How to Maximize Small Garden Space| GreenStalk Review

Sharing is caring!

Growing a beautiful flower garden or a lush, heavily laden vegetable garden is so rewarding. . . but what do you do if you have very little space or are in a temporary location? Can you still BE a gardener? Can you still enjoy the unique beauty and peace found within vegetation. You can definitely still enjoy beautiful flowers or veggies as long as you know a few tips for planting in small spaces. I would love to share 3 gardening methods that are simple to implement and will help you maximize your small garden space.

This post may contain Amazon Affiliate Links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure at homemakingwithoutfear.com. Furthermore as an Amazon Associate, I may earn from qualifying purchases.

Gardening is a skill but it certainly isn’t reserved for the expert or those with a lot of property. Anyone no matter where you are can put a plant or seed in the soil and GROW a living thing. . . it is such a miracle of life and for some it becomes a passion.

Every spring when the weather gets nice I feel a certain tug at my heart to GROW something. Even if one only grows a handful of lettuce or a small pot of cherry tomatoes on the patio. . . fresh home grown produce is hard to beat and is such a beautiful representation of God’s handiwork.

So! If you are like me and are in a rental or other not so permanent location, it makes sense that you would still long for the ability to GROW something. . . What if I told you it was possible? Maybe you don’t have the home you ultimately desire OR have much property. . . IT’S POSSIBLE. . . you can garden, flowers or veggies, successfully no matter where you are and in surprisingly small spaces.

Are YOU in rental or other small area and desire to MAXIMIZE your available garden space?

Maybe you live in the big city and barely have a back yard? With a few easy-to-implement tips and LOTS of creativity you can grow SOMETHING. . .

Okay you do need water too. . .

. . . maybe you grow herbs on a railing planter or window box?. . . or a tomato in a pot by your front door?. . . Will you grow multiple types of plants in one pot, bed or hanging planter? . . It can be done and I am going to prove it to you. Come with me!

Here are 3 Ways to MAXIMIZE your Small Garden Space:

1. GROW UP: use the concept of growing vertically in upright containers, hanging baskets, vertical beds, terraced beds or even trellises. Growing vertically, cuts down on limited horizontal space.
2. PLANT BUDDIES IN SQUARE FEET: there are many plants that LOVE to be planted together and actually help each-other grow BETTER when planted together. On the flip side some plants should NOT be planted together but as long as you know what plants to plant, you can plant the MAX amount in each square foot of garden space.
3. USE CONTAINERS: nearly anything can become a planting container as long as it isn’t hazardous. It doesn’t have to be expensive. You could recycle old tubs, plastic containers or buckets. You could use would frames to create small beds or even use canvas or rubberized totes and bags. I have seen swim pools, old wash tubs, sinks and even tires used as planting containers. BE CREATIVE! The great thing about containers is that they are generally movable which is great for a rental.

1. Grow up: Vertical Growing or Trellising to Maximize Small Garden Space

Vertical growing really takes advantage of the space you have ABOVE ground to maximize the production of your plants.

There are many different ways to to do this but I have found some of the best ways to grow UP are to either trellis or use special containers to grow vertically.

Trellising is essentially “training”, weaving or tying plants (usually vines) to a vertical structure thus encouraging it to grow up instead of sprawling on the ground.

If you take a cucumber for example and train it to a trellis rather than let it sprawl on the ground, you can harvest the same amount of fruits within a much smaller footprint. Actually many plants prefer trellising as it helps keep foliage and fruits dry and pest and disease free. Just consider you must support ripening fruits in some way as they become heavy.

There are lots of ways to trellis. . .

Twine, wire or string can be strung between posts or stakes. Plants can be placed against fencing or lattice or a-frame tower structures can be easily constructed.

One of my favorite ways to trellis is to bend over a standard cattle panel. This creates a beautifully arched trellis and is great for vining fruits, veggies and flowers.

To trellis plants you first have to know what kinds of plants do well or like to be trellised. Long vining plants that naturally sprawl and climb, putting of tendrils as they go are a great option. Sometimes you have to weave them around, in and out or secure them to the structure with a bit of twine or yarn. . .

Here is a list of plants that tend to do well or can be trained to trellis:

• tomatoes
• squash
• cucumber
• pumpkins
• melons
• pole beans
• peas
• ground cherries
• tomatillos
• Flowers that can be trellised: nasturtium, morning glory, clematis, bougainvillea

This list is just to get you started. Have fun with it! The JOY of experimentation is half the point.

Another way you can GROW VERTICAL without a trellis is to take advantage of a container that is designed for vertical growing. Many companies make special containers that hang on walls or perch on railings. You could also stake your own containers on porch steps BUT here is a game changer for you . . . it is called GreenStalk.

My new favorite vertical growing secret weapon to MAXIMIZE small garden space is the GreenStalk!!

What is GreenStalk?

We are a family-run company. My father and our family created the original GreenStalk planter here in Tennessee in 2014 and we still run it together today. We aren’t some massive company. We know our affiliates and our customers. You are not a number to us. We love hearing from you!

Our products are high quality and are simply amazing! No, really! It starts with the fact we made our mold here in Tennessee, not overseas. We use high quality, food grade plastic. Each part of our product design has a purpose – the pockets are deep to utilize soil space, plants naturally grow out of the pockets with plenty of room at the top to grow and enjoy sunlight. If you want to know more about us, please look at our website. We have it loaded with info!

This vertical container garden is so clever and impressively productive. It’s molded plastic pocket design means NO SEAMS and NO LEAKS. It is perfectly designed for small space or patio gardening. It has an incredibly small footprint but holds an impressive amount of plants.

The GreenStalk water system is patented and different than anything else out there.

This is a stack-able container BUT what’s cool is that the soil on top doesn’t become water logged before the bottom tiers are watered. The water actually travels down the center of the tower and the pockets are watered by a gravity drip design.

Not only is GreenStalk made in the USA and made well at that, it is highly productive and BONUS it is BEAUTIFUL. They come in different colors, can be stacked in different configurations and can be used to plant anything from veggies, flowers to strawberries. . . My mother-in-law planted her GreenStalk below with strawberries.

I was excited to purchase both my Mom and Mother-in-law a GreenStalk and can’t wait to see their results.

Disclaimer: As an ambassador I earn GreenStalk store credit from qualifying sales but would not recommend them if I didn’t truly believe in this American made product. After spending my own money on them, I can honestly say they are worth it!

If you would like to get your own GreenStalk use my special link to navigate to their website, explore and purchase. Click the link HERE: Explore GreenStalk

AND

Get a coupon worth $10 OFF your order of $75+

2. Plant “Buddies” in Square Feet: Square Foot Gardening & Companion Planting

Square foot gardening is all about blocking out your garden space in square 1ft by 1ft sections of planting space.

After you have marked your area, you can refer to a guide such as the one below to determine the MAXIMUM amount of plant variety that can be planted in each square foot. It is important not to crowd plants too much as disease and illness can set it BUT when dealing with a LIMITED amount of space it is helpful to know just exactly how much to plant.

After you have marked your area, you can refer to a guide such as the one below to determine the MAXIMUM amount of plant variety that can be planted in each square foot. It is important not to crowd plants too much as disease and illness can set it BUT when dealing with a LIMITED amount of space it is helpful to know just exactly how much to plant.

To mark square feet, you don’t have to lay out your garden with string BUT it is helpful to have some sort of guide. Sticks, branches or a metal grid could all be helpful tools. If you desire more precision and detail than this a seeding square like the one below could be a helpful tool.

While you are planting the maximum amount per square foot it is equally important to know what plants LIKE to be planted together. This is called Companion Planting.

Did you know plants have buddies?

It’s true! Many vegetables grow well together and actually help each other thrive by repelling or deterring pests and disease. Other plants may act as bullies to other varieties causing them to grow poorly.

In this photo I have just planted butternut squash in my corn row.

Here are some reasons to consider companion planting:

• Pest control
• Enhanced flavor
• Attraction of pollinators
• Improvement of soil nutrients
• Support or protection of crop

Here are a few great examples of excellent companions:

• Basil, parsley and garlic around your tomato plants improves flavor and growth AND also repels bugs. Cabbage or broccoli on the other hand can stunt tomato growth.
• Beans grow really well with cucumbers. Nasturtium flowers and marigold planted among cucumbers also deter nasty beetles and aphids. However potatoes and melons should NOT be planted near cucumbers.
• Because potatoes have deep roots it is best to plant shallow plants like parsley, spinach and lettuce in close proximity to them. Still yet cabbage corn and beans are said to enhance the flavor of the potato.
• Chives, garlic and marigolds planted with lettuce repels bugs

There are so many other interesting companions to learn about. . .

Be sure to check out The Old Farmer’s Almanac Companion Planting Guide. This guide is really helpful for knowing just what to plant together in your square foot garden.

A classic example of the beauty of companion planting is the ancient practice of Three Sisters Agriculture. The triad of the three sisters involves: corn, pole beans and winter squash. For centuries these crops were the center of Native American Agriculture and culinary tradition. These three crops would grow together, sharing the same small piece of land all the while nourishing and physically supporting each other to grow.

The corn would provide structure for the climbing bean to trellis while the bean would deposit nitrogen in the soil for the corn. The winter squash would grow along the ground, creeping among the corn stalk bases to block sunlight and prevent weeds.

(SEE: The Gardener – Wisdom of Three Sisters)

Isn’t companion planting interesting? Want to learn even more?

Try this book. The Kindle version is FREE if you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited.

3. Use Containers: Plant in Containers & raised or terraced beds:

Similarly to planting vertically, planting in raised beds or containers does not have to be expensive. Yes there are some great container options out there and I have used most of them. I will even be sure to share and link my favorites but simple wooden framed beds, recycled tubs or buckets can work beautifully.

A terrace style bed does double duty as a container bed but also utilizes vertical space to really maximize growing area.

A terrace bed is also a great option if you are dealing with a small plot of land that just isn’t flat. Digging in or adding terrace beds using the slope’s natural incline is a phenomenal use of space.

(Think Japanese rice bogs but on a smaller scale. Ha!

While planting in beds, terraces or larger containers isn’t as movable, it is still a wonderful temporary option and can work quite well in a rental, city location, rooftop garden or even a patio garden.

Keep the containers small if you like and don’t be afraid to use recycled containers. Go ahead and see what beautiful, charming treasures you can find to plant in.

Here is a perfect example of how we grow greens INDOORS all year long using RECYCLED containers.

How to Grow Greens in Recycled Containers

Friend,

If your garden space just isn’t what you desire or maybe it IS but you just prefer it small. . . adding vertical methods, trellising and planting in containers is definitely the way to go to maximize your growing space. If you do have ground space, consider the square foot method of gardening to maximize every inch in the healthiest way possible and don’t forget about companion planting! So many flowers and different vegetable varieties absolutely THRIVE together while adding dimension and interest to your garden. Lastly be sure to check out the GreenStalk family and all their wonderful, thoughtfully made products. Thank you for stopping by and Happy Gardening!

Shop My FAVORITE Small Garden Essentials from Amazon:

This post may contain Amazon Affiliate Links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure at homemakingwithoutfear.com. Furthermore as an Amazon Associate, I may earn from qualifying purchases.

Be sure to checkout this Gardening Related Post:

Food Security: Providing for Your Family During Uncertain Times.

Pin it for Later