the other one and I wanted to create a quiet oasis. Also… I’d rather bring fruits, vegetables and herbs through the bedroom than trail our bikes, it was a no brainer.

Where you set up depends on the amount of light your space gets. My balcony receives the morning sun but if it’s cloudy I have a bit of a problem. The railing of my balcony is cement which creates a shady area towards the bottom. If it’s cloudy all day it won’t receive much sun. To solve this problem I did some research and learned that arugula and sativa lettuce can adapt to any environment whether it be in the sun or shade. Considering all my other herbs, fruits and vegetables required a lot of sun, I decided to place the arugula and lettuce on the bottom four rows so the rest could grasp full sunlight.

Find you plants friends and enemies.

Did you know that parsley and mint can’t be grown beside each other? I sure didn’t but I’m so glad I checked! If you plan on mixing plants and herbs in the same pot or container I suggest you find its friends. I literally sat down one day and wrote all possible combinations for my Minigarden.

Choose the right soil.

The soil depends on what it is you want to grow. Do you plan on planting succulents, herbs, fruits or veggies? Well if you didn’t already know succulents and cactuses require different soils than herbs, fruits and veggies. But no fear! It’s clearly written on the labels.

Don’t over water – Balance is key.

Every plant has different needs. Some herbs like it dry while others like it moist. I admit I haven’t quite perfected this art yet but if the plant is drooping and the soil is dry then I water. If it’s drooping and the soil is moist then I wait a day before watering.

Can the water escape?

When you water your plants the water needs to escape somehow or else your plant will rot. So if your pot or container has holes in the bottom you’re good! If you wish to plant in a container lets say that doesn’t have a hole for the water to escape you can use expandable clay underneath the soil. This acts as a drainage system for the water.

 

Good luck on your urban gardening adventures!”

 

Images and article created by Samantha Rose Hunt. Find more about her:

Website: http://www.myethicaledit.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/my.ethical.edit/
Email: samantharose9322@gmail.com